I use Virgin Media broadband and am generally happy with it. But prices are creeping up and I’d like to see what other options I have.
It’s easy to identify alternative providers with sub 100 Mbps download speeds, but not so easy to identify alternatives at this speed or higher. I’m aware the alternatives are likely to have patchy coverage and may not be available in my area, but who even are the alternatives?
The back haul providers are tiny. But there are hundreds of smaller ISPs that build services on top of them. At least one of the backhaul providers will need to have both your exchange and your cabinet ready and available for new FTTP installs though.
You can check this here for smaller local FTTP providers:
If none of those are available, check openreach here:
If that’s not available either, you’re out of luck unless you’re willing to sacrifice a little speed. If it is, then your options are aplenty. Only the big guys will haggle on price though, but some of the smaller ones are often fairer with pricing. You could always try that with Virgin, your odds of success won’t be too great if you’re in an area where they have a monopoly on speeds higher than 80. But go in armed with a quote for the cheapest 80 FTTC and ask them to match it with the caveat you’ll leave if you don’t.
It’s a game of postcode lottery I’m afraid. Both for the price you pay and the services you have available.
Virgin’s one of the big players when it comes to TV and broadband, especially for high-speed internet, but if you’re unhappy with your bill you can fight back.
If you want a better deal, this guide takes you through how to haggle to cut costs.
Unless you’re having issues with Zen, or really need to save that fiver (Though Zen will never put your price up, but Cuckoo make no similar commitment) I’d probably stick with them. They’re generally the better ISP.
Cuckoo are a decent option, but they don’t really bring anything new to the game besides their Monzo-esque marketing fluff and branding. I’ve suggested them before on these parts, because I suspect Monzo fans will love what they see. They also go about providing the service the right way for the most part (though from what I’ve heard recently are another with a tendency to blame everyone else for problems and accept no accountability), but Zen do too. Most ISPs are great until something goes wrong. Then they all seemingly fall down, and Zen are among the cheaper few exceptions to that rule for the most part.
Perhaps something that matters a little more, and goes beyond branding: Zen is a b-corp. so is IDNET but are more expensive (unless you opt for SoGEA, but BTOR engineers still don’t understand the deployment of this and will happily disconnect you thinking it’s a dead line when they install broadband for one of your neighbours), though very very good.
Do they do IPv6 yet? Be careful when checking if you use iCloud private relay, as that will give you ipv6 even if your isp still only supplies ipv4.
If not, that would be a significant downgrade from Zen.
To be honest, the easiest way to see what maximum speeds you can get is first to just go to the BT (retail - not Openreach) website.
If BT have expanded FTTP in your area, they’ll show up there with speeds of up to 1Gb.
If they have launched it, they you know it’s then worth looking at other’s who use Openreach FTTP to get the best deal. If they haven’t, then you’re looking at those specialist ISP’s only who are investing in their own physical infrastructure (the Samknows link above will tell you that).
Also, it still looks like for ‘the big players’ (Virgin/Sky/BT/EE/Vodafone) the best way to cut costs is to bundle things up - so does your Mobile phone company do broadband and do they discount if you get both through them? Or TV and broadband with Sky, Virgin or BT?
As you’re with Virgin now - are you with o2 for mobile? If not, you may find a deal there to bring costs down if you switch?
As a complete alternative, has anyone had any experience with ‘5G Broadband’ services. I noticed Three are claiming up to 1Gb on their 5G home broadband service. That seems very optimistic? If that’s actually true - that’s probably the best deal around atm at £11 pm for 6 months, then £22 pm for the rest of the contract, no upfront costs with unlimited data?
You’d need to be relatively close to one of their poles of wonder.
Wish they’d hurry up and expand 5G more here as O2 shows I get 5G on my phone but it’s only 4G. Confirmed by switching off 5G. Doesn’t say I’m in a coverage area either which is also odd, though those can take months to update.