Different types of broadband bring different speeds
The maximum broadband speed you can get depends on where you live and the type of connection and product you have. We'll help you get ready for a digital future with our broadband only packages that don’t need a landline and can deliver all the speeds you need.
Broadband only packages without a landline
Full Fibre broadband
Full Fibre is the UK’s most reliable broadband. It’s sometimes called FTTP (Fibre to The Premises). Using next generation technology Full Fibre connects straight to your home so you don’t need a phone line. It’s our latest and best connection with ultrafast speeds up to 900Mb.
It’s made for online homes of all sizes. Streaming, HD gaming, Smart Home tech, working from home you can do the lot!
We’ve got a range of Full Fibre packages with speeds to suit all households:
- Full Fibre 74 – estimated download speed 74Mb
- Full Fibre 145 – estimated download speed 145Mb
- Full Fibre 300 – estimated download speed 300Mb
- Full Fibre 500 – estimated download speed 500Mb
- Full Fibre 900 – estimated download speed 900Mb (25x faster than standard fibre)
Full Fibre is so new it’s not available everywhere just yet, but we’re working as fast as we can to roll our service out across the UK. If you can’t get Full Fibre, we’ll do the next best thing and offer you the fastest connection your home can get. And we’ll let you know when Full Fibre’s in your street, and you can upgrade at any time.
Fibre broadband without a landline
Our new Fibre package uses a simple connection, so doesn’t need a phone line. With Fibre we make the choice easy for you. We’ll offer you one package, with the best available speed your home can get, all at one straightforward price. It’s as easy as that. With average speeds up to 66Mb Fibre’s great for streaming, gaming and sharing. It’s a straightforward, reliable package that does what’s needed to keep you connected.
See what broadband speeds and great deals you can get with our broadband postcode checker.
Broadband and home phone packages
With the nationwide roll out of ultrafast Full Fibre, older services like landlines will soon be phased out. That’s why we’re getting ahead and going digital with straightforward broadband only packages.
Our packages with home phone use old landline technology, so will only be available in areas which haven’t yet been upgraded to new fibre connections.
If you can only get a package with a home phone line, you’ll see these in your deals. They’re great value packages and you’ll be able to get superfast speeds up to 66Mb. Here’s a quick summary of the packages and speeds:
- Unlimited Broadband – 10Mb average download speed
- Unlimited Fibre – 36Mb average download speed
- Unlimited Fibre Extra – 66Mb average download speed
See why our broadband and phone packages are changing
See what packages and speeds you can get with our broadband postcode checker.
Once you’re with us, we’ll let you know when broadband only packages are available to you, and you can upgrade at any time.
All speeds are based on speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time (8-10 pm). Speeds vary by location.
Full Fibre 900 up to 25 times faster bandwidth when compared to our standard Unlimited Fibre.
What broadband speed do I need?
If you’re more of a browser and use the Internet to read web pages, shop online, check your emails and scroll on social media, these activities can easily be managed by speeds of 10Mb upwards.
If you use the Internet every day to watch videos, and download or stream content from the web, you should consider a fibre broadband package. This will deliver much faster download speeds. You'll need a fast and reliable connection to watch videos at high quality, or if you're likely to use several devices in your home at the same time.
For the heaviest Internet users, we’d recommend a fibre optic package with a speed of 50Mbps or more. Regularly streaming HD video through services such as YouTube and Netflix and downloading large files including feature films or software packages will need a higher speed.
If it’s just you online or the whole family, including the dog, cat, and kitchen sink, we’ve got packages and speeds to handle all your activities and all your devices.
See what speeds and great value packages you can get with our broadband postcode checker.
Layout of your home
How you arrange your furniture, thickness of walls, and location of nearby electronic equipment can all disrupt or weaken the wireless signal your broadband router transmits to your devices.
Electronic interference can be generated by electronics operating at the 2.4GHz frequency - this is the same radio frequency many wireless routers use. Several nearby routers operating at the same time (often in neighbouring houses) can sometimes interfere with each other and slow down the speed you get on your WiFi connection.
This can be sorted by setting your router to operate on a separate channel and can depend on the type of router you're using. Some only have single channels available, others allow for minor frequency changes, and some routers can operate on 5GHz frequencies. Other electronic objects that may use the 2.4GHz band include cordless telephones, baby monitors, and devices that use Bluetooth.
Think carefully about the best place to put your wireless router. Wall insulation, water, brick, concrete, and doors constructed with metal can all effect your WiFi signal. Place your router close to the centre of your home to get the best signal coverage.
Our guide on where to put your router to improve WiFi signal has more tips to keep your connection running quickly.
Amount of activity
A good broadband speed depends how it’s being used. If there’s a number of devices connected to your router at once, this can slow down your broadband speed and you may need to upgrade to a faster package.
Hardware such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones can all connect to a home network in an instant. Simple web browsing, gaming, or reading emails take very little bandwidth and dozens of appliances should be able to connect to the same network without slowing the performance.
However, downloading files, updating software and streaming music or HD video can take up much more bandwidth. This is especially true if there’s lots of people using multiple devices all at the same time. This will lower the speed of everything connected to the network. If your Internet seems slow, try closing any programs with any high-bandwidth activity that aren't being used and only running one or two programs or apps at any one time.
What determines my broadband and WiFi speed?
If you have Unlimited Broadband, Unlimited Fibre or Unlimited Fibre Extra your speed and performance is determined by the distance from your home to the local street cabinet and your telephone exchange. These will control the actual 'line speed' we provide to your home.
From there how you use the service will affect what speed of connection you experience on your devices such as a laptop, desktop PC, console, tablet or smartphone. Most homes will be sharing their WiFi with several people and have lots of devices connected at the same time. Your line speed can often be shared between these devices and be lower than the speed estimate we provide you with.
For every type of package we provide, your WiFi performance can also affect the speed you see on your connected devices. Most modern devices will be capable of connecting on 5GHz, which our Hub One router supports. However, some older devices will only connect to the slower 2.4GHz radio frequency. Distance from your router can also affect WiFi performance, as can thick brick walls. Check our guide to improving your WiFi signal.
When deciding what broadband package is best for you, it’s helpful to know how many people will be sharing your connection and what type of online activity you’ll be using your broadband for. This will help you choose the best deal to keep your films streaming, photos uploading and updates posting like clockwork.
See what average speeds and great value packages you can get with our broadband postcode checker.
What to do if your speed is lower than expected
Broadband speed checks transcript (49KB .pdf)
First we recommend taking a look at our broadband speed guide. The problem might be something you can fix yourself.
If there's still an issue and you do need to report a fault we'll ask you to run a broadband speed test first which you can do with our broadband performance tester.
To run the test, there's a couple of things you'll need to do to get the best results. You'll need to use a laptop or desktop to run the test, so if you're on an iPhone or iPad you should switch to a computer. Then:
- close any other windows you've got open on your computer
- turn off your firewall and antivirus software if you can. But don't forget to turn them back on again when you're done
- shut down as many programmes as you can
- switch off anything else that's connected to your router, like other computers, consoles or devices
- connect to your router using an Ethernet (wired) connection and switch off the WiFi on your computer. If the speed test results are okay when you're using the cable, it could be the WiFi that's causing the issues.
How to run a broadband speed test
- To run the speed test open up a web browser (like Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox) and go to speedtest.btwholesale.com
- If you've got a Full Fibre package and you're testing 500MB/100Mb product speeds, please also follow the guidance in the 'click here'
- Check out the handy tips 'before you start section, and when you're ready select 'GO'
- The test will start. When it's all done, you'll be shown your ping, download and upload speeds. We'll need you to do the test three times in one day. You should do one of these between midnight and 4pm. Make a note of the results each time
Here’s the legal bit
You can see our full residential terms and conditions here.
The price for broadband, line rental, call plans and call charges will be increased each March from 2022 by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published by the Office for National Statistics in January of that year plus 3.9%. Other prices, content and terms may also change during your contract. See our CPI Plus 3.9% Guide.
Line rental is included in all our broadband packages, apart from our Full Fibre and Fibre packages. The standard line rental price is £28.63 a month and the standard line rental price, or where applicable the discounted line rental price, is included in the package price.
Unlimited Fibre Extra (18 and 24 month contracts)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Line rental is included in the price (line only, no calls included). Price from month 19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently £58.69 a month (incl. line rental). Compatible line required otherwise a £49.99 installation charge may apply (excluding any external construction charges). We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.
The date your broadband and line rental activates, or where your services do not activate at the same time, the service that activates first, will be used as your monthly billing date. If your broadband or line rental service are not activated at the same time, for the service that is activated at a later date, charges will be pro rated for the first month and any applicable discounts for that service will apply once the service starts.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
Unlimited Fibre (18 and 24 month contracts)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Line rental is included in the price (line only, no calls included). Price from month 19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently £51.54 a month (incl. line rental). Compatible line required otherwise a £49.99 installation charge may apply (excluding any external construction charges). We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.
The date your broadband and line rental activates, or where your services do not activate at the same time, the service that activates first, will be used as your monthly billing date. If your broadband or line rental service are not activated at the same time, for the service that is activated at a later date, charges will be pro rated for the first month and any applicable discounts for that service will apply once the service starts.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
Unlimited Broadband (18 and 24 month contracts)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Line rental is included in the price (line only, no calls included). Price from month 19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently £44.35 a month (incl. line rental). Compatible line required otherwise a £49.99 installation charge may apply (excluding any external construction charges). We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.
The date your broadband and line rental activates, or where your services do not activate at the same time, the service that activates first, will be used as your monthly billing date. If your broadband or line rental service are not activated at the same time, for the service that is activated at a later date, charges will be pro rated for the first month and any applicable discounts for that service will apply once the service starts.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
Fibre (12, 18 and 24 month contracts)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for 12, 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Price from month 13, 19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently £32.37 per month. Compatible line required otherwise a £49.99 installation charge may apply (excluding any external construction charges). We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
12 month contracts are not available online, but they are available through our contact centre. Please call us on 0330 1239 123 and we will be happy to help.
Full Fibre Broadband (12, 18 and 24 month contracts)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for 12, 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Price from month 13,19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently: Full Fibre 74 - £37.03, Full Fibre 145 - £43.20, Full Fibre 300 - £49.38, Full Fibre 500 - £58.02, Full Fibre 900 - £67.89. Compatible line required. Otherwise an installation is required. We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
Openreach Survey: In some cases Openreach have to carry out a survey before they can connect a home to Full Fibre. To do this they may need access to your property. If they do we'll contact you to arrange a suitable time. If additional work is required, this may take longer than the initial set-up time provided and there could be additional costs. Our team of specialists will contact you to confirm what additional work is needed and how long this will take, usually within four weeks from the date your order was placed. If you don't want to proceed with your upgrade based on this, you will be able to cancel your order and no charges will be applied to your account.
12 month contracts are not available online, but they are available through our contact centre. Please call us on 0330 1239 123 and we will be happy to help.
Unlimited Broadband (no contract)
Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.
For new Plusnet customers that sign up for a 30-day rolling contract. Line rental is included in the price (line only, no calls included). Price from month 13 currently £44.35 a month (incl. line rental). Compatible line required otherwise a £49.99 installation charge may apply (excluding any external construction charges). We'll include a wireless router. You may terminate your services at any time without having to pay an early termination charge. Outside your 14 day cancellation period, you'll have to give at least 14 days' notice.
The date your broadband and line rental activates, or where your services do not activate at the same time, the service that activates first, will be used as your monthly billing date. If your broadband or line rental service are not activated at the same time, for the service that is activated at a later date, charges will be pro rated for the first month and any applicable discounts for that service will apply once the service starts.
Subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternative. Exclusions and terms apply.
Existing customers
Please see our price guide, log into your account in the Member Centre or call us on 0800 073 1120 to discuss your contract.
Speeds
Φ Broadband speed is described as 'average download speed of 10Mb', as it is based on speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time (8-10pm). Your actual speed will be dependent on your location, broadband line, home wiring, WiFi connection and time of day. Find out why speeds vary. Check your speed and products available at your location via 'check availability' on our home page.
† Fibre broadband speed is described as 'average download speed of 66Mb' and 'average upload speed of 18Mb' on Unlimited Fibre Extra. 'Average download speed of 36Mb' and 'average upload speed of 9Mb' on Unlimited Fibre and 'average download speed of 50Mb' and 'average upload speed of 9Mb' on Fibre. It is based on speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time (8-10pm). Your actual speed will be dependent on your location, broadband line, home wiring, WiFi connection and time of day. Find out why speeds vary. Check your speed and products available at your location via 'check availability' on our home page.
Ө Up to 6x faster: based on a comparison between the average Unlimited Fibre Extra download speeds with the average Unlimited Broadband speeds. The actual speed you'll get depends on your location, broadband line, home wiring, WiFi connection and time of day. Find out why speeds vary. Check your speed and products available at your location via 'check availability' on our home page.
Broadband Extras
Plusnet Safeguard
Included with all of our broadband packages, Plusnet Safeguard filters inappropriate web content for your household. Further information can be found here.
Plusnet Protect powered by Norton™
Our security package protects you from online threats. Charges apply for Unlimited Fibre broadband customers. Further information can be found here.
Software Support for Plusnet's Broadband Devices
For further information on software support and how to report software vulnerabilities please refer to Software Support and Reporting Security Issues.
Evening & Weekend UK & Mobile calls:
Evening & Weekend calls: Calls of up to an hour to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 numbers made Monday-Friday 7pm to 7am and any time Saturday or Sunday (except calls to indirect access numbers (which include calling cards) and dial-up internet access). Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable). A fair usage limit of 150 calls or 1000 minutes a month (whichever is reached first) applies to calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers (if you exceed this limit, we have the right to charge you for further calls made, suspend and/or terminate your service in accordance with our terms and conditions).
Mobile calls: Calls to UK mobiles and 070 personal numbering services made Monday-Friday 7pm to 7am and any time Saturday or Sunday. Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable). A fair usage limit of 1000 minutes a month applies (if you exceed this limit, we have the right to charge you for further calls made, suspend and/or terminate your service in accordance with our terms and conditions). Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged. Some 07 numbers do not constitute mobile numbers and may not be included as part of an inclusive mobile package.
Unlimited UK & Mobile calls:
Anytime calls: Calls of up to an hour to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 numbers at any time (except calls to indirect access numbers (which include calling cards) and dial-up internet access). Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable). A fair usage limit of 150 calls or 1000 minutes a month (whichever is reached first) applies to calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers (if you exceed this limit, we have the right to charge you for further calls made, suspend and/or terminate your service in accordance with our terms and conditions).
Mobile calls: Calls to UK mobiles and 070 personal numbering services made at any time. Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable). A fair usage limit of 2000 minutes a month applies (if you exceed this limit, we have the right to charge you for further calls made, suspend and/or terminate your service in accordance with our terms and conditions). Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged. Some 07 numbers do not constitute mobile numbers and may not be included as part of an inclusive mobile package.
Anytime International 300:
Anytime calls: Calls of up to an hour to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 numbers at any time (except calls to indirect access numbers (which include calling cards) and dial-up internet access). Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable). A fair usage limit of 150 calls or 1000 minutes a month (whichever is reached first) applies to calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers (if you exceed this limit, we have the right to charge you for further calls made, suspend and/or terminate your service in accordance with our terms and conditions).
25% discount to top 35 international destinations: (Anytime International 300) Get a 25% discount on chargeable calls to all countries listed in our top 35 international destinations. For more information see our tariffs guide.
300 Anytime minutes: (Anytime International 300) Means 300 inclusive minutes to USA mobiles, Canada mobiles and all landlines listed in our top 35 international destinations. Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged.
Other call information:
Mobile minutes: Are available to Line Only and the Anytime International 300 call plan and adds 100 inclusive minutes to UK mobile numbers and 070 personal numbering services at any time. Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged. Some 07 numbers do not constitute mobile numbers and may not be included as part of an inclusive mobile package.
Service calls outside of your inclusive minutes: The charge for calls to service numbers beginning 084, 087, 09 and 118 consists of a 9.58p per minute access charge from Plusnet, plus a service charge set by the company you called. For more information visit www.plus.net/ukcalling.
Calls to Plusnet Support and other Plusnet line rental customers are included in all line rental packages. Calls to other Plusnet phone customers are included for the first hour. Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged.
For more information on our landline tariffs, see our guide here.
For more information on call rates for service numbers, see our guide here.
Phone Line Extras
Voicemail
1571 Voicemail: Included as standard, our answer phone-style feature takes messages when you can't get to the phone.
Voicemail Extra: This advanced voicemail service lets you record your own greeting, store up to 30 messages and listen to them when you're not at home. Voicemail Extra costs £3 a month. Further information about Voicemail Extra can be found here.
Caller Display
See the number of the person who is calling you (you'll need a phone that supports this service). Further information about Caller Display can be found here. Subject to availability.
Plusnet Call Protect
Included in all line rental packages, this blocks nuisance calls on your landline and sends them straight into your junk voicemail. Further information about Plusnet Call Protect can be found here. Subject to availability.
EE SIM plan: 30 day minimum term. Subject to terms and credit check. Monthly charges assume online billing. You will not get 5G speeds using a 4G phone. Allowances for use in UK (excluding Jersey, Guernsey & Isle of Man) and Republic of Ireland. A daily charge applies to use allowances in the EU/EEA unless you have an add-on or Inclusive Extra that includes EU Roaming. See roaming costs page for countries and details. 50GB data fair use policy applies outside the UK. See ee.co.uk/terms for countries and details. Deposit needed for roaming in limited circumstances. Use your allowance to call/text UK mobiles, and landlines starting 01, 02 and 03 when in UK & Republic of Ireland. Some numbers aren’t included: calls to 070 numbers cost up to 5p/min and calls to 084, 087, 09 & 118 cost 83p/min plus the applicable service charge. See ee.co.uk/prices for the EE Price Guide for a detailed list of service charges and other charges outside of your allowance. Personal use only. Essentials SIM: Includes speeds capped at 100Mbps, Data Gifting and Stay Connected Data.
Stay Connected Data: If you have a capped data allowance (i.e. not an unlimited data plan) once you have used up your monthly data allowance your speed will be capped at 0.5Mbps. You will regain access to your standard plan speeds upon (1) renewal of your monthly plan allowance, (2) by buying one of our data add-ons, or (3) if you are gifted data by someone else in your family account. Once the data add-on or gifted data runs out, you will return to the capped speed until your monthly plan allowance has renewed. Not available with No Frills plans.;
Data gifting: Account holder only can gift between pay monthly plans on the same account in increments of 500MB. Unlimited data plans can gift up to 100GB. Data usage on an unlimited data plan will be deducted from giftable allowance. No gifting to/from Smart Watches, 4G Home, 5G Home or 30-day 4G WiFi or 5G WiFi plans. Data not used in a month does not roll over, allowances are set back to zero at the start of each month. If you are outside your price plans standard countries when your monthly allowances refresh on your bill date the main account holder will not be able to gift data until you return to the UK/EU. Data can only be used in accordance with the plan terms applicable to the receiving line.