Dan Howdle | May 4th, 2022
EE broadband review 2022: Is it any good?
EE is hailed as the UK’s number one mobile network thanks to its extensive 4G coverage and expanding 5G coverage but can EE's broadband services match its mobile reputation?
Results of our broadband survey
We interviewed 6,000 household broadband decision makers in 2021. This is how SSE broadband customers rated their service:
| Installation/switching | |
| Speed satisfaction | |
| Reliability |
| Equipment/routers | |
| Value for money | |
| Likeliness to recommend |
Our review of EE broadband
EE inherited Orange broadband customers following its acquisition of the Orange network in 2012 and has taken it from strength-to-strength under its own branding. EE’s acquisition by BT in 2016 also provided more internet expertise. But EE is more than just a BT subsidiary and has fostered its own unique and respected broadband identity. So what does it have to offer in 2022?
Reasons to buy
- Good choice for EE mobile customers
- Very good router
- Good value for money
Reasons to avoid
- Not the fastest provider
- TV bundle is just Apple TV
- Slower than some on repairs
If you’re already an EE Mobile customer you can get up to a 10% discount on your monthly broadband fee. You’ll also get free additional data to add to your existing limits if you also sign up to EE Broadband. With ‘unlimited’ fast becoming the preferred option on mobile data, however, it’s arguable whether this offer will continue to be useful down the line.
Though free routers from your provider are rarely if ever as good as anything you could buy, if you’re prepared to drop a decent chunk of change on one, the Smart Hub router (the same one as offered by BT) is one of the better ones. It has seven antennas, dual Wi-Fi bands and a pretty decent range (for a free router). And considering that EE Broadband isn’t expensive, that means you’ll be getting pretty good value for money.
However, it’s not all roses. Although Openreach (the network EE operates on) continues to roll out ultrafast fibre (up to 900Mbps), expansion is slow and there are few places you can currently get it. Virgin Media on the other hand offers these sorts of speeds to most of the country. So it’s not the fastest provider for most, but of course that analysis depends on where exactly you live and what you can get.
EE TV was discontinued as a new service in 2021, though existing EE broadband customers can still access Apple TV 4K, with inclusive BT Sport. As EE is part of the BT family of companies, you can easily switch to a BT TV package but you’ll need to change from EE broadband to BT broadband to bundle the services together.
And finally, providers have the option of dealing with repairs on faults in either one or two days and EE has chosen two days, which puts them slightly slower at fixing problems than some other providers.
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Fibre Plus Broadband only- 67Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£27 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Fibre Max Gigabit Broadband
- 900Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£50 per month£30 one-off cost24 month contract -
Fibre Broadband only
- 36Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£24 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract
Overview
Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find in an EE broadband deal.
| Average download speed | 10Mbps-900Mbps |
|---|---|
| Average upload speed | 1Mbps-110Mbps |
| Broadband | ADSL, Fibre, Full Fibre |
| Home Phone | Optional |
| Prices from | £21.50 per month |
Broadband speeds
EE offers three speeds for broadband customers. Standard broadband comes with an average speed of 10Mbps (previously advertised as up to 17Mbps), which is recommended for smaller households with one or two devices. There is a mid-range speed averaging 36Mbps on offer with its Fibre Broadband – most suitable for multiple users. Its fastest package, Fibre Plus Broadband, averages 67Mbps (previously advertised as up to 76Mbps), which allows for big families and shared households who want to be streaming, playing video games or just generally using the internet at the same time.
Technically, there are even faster packages from EE – those at 100Mbps, 500Mbps and 900Mbps. However, at this stage the rollout of these faster packages is slow and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get these speeds yet. We mention them because EE lists them, but they are currently only available in select areas across the UK. You can use EE’s postcode checker to see if these Full Fibre speeds are available where you are.
Upload speeds
EE’s standard broadband package has an upload speed of 1Mbps, which is fairly low. Its 36Mbps broadband has an upload speed of 9Mbps, which is on a par with the likes of Sky and BT. EE’s 67Mbps broadband has an upload speed of 18Mbps, which is also pretty standard. If you’re currently working from home and need to upload a lot of documents to the cloud, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a fast upload speed.
Full Fibre Max upload speeds are a bit better, ranging from 28Mbps to 110Mbps, though average upload speeds are likely to be lower. Keep in mind that Full Fibre Max isn’t available everywhere in the UK yet, so you’ll need to confirm what’s available in your area.
Unlimited data and traffic management
All EE broadband deals have the option to include monthly line rental and unlimited broadband usage with no data caps or download limits. Standard broadband is only available with a landline, but option for fibre packages. EE also no longer has a traffic management policy. Setup fees tend to vary depending on the deal and you will need to add a phone package if you want inclusive calls as all EE broadband packages with line rental now come with PAYG calls as standard.
-
Fibre Plus Broadband only
- 67Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£27 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Fibre Max Gigabit Broadband
- 900Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£50 per month£30 one-off cost24 month contract -
Fibre Broadband only
- 36Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£24 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract
Routers and installation
EE customers get a different router depending on whether they are using standard or fibre broadband. Standard broadband users get the EE Bright Box 1(R). It supports remote assistance, has four ethernet ports and a built-in dual-band antenna.
Fibre broadband customers get the slightly slicker Smart Hub (yes, that’s the same Smart Hub offered by BT) to access the internet. This neat bit of tech comes with seven internal antennas, dual Wi-Fi bands, four ethernet ports and the ability to set when certain devices can access it. This is a great way to stop the kids playing computer games after bedtime. You can also dim or turn off the light on the Smart Hub.
This system does unfortunately create two tiers of customers, and means if you eventually want to switch from standard broadband to fibre, you will need a new router, which may result in another activation fee.
Installation
You can sign up to EE broadband online, over the phone or in-store. There is no more waiting for letters in the post from your supplier – EE will email and text you, letting you know the date of your broadband activation day.
You can also track your order online in your My EE account, once you’ve set it up. The router will be delivered by post and should fit through your letterbox, so there’s no sitting around waiting for an engineer to visit.
Your router will come with setup instructions but there are also guides on the EE website detailing how to do it and the best places to keep it, such as away from thick carpets, windows or other electrical devices. Plug your router in and turn the power on and you will see the light on the front run through several colours. Once it goes a steady aqua-blue your Hub will be ready.
EE says it will fine-tune your line when it is activated to make sure you’re getting the fastest and most reliable connection possible. You may notice your connection drops or your speed goes up and down during the first ten days while this is being done.
Check out our guide for more information on how to switch broadband providers.
Reliability
EE may be owned by BT, but it doesn’t seem to have the same reliability issues as its parent company. It is worth checking its online forums though, as some customers do report times when the network seems to be slow.
In recent years, EE has been one of the most complained about broadband providers, but the latest Ofcom figures show an improvement, with 9% of EE customers had a reason to complain, which is just below the industry average of 10%, though only three other providers ranked worse than EE.
EE customers also expressed below average satisfaction with how their complaints were handled, at 56%. This is in line with other broadband providers, with only giffgaff scoring above the average of 57% in satisfaction with complaints handling.
When it comes to download speeds, the latest Ofcom data, as of spring 2021, shows EE can be pretty reliable and offers close to what is advertised. The figures show that 78% of users are satisfied with the speed of their service, which is just below the average at 79% and 82% are satisfied with the overall service, above the average of 80%, and ranked higher than all other broadband providers.
The latest Ofcom report also reports that EE customers were more likely than average to recommend their broadband provider to a friend, while the scores of all the other broadband providers were in line with the sector average.
One area EE is a bit behind is in the length of time it will allow for repairs. Like BT – and other suppliers such as Sky and TalkTalk – it uses the Openreach network. Openreach has two services when fixing issues: one working day or two working days. EE goes for the latter, which means if your broadband goes down on a Friday night you may have to wait until Tuesday to get your internet up and running again.
Customer service
There are several options for speaking to EE customer service. You can visit one of its branches or phone them at their UK or Ireland-based call centres. You can also contact EE support through social media using Twitter or Facebook if you prefer.
EE also offers a sporadic live chat service on its website, or you can find self-help solutions in EE’s free mobile app or a range of ‘how to’ videos on their YouTube channel. Alternatively you can visit the EE online community to find answers to questions you may have.
There is a big window to get through on the phone though and EE does at least have one of the industry’s shortest waiting times. Phone lines are open from 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm on weekends.
Calls from EE mobiles on pay monthly or EE landlines are free at any time. PAYG customers are charged 25p per calls, and calls from non-EE landlines or mobiles will be subject to varying charges.
One helpful option for technical support with your home broadband is to text ‘HELP’ to 60071 from your mobile phone (charges may apply at your standard rate). EE will then run tests on your connection and book you an engineer appointment or have their support team contact you, depending on the outcome. EE broadband support by SMS is available ​​Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm.
Benefits and extras
Existing EE Pay Monthly mobile customers get some decent benefits. If you have an EE mobile tariff and also sign up for EE broadband, you can get a free data boost of up to 20GB to your monthly mobile plan. Existing EE Mobile customers also save up to 10% off their EE Broadband bill every month, and can get a free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, worth up to £120, with selected EE Full Fibre plans.
For new customers leaving their existing broadband provider before their contract is up and facing early termination fees, EE will provide a £50 Early Cancellation Credit to those switching to EE Broadband.
All EE broadband packages offer the option to bolt on Apple TV 4K – at an extra cost. Apple TV comes with all Freeview channels and access to various streaming apps including Netflix, ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, NOW TV and Amazon Prime Video (subscription fees may apply). As a bonus, BT Sport is included for free.
All EE broadband and fibre packages come with parental controls and a year’s free subscription to Norton Security Premium, which you can use to protect up to 10 different devices.
Our verdict: Very good
EE could have just wound down the broadband side it took on from Orange following its 2012 takeover, but instead put it to the forefront of its service offering. It has a strong customer service record and you get added benefits to your data if you also happen to be one of its pay monthly mobile users.
What’s our overall verdict? EE broadband is definitely worth considering if you are looking for fibre broadband, and especially if you are already an EE mobile customer. Customers looking to add a TV package can choose to bundle up with Apple TV 4K.
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