We're unable to confirm the exact download speed at your location. Since the service runs on mobile signals rather than cables, your speed can vary based on your distance from the mast and overall network traffic.
Plug your postcode into our broadband checker and see what's available in your area. You can filter by speed, contract length and provider.
What types of broadband are available?
This will largely depend on where you live, as not all options are available to everyone. You've also got to factor in what you use the internet for and how much you're willing to spend. If you regularly stream music and videos, or you're an avid gamer, you'll want the fastest broadband - ultrafast or fibre optic - but these aren't available to everyone just yet.
The most common types of broadband are:
- Standard - with average speeds of 10-11Mb. This is the basic level, sometimes called ADSL. fibre deals.
- Fast fibre-optic - with average speeds around 60Mb. Uses the same fibre wires, it's just faster.
- Superfast fibre-optic broadband - with average speeds usually above 100Mb. This requires more sophisticated wiring usually direct to your home, and is only available from a limited number of suppliers. See Fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband.
Broadband speeds and different areas
It's important to understand that these advertised speeds are based on the average speed received by at least 50% of a provider's current customer base between 8pm and 10pm - when most people are online.
Most firms have signed up to a code of practice committing to give a personalised estimate and a minimum guaranteed speed before you sign up. So if your speeds drop below this minimum for three consecutive days, you can ask your provider to check for a fault - and get it fixed.
If it remains unresolved for 30 days, you should be able to exit your contract penalty-free. This applies both to broadband-only deals AND packaged deals that include TV and a landline phone, provided you bought them at the same time as the broadband.
Compare the fastest broadband deals
Who are the best internet providers in my area?
You can use our tool to find the best broadband deals where you live:
- Enter your postcode above and then click 'Check Availability'.
- You'll see all the deal that are available in your area.
- Use the filter on the left of the page to pick how fast you want your package to be, the length of the contract, whether you want a TV package and what kind of phone package you'd like.
- Choose the deal you want. Click 'More Details' to see more specific information about the package and hit 'Get Deal' to go to the provider's website and sign up to the deal.
What about Virgin Media?
The big exception is Virgin, which runs its own separate cable network. This covers a smaller area - just over 50% of households. But if you're in the right area it can be very fast, offering top speeds of 1,000Mb.
It's worth noting broadband and home phone service work a little differently in some places in and around Hull - the city has an entirely independent telecoms network run by KCOM, also known as Kingston Communications.