The best fibre broadband deals in December 2022

The best fibre broadband deals nowadays are found often by comparing plans using a price comparison website. Normally, these will look at the most competitive offers from the major network providers –  Virgin Media, BT and Sky.

Not all of these price comparison websites compare ‘all of market’ though, even the Ofcom accredited ones.

So how do you pick which deal to proceed with? After all, most ISPs now offer high-speed fibre broadband deals. With a range of speeds available from 50Mb to 1.1Gb, there is a fibre broadband deal to suit every need and budget.

The absolute FIRST thing you need to do, is check your postcode to see what deals are available to you. There is a lot of variation in the deals – your neighbours up the end of the street can end up being offered different speeds and plans to you. Thankfully, most price comparison websites like USwitch or MoneySuperMarket will make it clear which offers you can actually get at your home.

Or if you prefer, you can compare fibre prices here at Broadband.Deals, we compare over 50 different ISPs and over 600 different plans altogether.

What do I get with my fibre broadband plan?

Fibre broadband deals usually include a router. However, some providers might charge you a one-off delivery fee or a set-up fee. Also, if you have a large household, you might want to upgrade to a higher-end router, but this will cost extra. Make sure to check the details of the contract to make sure you can benefit from all the perks.

The best fibre broadband deals also allow you to add other services to your package. You can choose to bundle your internet with pay-TV or a mobile contract. It is also possible to combine a fibre connection with a mobile phone contract. This is a great way to save money while enjoying multiple services at one time.

Virgin Media is another provider that has “ultrafast broadband” at highly competitive prices. Its plans are often the cheapest in the UK, with speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 900 Mbps. If you want to save money, you can opt for Virgin Media’s M200 plan. This is cheaper than most other fibre broadband deals, but it still has plenty of bandwidth for most homes.

Fibre broadband, generally speaking, offers speed and quality but will come at a higher price than regular ADSL. Although the speed varies between providers, it is far better than traditional ADSL too in that respect.

The average download speed of ADSL is about 15Mbps, while the average speeds of fibre broadband are up to seven times higher. In fact, some average download speeds can even go as high as 1100Mbps if you’re in an area that can get it. If that’s you, then consider switching to Virgin Media fibre. Of course, make sure to haggle with Virgin Media if you’re an existing customer.

The main downsides to superfast broadband are that it costs a lot more than standard ADSL and usually comes with a long-term contract. Also, many areas of the country do not have access to faster networks.

Should I pick a smaller fibre ISP?

If you can be sure that the customer service and installation times are reasonable, then I see no reason why not. But make sure to do your due diligence first, particularly if it’s a company you’ve not come across before. Some smaller up-and-coming ISPs like Cuckoo and Trooli are very highly rated by their customers, but aren’t even going to be as cheap as the cheapest broadband providers like TalkTalk.

Which fibre provider is fastest?

As we mentioned above, Virgin Media offers the fastest fibre broadband, but its customer service is mediocre. It does not include a landline phone connection, which is an extra fee. In contrast, Shell offers a high-speed fibre broadband service for an affordable price. A postcode checker is available to find out if fibre broadband is available in your area.

Some fibre internet packages are designed for businesses, while others are aimed at home customers. Fibre broadband tends to be installed by a technician, who will come to your house and plan the installation process. You will need to be home when the technician arrives, and it may involve running new wires.

Remember that fibre broadband replaces the old ADSL copper wires, so you’ll need an entire new line run from the pole to your home. It’s possible that your old copper wires will remain and not be removed by the engineer; if you want them disconnected then just ask.

A word of warning about overhead wires though. By way of example, Openreach engineers will NOT dig a trench for the wire, so when they come to connect you up, be prepared for them to put in overhead wires only. Openreach have officially announced they are ‘retiring’ the copper network soon, so fibre optic will be the future.

Typical fibre broadband plans offer speeds of 30Mbps and all the way up to 500Mbps. However, you can choose an EVEN higher speed if you wish to future-proof your broadband usage. This is especially true if you have growing kids or are a home worker – Ultrafast promises up to 1200Mbps. That’s very quick!

Key points to know about fibre take-up

  • When 75% of the homes and businesses connected to a particular exchange can get Full Fibre you won’t be able to buy our old copper products if Full Fibre is available at your premises, this includes Gfast, Superfast Fibre and Standard Broadband.
  • This applies to anyone who’s signing up to a new contract, whether you’re switching, upgrading or re-grading.  If you’re out of contract and already on a copper product, you may be able to continue your existing copper-based services in special circumstances – speak to your communications provider if you’re not sure.
  • We’ve already stopped selling copper products in Salisbury, Wiltshire and  have announced over 2,900 locations, where we’ll stop selling copper products between now and August 2022. From September 2023 we’ll only provide digital phones across the UK.
  • Some communications providers may choose to impose this sooner, so you might see this reflected in their product offerings.  We recommend that you check what’s available on their website.

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