There are over 150 broadband providers serving customers in the UK, all with a number of different services and broadband speeds to offer.
In this Uswitch broadband provider directory we've outlined the prices, features, benefits and drawbacks of some of the UK's biggest and most widely-available Wi-Fi providers and their networks.
There are a few top broadband providers, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, along with a high number of mid-sized and small broadband providers that you may or may not have heard of. Each of them has its own list of pros and cons that may suit your broadband needs.
Find out all you need to know about comparing different internet providers and the services they offer.
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Here's a brief rundown of what each provider is best known for, and which one offers services that are best suited to your needs.
BT broadband
BT is the largest broadband provider in the UK, offering several types of fibre broadband from superfast fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) to ultrafast full fibre connections.
It also offers extensive pay-TV packages, the major selling point being BT Sport, which includes live coverage of the Premier League and exclusive access to the UEFA Champions League.
Sky Broadband
Sky is the biggest satellite and digital TV provider in the UK, and it also offers Wi-Fi and home phone services as part of its bundle packages.
It uses the same Openreach networks as BT to deliver broadband to your home, and also offers ultrafast full fibre speeds.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk has many broadband customers thanks to its great-value fibre deals, as well as home phone and pay-TV via the YouView set top box.
Compare TalkTalk broadband deals
Virgin Media broadband
Virgin Media offers premium cable broadband and TV bundles and delivers high-speed broadband and high-quality TV through its own cable network.
The provider is available to about 52% of UK properties, and has recently upgraded its entire network to be capable of gigabit broadband speeds.
As the provider is 'quad-play', Virgin TV and broadband deals are often bundled together for new customers. If you'd like to enjoy Virgin Media's ultrafast speeds, but you're paying for a separate pay-TV service from another provider, you could save money by choosing both services with Virgin.
Compare Virgin Media internet deals
Vodafone broadband
Vodafone is mostly known as a mobile phone network operator, but its great-value broadband deals have become much more popular in recent years.
The provider offers a range of very well-priced broadband packages, particularly its superfast and ultrafast fibre broadband and 5G home broadband deals.
Compare Vodafone broadband deals
EE broadband
EE offers impressively fast 4G and 5G mobile broadband, normal fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) and now also an ultrafast broadband service with speeds up to 900Mbps.
EE mobile customers benefit from purchasing EE home broadband as they can potentially boost their data plans.
Plusnet
Plusnet is a great-value internet service provider that offers affordable fibre and copper ADSL broadband packages to customers with excellent customer support.
It also won Broadband Provider of the Year and Best Provider Customer Service at the 2021 Uswitch Broadband & Mobile Awards.
Compare Plusnet broadband deals
NOW Broadband
NOW Broadband, which is owned by Sky, offers low-price fibre broadband packages with easy access to TV add-ons and exclusive content through NOW.
If you're interested in bundling NOW Broadband and TV together, take a look at the full list of NOW TV channels.
Hyperoptic
Hyperoptic is a full fibre broadband provider that provides ultrafast and even gigabit internet speeds for new-build homes and purpose-built flats.
It's also expanding its network into older properties in urban areas.
Compare Hyperoptic broadband deals
If you're looking to switch to a new provider, browse our entire range of broadband deals to find a wide range of options for your home.
See if you could benefit from ultrafast broadband with our guide.
Fibre-optic internet providers
Almost all UK-based Wi-Fi providers offer fibre broadband connections nationwide. But there is still a wide variety of fibre speeds available depending on the provider and the type of fibre connection you choose.
Fibre-optic broadband speeds can range from what we call 'superfast' at 30Mbps, all the way to 'gigabit' at an astounding 1Gbps and beyond. So the service you get with fibre really does depend on what's available to your home.
The most widely available type of fibre is fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), which is supplied by Openreach's superfast network. It hosts the majority of the above providers and is accessible by over 96% of the country.
FTTC provides speeds between 30-70Mbps, so it may be the slowest fibre broadband option, but it's often the cheapest and it's definitely the most widely-available. Plus, it's still much faster than copper-based ADSL broadband and will offer plenty of bandwidth for small families.
Virgin Media's growing cable broadband network offers much faster options, all the way from 50Mbps to 1Gbps. However, at 52% coverage it's not available to as many UK properties than Openreach's FTTC. It's also more expensive, since Virgin needs to connect its special 'coaxial' cables from the cabinet to your home, rather than just standard copper phone lines.
Full fibre providers offer the fastest broadband speeds available in the UK right now. Also known as fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), this is simply where fibre-optic cables connect directly from the provider's broadband exchange to your home. Speeds on one of these networks can range from 100Mbps all the way to 3Gbps in some areas.
Learn more about fibre broadband on our dedicated guide.
Who are the fastest Wi-Fi providers?
Internet providers who can deliver gigabit broadband will be the fastest options for you right now. This primarily will be full fibre providers, but Virgin Media is also one of the fastest, thanks to its cable broadband technology.
Although full fibre only has 28% nationwide coverage right now, it's rapidly expanding through a number of networks:
- Openreach provides FTTP broadband connections for BT and Sky
- CityFibre hosts Vodafone's 'Gigafast' connections as well as some of its own deals
- Hyperoptic provides full fibre for new-builds and flats
- Gigaclear offers speeds up to 900Mbps on its network
- Community Fibre only services London addresses, but its connections go all the way up to 3Gbps
If you'd like more information about the fastest broadband speeds in the UK, take a look at our guide on gigabit internet.
Choosing the right broadband provider
Certain broadband providers are better known for some services over others, and each one will have at least one unique selling point that'll make their offers attractive to a customer with a particular set of needs.
Here we'll go through the main considerations you should have for a broadband package and which internet providers might be more suited to each.
Monthly price
Cost is obviously important to keep in mind when choosing a broadband provider. A certain provider could offer deals that have more than you could ever need, but if the monthly price is out of your budget then you may end up regretting it in the long run.
Plusnet and TalkTalk are popular choices for affordable broadband deals. They're both widely available across the country with fast fibre deals, and they have good customer service too.
If you're looking for broadband at an affordable price, you can compare cheap broadband deals with Uswitch.
Broadband speed
You'll need to make sure that the deal you choose has the right bandwidth for your internet usage.
If you're a very small household and you only really go online to check social media or browse the web, you could get away with a standard, 10Mbps broadband package from the likes of POP Telecom, Direct Save Telecom or John Lewis Broadband.
However, if you live with more than two people who use the internet, or you often stream high-quality TV, download large files or play bandwidth-hungry online games, that demand will quickly increase and a faster broadband package would likely be best.
Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, Vodafone's Gigafast service or providers using Openreach's FTTP network offer speeds for homes with the highest demand. But their coverage isn't as good as fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connections.
Run a broadband speed test while connected to your Wi-Fi to see what speeds you're currently getting, and whether you could benefit from a faster connection.
Customer service
As a paying customer, you'll want to be assured that the provider you choose will treat you with care, competency and, when it matters, urgency. Whether it's through complaints handling, helpful communications or fixing connection issues, good customer service makes your life a lot easier.
Get more information on which broadband provider has the best customer service.
If you have a complaint to make about your broadband service, it's best to take it up with your provider to see if they can find a solution first instead of going straight to Ofcom or the ombudsman. Here's how to complain to your broadband provider.
Which providers offer the best broadband deals in my area?
At Uswitch, we try to help you to choose the right broadband provider for your needs. We'll give you useful information on each provider that's available in your postcode, and we'll list their packages in an easy-to-understand, concise way — with all the details you need to know.
If you'd rather compare internet providers available to you by which broadband packages you can get, you can use our postcode checker. This allows you to see which deals are available to you in seconds.