Broadband speeds vary across the UK, so it’s best to use our quick postcode checker to find out what the fastest speeds are in your area. Simply enter your postcode to view all available deals, then sort your results by ‘download speed’.
Virgin Media has its own network, delivering the fastest widely available speeds in the UK. Hyperoptic and Gigaclear offer speeds that are similar to Virgin Media’s (up to 1Gbps or 1000Mbps) but they only cover very restricted areas of the country at the moment.
Here’s a look at how the providers shape up. We’ve included the most popular providers for comparison:
| Broadband Provider | Standard | Superfast | Ultrafast | Network | Top Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 900Mbps |
| EE | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 900Mbps |
| Gigaclear | - | - | Full Fibre | Own network | 900Mbps |
| Hyperoptic | - | - | Full Fibre | Own network | 900Mbps |
| John Lewis | ADSL | FTTC | - | Openreach | 66Mbps |
| NOW Broadband | ADSL | FTTC | - | Openreach | 63Mbps |
| Plusnet | ADSL | FTTC | - | Openreach | 66Mbps |
| Shell Energy broadband | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 920Mbps |
| Sky | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 900Mbps |
| SSE | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 900Mbps |
| TalkTalk | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 900Mbps |
| Virgin Media | - | Cable | Cable | Own network | 1.1Gbps |
| Vodafone | ADSL | FTTC | Full Fibre | Openreach | 910Mbps |
There are a number of things that can affect the speed of your broadband, one of which is the distance from your property to the local exchange or street cabinet. The further your property is from the cabinet, the slower your connection is likely to be. Our guide to the effects of distance from the exchange on broadband speed will tell you more.
You can use our quick and simple broadband speed test to find out if you’re currently getting the speed that was advertised at the start of your current broadband contract. Simply make sure you’re connected to your home broadband wireless network and click ‘Go’ - the test runs itself in seconds.
If your current speed isn’t matching up to what was originally advertised by your provider, we’ve put together a guide that will help you make a complaint and (hopefully) get what you paid for!
Knowing your current speed will also help you determine whether you need a new deal with a quicker speed, or whether you’re currently enjoying the best internet speed you can expert where you live.
A fast or superfast connection is great, as long as you really need it. If not, you’ll be paying over the odds for your internet.
If you live alone or in a small household and only use the internet for things like online shopping and browsing social media, the slower speeds of standard / ADSL should meet your needs.
Faster speeds are only usually required for large households where everyone wants to be online at the same time, and where people regularly do things like streaming HD content or online gaming.
Our guide to broadband speeds will help you work out the best broadband speed for your household needs.
Superfast, ultrafast and gigabit all have specific definitions in terms of the speeds they’re able to achieve.
A superfast connection refers to download speeds that exceed 30Mbps.
According to most ISPs, ultrafast applies to speeds of 100Mbps and higher, although Ofcom defines it as involving speeds of above 300Mbps.
Gigabit broadband only refers to the very fastest connections, those of around 1Gbps or more, and is delivered by Fibre to the Premises (FTTP only). This type of broadband can’t currently be accessed using a WiFi signal, and requires an ethernet cable that tethers you to one spot.
To compare broadband download speeds, take a look at the following example:
To download an hour-long episode of your favourite Netflix show would take 10 minutes and 48 seconds using standard broadband. 3 minutes and 18 seconds with superfast broadband, 1 minute and 6 seconds with ultrafast broadband and 7 seconds with gigabit broadband.
To download an average length HD movie, you would need to wait 58 minutes and 34 seconds with standard broadband, 17 minutes and 53 seconds with superfast broadband, 1 minute and 6 seconds with ultrafast broadband and an amazing 38 seconds with gigabit broadband.
Finally. To download a PS5 game, you would need to wait 21 hours, 41 minutes and 30 seconds using standard broadband, 6 hours, 37 minutes and 40 seconds with superfast broadband, 2 hours, 12 minutes and 33 seconds with ultrafast broadband and 14 minutes and 18 seconds with gigabit broadband.
For a full list of speeds required for streaming your favourite shows, read our guide.
The fastest widely available provider is Virgin Media, which is available to over 50% of UK households and offers top speeds of 1.1Gbps. Both Hyperoptic and some other local/community providers such as B4RN offer similar or higher broadband speeds, but only to a tiny fraction of the population.
Checking your broadband speed is easy. Our broadband speed test will let you know how fast your broadband is. To get the best results, we recommend plugging your device into the router itself when you test your broadband speed. WiFi won’t give you reliable results.
‘Download speed’ refers to the ‘downstream’, the part of the connection that receives data from the internet. This is part of your bandwidth, and a higher download speed allows you to receive faster broadband. The higher your bandwidth, the more data can move down your broadband connection at the same time.
This describes the amount of data your connection can send at one time. It’s only important if you publish lots of files online, such as videos on YouTube, Instragram, TikTok, or other social media platforms. A higher upload speed will allow you to publish them faster.
Yes, in some areas of the UK. Some members of the local community in almost exclusively rural areas have created their own internet provision service and offer pure fibre networks with fast-speed broadband of 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) or more. We suggest using Google to find local providers. We don’t list them because they can’t provide us with postcode or availability data.
ADSL broadband averages 10.7Mbps, according to the latest Ofcom data. Even then, the speed varies widely between urban and rural areas, with the former receiving more than double the average speed of the latter (roughly 15Mbps:6Mbps). Also, the speed will likely be higher if you live close to your nearest local exchange. Only operators on the Openreach network offer ADSL (everyone but Virgin Media).
‘Throttling’ is a measure that internet service providers take to limit the speed of your connection artificially. They usually do this once you reach your monthly data limit or perform activities that go against the terms of the contract.
Prices vary. Although some service providers start at as little as £30 per month for their broadband, the fastest ones can reach up to £100 per month. We recommend using our tool to see what’s available in your area.
Our experts are available from 10am-6:30pm Monday to Saturday