Independent guides · UK home broadband
Full fibre broadband, explained in plain English
What full fibre actually is, how much speed your household needs, who can connect your street, how to switch without overpaying, and what happens when the engineer arrives. Sourced, dated and free of jargon.
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Start with your question
Five in-depth guides that follow the journey from "what is it?" to working Wi-Fi. Each one has worked examples, answers to common questions and a full list of sources.
- What is full fibre? FTTP, part fibre, cable and copper in plain English, what changes day to day, and whether it is worth moving.Full fibre explained
- How much speed do I need? Download, upload and latency, worked examples for four households, and why Wi-Fi is often the real bottleneck.Broadband speeds
- Who can connect my home? Openreach, Virgin Media O2, CityFibre and the altnets, the autumn 2026 changes, and how to check your address.Networks and providers
- How do I switch? Total contract cost, pounds-and-pence price rises, One Touch Switch, social tariffs, compensation and complaints.Choosing and switching
- What happens at installation? Preparing for the engineer, the ONT and router, renting and flats, and what happens to your landline.Installation guide
Six rules of thumb
Read the label, not the word “fibre”
Since 16 September 2024, Ofcom guidance has told providers to label every package as full fibre, part fibre, cable or copper. What each one means
Buy for your busiest hour
Add up what your household does at once, then double it for headroom. For most homes that lands between 50 and 150 Mbps. Worked examples
Test with a cable first
Wi-Fi is often the bottleneck. Plug a device into the router before blaming, or upgrading, your broadband. Why Wi-Fi slows you down
Check by full address
Availability can differ between neighbouring houses, and checkers disagree. Check by full address, not postcode, and use more than one source. How to check
Compare the total cost
Include the annual pounds-and-pence rise. A deal with no annual rise can be cheaper than one that starts lower. Comparing deals
Choose where the box goes
Pick a central spot near a double power socket for the ONT and router. That decision affects your Wi-Fi for years. Where to put it
Key numbers and dates
Checked on 13 November 2026. The guides explain the detail, the exceptions and the sources behind each figure.
- UK homes that can get full fibre
- 82%as of January 2026, according to Ofcom. How widely available it is
- Old landline network retired by
- 31 January 2027BT's plan. Home phones increasingly work through the broadband router. Your landline
- Netflix's recommendation for 4K
- 15 Mbpsper stream. Most households need between 50 and 150 Mbps in total. Everyday needs
- Compensation for a slow repair
- £10.34 a dayfrom 1 April 2026, with providers in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme. Your rights
- Social tariffs
- £10 to £25 a monthroughly, for people on certain benefits. Most eligible households do not know they exist. Who qualifies
- Switching provider
- One Touch Switchin place since September 2024: you only contact the new provider, which arranges the move. How it works
How the guides are made
- We start from primary sources: Ofcom, GOV.UK, the network operators and providers' own published terms.
- Every guide shows when its facts were last checked and lists every source it relies on.
- Figures that change, such as coverage, price rises and compensation, are dated in the text.
- No provider pays to appear here. We do not use affiliate links, sponsored content or ads.
Getting full fibre installed?
The installation guide covers preparing for the engineer, where to put the ONT and router, permission if you rent or live in a flat, and what happens to your landline. It ends with a checklist for before, during and after the visit.