With more people working from home, finding the best broadband provider is becoming more important than ever. Download and upload speeds, plan pricing and customer satisfaction are just a few of the factors to consider. The UK broadband market is made up of over 300 providers including the big boys BT, EE, Sky, Virgin Media and Plusnet.
Speed
A lot of different things can affect how fast your internet connection is. These include how many devices you have connected, the types of online activities you use, and even your router and broader network infrastructure.
High speeds can also depend on where you live. Cities and suburbs tend to have better connectivity than rural areas, thanks to the prevalence of cable or fiber broadband networks.
Those connections deliver data via pulses of light at higher frequencies than conventional copper phone wires, which means they can reach further without degrading over time.
Top tier fiber plans typically offer speeds of 1,000 Mbps or more. Those speeds are ideal for online gamers, households with multiple users, and those who stream large amounts of content or take online conference calls simultaneously.
Value for money
One of the best ways to ensure you’re getting value for money is to shop around. You can compare broadband packages from many different providers to find the one that’s right for you.
You need to consider everything from speed and reliability to contract length and customer service. You’ll also need to check if any additional costs are involved such as set-up fees and extras.
Broadband deals often come with free tablets or tech, cashback, vouchers or access to other services. It’s worth looking into these perks as they can be a great way to save money on your monthly bill.
In our 2022 Best Broadband Provider Awards, EE came out top of the Customer Service category, with 64% of users saying they were satisfied or very satisfied. Its speed was also highly rated.
Reliability
A reliable broadband service is one of the most important characteristics a household looks for when choosing a new internet connection. A recent survey from the Fiber Broadband Assocation found that reliability is more important to consumers than speed.
Reliability isn’t just about the uptime of the network itself, but how quickly it’s fixed should a fault occur. It also covers the amount of time customers have to wait when calling customer service and how long it takes to resolve problems.
Ofcom publishes a quarterly report on complaints and reliability, showing which providers have the most complaints per 100,000 customers and those with the lowest levels of satisfaction.
Ofcom’s data is a great indicator of how reliable an internet connection is, and the figures tend to be fairly accurate. They don’t cover everything, but they do show some key metrics and it’s a good idea to check out the data for yourself to see if a provider is offering the best reliability for what you’re looking for.
Customer service
Customer service is a big part of any broadband provider, and there are many things that can make the difference between your experience being positive or negative. These range from how easy it is to find your provider’s contact details and whether they answer the phone quickly to how efficiently they handle complaints.
Ofcom collects data on how happy customers are with their broadband provider every year, as well as how many complaints they receive. It isn’t a good idea to solely rely on these results, however, as they don’t reflect the full extent of issues that customers may have experienced.
The best providers are often the ones that have an excellent reputation for customer service. EE is a good example, with low call waiting times and fewer Ofcom complaints per 100,000 subscribers than most other broadband companies.
