As a supplier of broadband for new-builds and flats, Hyperoptic isn’t available everywhere. But it’s built a trustworthy and reliable reputation among customers who can get its full fibre packages.
We put it to the test in our in-depth review of Hyperoptic broadband service.
Pros and cons of Hyperoptic
Pros
Incredibly fast full fibre broadband with symmetrical upload and download speeds
Affordable broadband-only options for households that stream and use mobiles for calls
Very reliable performance
Cons
Few options if you want to bundle in other services
Limited availability even within London
About Hyperoptic
Established in 2011, Hyperoptic has always focused its broadband services on top-tier speeds. Delivered through its full fibre network, Hyperoptic’s entry-level broadband package includes average download speeds of 50Mbps.
According to Ofcom’s UK Home Broadband Performance measurement period March 2022, this is just below the UK average download speed of 59.4Mbps. Speeds and service only go up from here though, with an incredible top average download speed of 900Mbps.
Hyperoptic Superfast 150Mb
For this review, I’m going to focus on the Hyperoptic Superfast 150Mb broadband deal. It’s typically priced between £18-£25 per month for 150Mbps download and upload speeds.
As with many broadband deals, prices go up quite dramatically after the end of your contract. So make sure you either switch or renew your contract if you want to avoid monthly prices of £35 for this package.
I had Hyperoptic’s Superfast 150Mb package on a twelve-month contract from July 2021-July 2022. I would have stayed with Hyperoptic because its consistent and fast connection rarely let me down and made working from home a breeze.
Unfortunately, I recently moved to an area that doesn’t have access to its network, so I had to switch providers. But it meant that the short twelve-month contract length was perfectly suited for my needs as a renter. Most other providers require an 18-month or 24-month minimum term.
Despite some initial problems with the connection when setting up, which we’ll go into in the Reliability section, my experience with Hyperoptic was pretty much without fault. Broadband speeds varied only very slightly throughout the day, and streaming, gaming and uploading large files was almost always easy and fast.
See if Hyperoptic is available in your area and compare it to other broadband packages in your postcode.
Hyperoptic UK coverage
Hyperoptic holds the title of the UK’s largest exclusively full fibre broadband provider, connecting over 850,000 homes and businesses with fibre-to-the-premises broadband.
Most providers, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Plusnet, mainly rely on a different type of fibre, which has slower speeds and uses older technology than full fibre. These providers also offer full fibre connections but they are less widely available and not as popular as the slower fibre deals.
This essentially means that, wherever it’s available, Hyperoptic is always going to be one of the fastest, most reliable options for your broadband.
Unsure if you want or need full fibre broadband? You can read more about the different types of broadband with our dedicated guide.
However, of these 850,000 connections, the vast majority of them are in large cities, with the lion’s share being in London. So it’s likely not an option if you live in a rural area.
In April 2022, Hyperoptic announced it would be investing £200 million towards extending its full fibre network to more types of buildings. It’s now focusing on terraced houses, maisonettes, converted houses and detached properties, in addition to the flats and new-build properties that it usually connects.
At the time of writing, Hyperoptic’s full fibre network is live across 57 towns and cities in the UK, with the goal of connecting two million homes by the end of 2023.
Hyperoptic broadband speed
For the Hyperoptic Superfast 150Mb broadband package, the advertised speed is 150Mbps. But, as with most providers, that’s simply an average. And internet speeds usually vary somewhat throughout the day and the week.
There had been a couple of instances where the download and upload speeds dropped significantly to around 25Mbps. However, these were rare instances in the 12 months of having this package.
Average broadband speeds tended to be around the 100Mbps mark, meaning downloads and streaming were a breeze. There was more than enough bandwidth for even streaming in 4K.
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of Hyperoptic’s full fibre connection is what they call symmetrical speeds. This means that, unlike many other so-called full fibre connections, Hyperoptic offered the exact same upload speed as its download speed. This is especially important when your online activities include things like video calls, uploading large files or online gaming.
And in general, Hyperoptic’s connection was incredibly stable. It was never an issue if multiple people in the household were using the internet, even for the most speed-hungry activities, like 4K streaming and working from home.
Hyperoptic speed options
For a household of two with multiple devices connected to Wi-Fi at all times, the Superfast 150Mb package was plenty for me. But Hyperoptic does have faster and slower average speeds available too:
Hyperoptic Fast 50Mb: 50Mbps
Hyperoptic Superfast 150Mb: 150Mbps
Hyperoptic Ultrafast 500Mb: 500Mbps
Hyperoptic Hyperfast 1Gb: 1Gbps (1000Mbps)
Find out what speed you’re currently getting by running a quick broadband speed test, as you could get faster and more reliable internet for a more affordable price.
Hyperoptic broadband deals on Uswitch
View some of our Hyperoptic broadband deals and choose between different speeds and contract lengths.
Reliability
Since Hyperoptic runs on its own full fibre network, it’s responsible for every aspect of delivering internet services to your home or business. This differs from most other providers, who rely on the Openreach network for their connections.
In the case of Hyperoptic, this is actually a good thing, as it means it doesn’t have to liaise with another company to fix a fault on its network.
When the line was initially installed in our flat, we did have some trouble with our connection cutting out, and it took multiple visits from engineers to uncover the problem. The line into the property and the line from the cabinet on the street to our home were managed by separate teams. And after turning our router on and off several times, it was clear the problem was elsewhere.
The difficulty came in getting access to the cabinet for our building, which was held by the property manager, who wasn’t on-site to give the engineers access. This is, therefore, potentially a problem for many flats and managed buildings. And it’s something you’ll need to consider when calling out an engineer or arranging installation.
That being said, once the team eventually got access to the cabinet, they quickly found the fault and repaired it on the spot. There were no further problems for the remainder of our contract.
Hyperoptic doesn’t offer any sort of back-up service or support for home broadband users. So if your broadband cuts out, you’ll be at the mercy of your mobile phone until it’s fixed.
But after our initial problem at the start of our contract, there was rarely any noticeable drop in speed or performance. No matter what other members of the household were doing online or how much bandwidth they used.
Here’s what is best to do if you have a broadband outage at home.
Customer service
Like many millennials, I hate making phone calls. So the option to make customer complaints and queries via webchat was a life-saver. It meant that I could contact Hyperoptic’s team during the work day without having to wait on hold for ages.
My queries were answered fairly quickly by a human representative, not a chat bot that doesn’t understand what you’re trying to say. When there were initial problems on our connection, an engineer visit was arranged quickly to address the issue.
The only real complaint I had was that when the issue needed to be escalated to a different team, it wasn’t always communicated properly. This meant multiple engineers visited our flat before the correct team was dispatched to the building’s broadband cabinet, which was frustrating.
Hyperoptic doesn’t have to deal with a separate network provider like Openreach. So we expected there to be fewer delays with those issues when joining the provider.
That said, given Hyperoptic’s really strong and consistent broadband connection, we had minimal issues to report to its customer service team during our contract period.
Learn about all the different ways you can contact your broadband provider.
Hyperoptic broadband bundle options
Hyperoptic focuses almost entirely on full fibre broadband, which can be a good thing if you’re looking for a simple internet connection with no complicated features.
It offers superfast and ultrafast connections that more than support all streaming services at any picture quality. There are no pay-TV or mobile phone bundles available. And, while the option to add a landline service is available, it’s marketed very much as an add-on rather than a requirement.
In most cases, you can add phone line rental to your broadband package for just a couple extra pounds a month.
Hyperoptic and Sky TV
Hyperoptic has recently partnered with Sky TV, by advertising some of Sky’s most popular pay-TV products on its homepage.
It’s come after the recent launch of Sky Glass, a smart TV that gives you access to Sky channels via an internet connection. It does away with the need for a satellite dish and means customers can access the full array of Sky TV programmes and services on any broadband connection.
And of course, Hyperoptic offers one of the fastest, most reliable connections on the market, which is ideal for streaming even the highest quality 4K content. So, while Hyperoptic itself doesn’t offer TV services, it’s more than capable of letting you watch all of the TV you want online.
If you’re looking to combine your TV and broadband bills into a single monthly payment, take a look at our full range of broadband and TV deals on Uswitch.
Setup and installation
The most important thing to note is that, unless your property has previously had Hyperoptic installed, you will likely need to book an engineer visit to install a new connection to your home.
This can take around two weeks to arrange. So as soon as you know you want to switch to Hyperoptic, it’s worth trying to book the installation date as close to the end date of your current contract as possible.
All-in-all, installation took around an hour, as our engineer had to install a new socket around 10 metres from our entrance. This wasn’t a concern for us, as we live in a flat. But if you’re getting Hyperoptic installed in a house and want to put your Wi-Fi router in a particular place, you might need to pay an additional charge to have the socket installed further into your home.
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Read our expert reviews of all of the UK's biggest broadband providers.
Hyperoptic router review
Hyperoptic offers two types of Wi-Fi router, depending on the package you choose.
The Fast 50Mbps and Superfast 150Mbps packages come with the ZTE Hyperhub, while 500Mbps and 1Gbps packages receive the Nokia Hyperhub. It’s a dual-band router with four gigabit ports that can also support up to 1Gbps speeds over a wired connection.
This essentially means that the free router you get from Hyperoptic will be the right one for the speed of the package you’ve chosen. Most normal routers can handle internet speeds of 150Mbps via a wireless connection, so a less advanced router is needed. But speeds of 500Mbps and higher often need better technology.
The Nokia Hyperhub’s gigabit ports will allow you to access the full extent of Hyperoptic’s Hyperfast 1Gb package. Most routers can’t handle those speeds on a wireless connection for now. So the only way you can reach the peak of that package’s speed is by connecting to your router with an ethernet cable.
Our ZTE Hyperhub never seemed to cause issues for us while we were with Hyperoptic. But our flat is comparatively small to some of the new-build properties that the provider also services. So make sure to test your Wi-Fi in every room of your new home to see if you need to change your router’s set-up.
Hyperoptic Wi-Fi guarantee
Hyperoptic doesn’t currently offer a specific Wi-Fi guarantee. However, there is a guarantee in its contract terms and conditions. This states that, “Once your Hyperoptic broadband service has been activated, you should receive at least the Minimum Download Speed for your chosen package, as long as your Hyperhub router (or Hyperoptic WAP) remains powered and on.”
It goes on to say that if connectivity issues can’t be sorted out over the phone, Hyperoptic will aim to fix any speed issues within the Fix Period, which is the standard 30 days.
In my experience, any speed or connection issues were sorted out far quicker, with an engineer sent out as soon as possible, on the rare occasion that broadband speeds were inconsistent.
Compare our best broadband deals
Search on Uswitch to find the right broadband package for you.
Hyperoptic price vs competitors
Hyperoptic competes in the high-end broadband market, with only a select few broadband providers able to currently match its speeds. Its main competitors in the market are Virgin Media, BT and Sky, all of which offer ultrafast full fibre packages in some locations.
Hyperoptic’s 150Mb package cost us £22 a month during the initial contract period, after which it increased to £35 a month – a frustratingly common practice among broadband providers.
By comparison, Virgin Media’s 100Mb package usually costs a few pounds per month more, while BT and Sky are significantly more expensive at roughly £10 a month higher.
Flexible contracts
Hyperoptic is one of the few providers to offer adjustable contract lengths to its providers, but the monthly price for each of its packages does differ as a result. You can choose between 24 months, 12 months or one-month rolling contracts when selecting a Hyperoptic deal.
Depending on your living situation, and especially if you’re renting, the choice between a one-year commitment and a two-year one could be a big deciding factor. And its one-month rolling option allows for complete flexibility, where you can decide to cancel your contract or switch whenever you want at a 30-day notice period.
Understandably, though, this convenience comes at a cost. The monthly price of its 24-month contracts are the lowest, and its 12-month and one-month contracts are more expensive. It’s roughly £10 per month difference between the three contract lengths for Hyperoptic’s Fast 50Mb package, but up to a whopping £30 per month difference for Hyperfast 1Gb.
Hyperoptic Price Match Guarantee offer
Hyperoptic also cleverly offers a Price Match Guarantee for all of its deals. It states that, if a customer finds a residential broadband package with the same services at a lower price, Hyperoptic will match it. Of course, this does come with the condition that the other provider needs to have the capacity to install and supply a new connection to your home.
The limited availability of full fibre connections does make direct comparisons to other providers difficult. That’s because, in many cases, you’ll only have a couple of options at most out of whichever providers are supplying full fibre in your postcode.
That being said, Hyperoptic is still one of the cheapest of the full fibre providers. And it offers ultrafast upload speeds, which most other comparable providers do not.
Hyperoptic doesn't have mid contract price rises
During my time with Hyperoptic, my monthly prices only increased after the end of my initial term contract. This was clearly communicated to me in advance, highlighting that I had the option to re-contract or stay paying a higher rate month-by-month.
Mid-contract price increases have unfortunately started to become the norm in the industry. Major UK providers like BT, Sky, Plusnet and Vodafone now have terms in their contracts that allow for annual increases each year.
However, not only does Hyperoptic not take part in this practice, but it has been actively campaigning against it, calling on industry regulator Ofcom to put a halt to these rising prices.
So you can take comfort knowing that, if you joined Hyperoptic, you won’t have your prices hiked halfway through your contract.
Read our mid-contract price rises guide to find out which providers increase their prices each year (and by how much).
Why are my broadband and mobile prices increasing?
Learn more about mid-contract price rises with our guide.
Hyperoptic social tariffs
If you receive Universal Credit or another type of financial support, you could be eligible for one of Hyperoptic’s social broadband tariffs.
The provider is already well-known for offering its ultrafast speeds at very good prices. But for those who really struggle to pay their bills, it has some discounted offers, too.
Hyperoptic offers two broadband social tariffs:
| Broadband package | Avg download speed | Monthly price | Setup fee | Contract length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Fibre 50 | 50Mbps | £15 | £0 | Monthly rolling |
| Fair Fibre 150 | 150Mbps | £25 | £0 | Monthly rolling |
Prices correct as of October 2022
Of the two low-income broadband deals available, Fair Fibre 50 is the only one with a discounted monthly price. Both offer free installation, but that’s the only difference between Hyperoptic’s normal 150Mb deal and its 150Mb social tariff.
However, both deals are also monthly-rolling contracts, which gives customers complete convenience about how long they want to stay with the provider. Hyperoptic’s normal monthly-rolling deals are far more expensive than its Fair Fibre packages.
So while there isn’t a hugely noticeable difference with the monthly price of Hyperoptic’s social tariffs, the rolling monthly contract and free installation could be a useful option for many.
Should you choose Hyperoptic?
If Hyperoptic is available in your home, it is absolutely a provider you should consider. Prices are both reasonable and fixed throughout your contract. And the reliability of its internet connection is some of the best you’ll find from a broadband provider.
And, while the provider doesn’t offer much in terms of other services or bundled packages, the ultrafast speeds offered by its full fibre network allow for unlimited streaming on multiple devices at once.
Hyperoptic broadband is great for people who:
Live with multiple people who use the internet constantly
Want extremely fast broadband speeds at very reasonable monthly prices
Enjoy streaming the latest TV shows and movies, but don’t see the need for pay-TV
Care most about a consistent, reliable connection
Even a large household would comfortably be able to run on Hyperoptic’s 150Mb package. But if you have a home office as well as a household of high-bandwidth users, the 500Mb and 1Gb are only an extra £5 or £10 a month for unparalleled broadband speeds.
Compare Hyperoptic broadband deals
Take a look at our wide range of Hyperoptic broadband packages.
