Ideally, a broadband provider that offers impeccable service at a great price is considered the best. They must also provide a fast speed connection that you can always rely on, and their customer service must be available to you right away if something goes wrong. However, finding such a broadband provider in the UK can be hard, but not impossible. Each service provider has its own strengths, which may be ideal for some and useless for others.
If you are fed up with your current broadband provider and want to switch to one that caters to your needs, then read through our list of top UK broadband services for 2016 below. Here we have provided details about different broadband providers so that you can find a suitable option to match with your needs.
1. BT
BT is the kingpin of the UK broadband industry, as it owns the infrastructure that is used for delivering fibre optic internet, ADSL, and ADSL2+ to homes and business. All the other broadband companies have contracts with BT for providing services except for Virgin Media.
BT offers all kinds of broadband services along with other offers including television services, mobile broadband dongles, and mobile phones. Its ADSL broadband services are used by a large number of UK businesses and homes, which offers speeds up to 17Mbps. Not only that, more than 25 million premises utilise BT’s fibre broadband with the choice of using either Infinity 1 (up to 52Mbps) or Infinity 2 (up to 76Mbps). Moreover, it has a fairly responsive customer services and technical support that solve customers’ queries 24/7.
BT Broadband Highlights
- Fibre optic broadband services are available in only a few areas
- You can save money on your line rental if you pay for one year in advance
- You can choose from a wide range of broadband packages that can be bundled with mobile, TV, and phone options.
- As per standards terms and conditions, the prices may be increased during your minimum contract term; however, you may end your contract under such circumstances without any fees.
2. Sky
While Sky has already established its name in the TV service industry, it is rapidly gaining ground as a reputable broadband provider with its amazing deals. Sky provides the perfect bundle of broadband, TV, and phone services to give head on competition to Virgin Media’s cable offerings. However, you may not get the internet speeds that you would with some of Virgin Media deals.
In addition to ADSL2+, Sky offers fibre optic broadband speeds up to 76Mbps, and the Sky Broadband Unlimited packages with unlimited bandwidth. As per the Ofcom report, the broadband provider has the best customer service as compared to Virgin, TalkTalk, and BT. Sky Broadband has over 5 million users to date, making it the second largest broadband provider in the UK.
Sky Broadband Highlights
- Broadband packages can be bundled with Sky TV
- Sky Go is available to TV customers
- Sky+ HD box allows customers to pause, rewind, and record live TV programmes
- The package prices may increase up to 10% as per Sky’s standard terms and conditions during the minimum contract term.
3. Virgin Media
After BT and Sky, Virgin Media is the third most prominent player in the UK’s cable network industry, rivalling to BT’s telephone exchanges that are used by almost all the other broadband providers. It has quickly acquired a huge market share by providing fibre speeds up to 200Mbps, leaving BT’s best fibre optic broadband packages in dust. Not only that, you can also bundle broadband with mobile, phone, and TV services to sweeten the deal even further.
The only thing that customers usually complain about is its not-so-great customer service support. Virgin Media is being used by more than 4.5 million users, making it one of the largest broadband service providers in the UK.
Virgin Media Broadband Highlights
- Several broadband bundles available with phone and TV
- Fibre optic broadband with speeds up to 200Mbps
4. EE
A joint venture between T-Mobile and Orange, EE offers both fibre and ADSL home broadband services along with its 4G mobile broadband network. EE’s mobile customers enjoy the benefits of cheap packages of broadband services at home, which is one of the reasons of its popularity. Apart from its ASDL fixed line service, EE offers broadband packages with up to 76Mbps fibre optic connection speed, surpassing Sky Fibre, BT Infinity, and Virgin Media in this area.
EE Broadband Highlights
- EE Film allows mobile users to download and stream movies on their handheld devices.
- Various competitive broadband bundles with TV service and phone.
- If you switch from an ISP that charges a termination fee to EE, the company will pay up to £100 as an incentive.
5. Plusnet
Plusnet is a Yorkshire-based broadband provider that has a wide range of products and quickly developed a good name in the industry. The broadband provider offers highly affordable fibre and ADSL deals and has nearly something for every type of user. Plusnet won many awards from the prominent tech-world analyst companies such as the ISPA, PC Advisor, and Which?, including awards for Best Broadband Service Provider in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The company receives a huge amount of referrals from existing customers that is the reason behind its rapid growth, and proves the point that cheap isn’t always synonymous with low quality.
Plusnet Broadband Highlights
- Cheaper line rental when paid in advance for one year.
- Wide range of phone and broadband packages that are highly affordable.
6. TalkTalk
TalkTalk is the fourth largest internet service provider in the UK with over 4 million users. The broadband service provider has great telephone and broadband deals. However, unlike Plusnet, the quality in services with its cheap deals may disappoint you, especially in the customer service area when things go wrong.
TalkTalk Broadband Highlights
- TalkTalk TV can be bundled with broadband packages.
- You will have to pay for the calls you make, as the deals are exclusively for broadband.
- Deals on mobile SIM are also available.
External Links
Broadband Compare Uk 