October 2015 saw average download speeds for fixed line providers recorded by users of our broadband speed test rise by 2.76Mb in comparison to the results from September, coming in at 21.88Mb. Average upload speeds saw a 0.4Mb increase to 4.65Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds rose by 6.31Mb to 48.66Mb, with upload speeds also improving to 6.64Mb. Virgin have recently begun rolling out their 200Mb service for new and existing customers, which accounts for the significant increase in download speeds.
BT Broadband retain second place with average download speeds increasing by 1.32Mb to 18.84Mb, and upload speeds increasing by 0.45Mb to 5.59Mb. Plusnet hold third place, remaining stable at 15.09Mb for average download speeds with only a 0.33Mb decrease to 4.25Mb for average upload speeds. TalkTalk stay in fourth place, with download speeds at 12.89Mb and upload speeds at 2.32Mb. Finally, Sky are in fifth place with a 0.87Mb rise in download speeds, putting them at 12.76Mb, while their upload speeds increased by 0.38Mb to 3.64Mb.
With the recent improvements to our speed test, we're now able to record results from mobile users on their phones and tablets. EE Mobile are in first place, with download speeds averaging at 17.81Mb and upload speeds at 5.36Mb. Vodafone are in second place, with download speeds at 12.95Mb and upload speeds at 3.79Mb. O2 are in third place with download and upload speeds at 11.03Mb and 3.81Mb respectively. This leaves Three in fourth place, with average download speeds of 9.03Mb and upload speeds of 3.45Mb.
March 2015 saw average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test drop slightly by 0.32Mb in comparison to the results from February, coming in at 21.11Mb. Average upload speeds remained stable at 4.22Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds dropped by a further 1.29Mb to 39.69Mb, with upload speeds remaining stable at 5.34Mb. BT Broadband hold second place with average download and upload speeds remaining stable at 19.85Mb and 5.81Mb. Plusnet remain in third place, with download speeds taking a 1.15Mb hit down to 14.59Mb with a 0.29Mb increase to 5.08Mb for average upload speeds. TalkTalk stay in fourth place, with download speeds increasing by 0.78Mb to 14.26Mb and upload speeds holding stable at 1.76Mb. Finally, Sky are in fifth place with a 0.57Mb decrease to download speeds, putting them at 12.8Mb, with upload speeds falling slightly to 3.24Mb.
February 2015 saw average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test drop by 0.48Mb in comparison to the results from January, coming in at 21.43Mb. Average upload speeds saw a 0.23Mb increase to 4.32Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds dropped again by 0.63Mb to 40.98Mb, with upload speeds remaining stable at 5.5Mb. BT Broadband remain second place with average download speeds dropping by 0.53Mb to 19.87Mb, though upload speeds increased by 0.29Mb to 5.97Mb. Plusnet hold third place, remaining stable at 15.74Mb for average download speeds with a 0.38Mb increase to 4.78Mb for average upload speeds. TalkTalk are also stable in fourth place, with download speeds at 13.22Mb and upload speeds at 1.75Mb. Finally, Sky are in fifth place with a strong 1.34Mb increase to download speeds, putting them at 13.37Mb, with upload speeds increased by 0.49Mb to 3.44Mb.
January 2015 saw average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test drop by 0.75Mb in comparison to the results from December, coming in at 21.91Mb. Average upload speeds remained stable at 4.09Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds have fallen by 1.95Mb over last month to 41.61Mb, with upload speeds remaining stable at 5.45Mb. BT Broadband hold second place with average download and upload speeds remaining stable at 20.35Mb and 5.68Mb respectively. Plusnet are in third place, remaining stable after the significant drop in speeds last month at 14.58Mb for average download speeds and 4.41Mb for average upload speeds. TalkTalk remain in fourth place, with speeds increasing by 0.64Mb to 13.22Mb and upload speeds remaining stable at 1.88Mb. Finally, Sky are in fifth place with 12.03Mb download speeds, comparable to their speeds from last month.
December 2014 saw average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test rise by 0.43Mb in comparison to the results from November, coming in at 22.65Mb. Average upload speeds remained stable at 4.01Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds have increased by 1.42Mb over last month to 43.56Mb, with upload speeds rising a little to 5.42Mb. BT Broadband remain in second place with average download speeds of 20.6Mb (increasing by 0.37Mb over last month) and upload speeds of 5.82Mb. Plusnet remain in third place, but with a significant 3.93Mb drop to 14.53Mb for average download speeds, and a 1.56Mb decrease to 4.04Mb for average upload speeds. TalkTalk move up to fourth place, with speeds increasing by 0.33Mb to 12.57Mb and upload speeds remaining stable at 1.71Mb. Sky drop down to fifth place with 12.15Mb download speeds, a small 0.36Mb decrease in speed since last month.
With the rise in popularity of online gaming and video streaming, demand is high for faster broadband, and speedy connections are vital. Fibre broadband is the solution, and it's steadily becoming available to more and more areas of the UK. However, Fibre deals aren't always the cheapest around, and while it's worth spending more on a better broadband connection, most people still want a good deal that saves them money.
Well, Sky have you covered, and have introduced a package that's one of the best value Fibre broadband deal in the UK. For only £10 a month, you'll get download speeds of up to 38Mb and upload speeds of 9.5Mb, free weekend calls and a download allowance of 25GB a month. This package should suit the needs of the average broadband user.
Have a larger family, live in shared housing, or just need an unlimited download allowance? Don't worry, Sky have you covered there, too. For £20 a month, you can enjoy the same speeds and not have to worry about going over a monthly allowance.
Sky's Fibre deals also come with a free Sky Hub router, Sky Broadband Shield internet protection, and free Sky WiFi, which allows you to wirelessly connect to the internet in over 20,000 locations around the UK.
Deals only available in fibre-enabled areas - use our postcode checker to find out if you can get fibre in your area. Speeds will vary depending on location and distance from your street cabinet. 18 month minimum contract. Line rental required at £16.40 a month. Up front £30 activation fee and £6.95 delivery fee for the router.
November 2014 saw average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test drop 0.62Mb in comparison to the results from October, coming in at 22.23Mb. Average upload speeds remained stable at 3.94Mb.
Virgin Media's average download speeds have decreased by 2.65Mb over last month to 42.14Mb, with upload speeds dropping a little to 5.32Mb. BT Broadband remain in second place with download speeds averaging at 20.23Mb (a drop of 0.69Mb over last month) and upload speeds of 5.23Mb. Plusnet holds third place with a minor 0.23Mb decrease to 18.46b for average download speeds, but a 0.72Mb increase to 5.6Mb for average upload speeds. Sky came in fourth place with 12.5Mb download speeds, a small decrease in speed since last month. Meanwhile, TalkTalk remain in fifth place, but are the only ISP in the top five to see an increase in download speeds, going up by 1.38Mb to 12.24Mb with upload speeds remaining stable at 1.52Mb.
It's the battle of the broadband brands as several ISPs compete to offer the biggest and best discounts and rewards over the Black Friday / Cyber Monday long weekend! Check out the offers where you live using our availability checker, or browse the list of sale promotions below. But hurry, these offers are for one long weekend only and expire at midnight on Monday the 1st of December!
Just take a 12 month contract and pay for line rental and router delivery and your first year of Plusnet up to 17Mb truly unlimited broadband is FREE. What's more you get £75 cashback meaning you actually make back £69 over the first year! Unlike some of the offers below, this one's available regardless of where you live, not just in low cost areas!
If you're new to Sky, when you sign up for a TV bundle now you get up to half price Sky TV for a year plus your choice of reward from one of £100 of Amazon or M&S vouchers, a Samsung Galaxy Tab or a Spaced360 bluetooth speaker worth £250 RRP!
What's more, if you add Sky Movies to your bundle, you'll get the upgrade for 6 months half price and you'll also qualify for 12 month free truly unlimited broadband!
New BT customers can nab truly unlimited broadband for only £5 per month for up to 17Mb phoneline broadband and £10 a month for upto 38Mb BT Infinity fibre! Prices go up after a year, but they're on a special 12 month contract so you're free to switch.
No only that but you'll get Sainsbury's gift cards - £50 worth for phoneline and £100 worth for Infinity - that can be spent in Sainsbury's stores or online!
Sign up for any of Virgin Media's Big Bundles of cable TV, fibre optic broadband and telephone calling over this long weekend and get 12 months reduced price, 6 month of free Netflix - even if you already have a subscription - and a reward ranging from £50 to £100 of account credit.
Big Bundles come with Virgin Media's TiVo box that can record 3 channels while watching another already recorded!
Meanwhile there are also competitive ongoing offers from TalkTalk, Fuel, Tesco, EE and Hyperoptic meaning it's still worth comparing broadband to see if there's a better offer where you live or for your particular needs.
Offers only available to new customers ordering online and may only apply to particular bundles and contract lengths. Line rental required for all offers, see provider site for details. Rewards and cashback may need to be applied for separately once you're connected to the service. Offer prices are introductory and may rise after the offer period expires. Delivery and installation fees may apply. Broadband speed, availability and pricing can depend on where you live and how far you are from your telephone exchange or fibre street cabinet. Some offers only available if you live in the provider's low cost network area. Full details of restrictions should be provided before you sign up.
March 2014 saw the national average download speeds recorded by users of our Broadband Speed Test surpass 20Mb for the first time, with most providers seeing a healthy speed increase and a 3.53Mb rise overall, bringing the UK average speed to 20.63Mb. Average upload speeds also saw an increase, rising by 0.39Mb to 3.45Mb overall.
Virgin Media's average download speeds increased significantly over the previous month, rising by 4.94Mb, and they retain first place at the top of the speed table at 38.19Mb. Upload speeds were also up by 0.44Mb averaging at 4.14Mb.
Early last month Virgin launched their boost from up to 120Mb to 152Mb, from up to 60Mb to 100Mb and from up to 30Mb to 50Mb, which has undoubtedly contributed to their average download speed increases. While the boost was initially for new customers only, these average speed increases are set to continue as Virgin roll out the higher speeds to existing customers over the next year, with customers in several areas already enjoying the boost.
BT Broadband came in second place on the speed table, with a download speed increase of 2.13Mb taking them to an average speed of 22.33Mb. BT also saw an upload speed increase of 0.56Mbps, with uploads now averaging higher than Virgin at 5.47Mb, in part thanks to the higher upload speed of BT Infinity 2 compared to Virgin's maximum.
EE have taken third place, overtaking both Plusnet and Sky with average download speeds of 14.21Mb (an impressive 4.55Mb increase over last month).
EE have started traffic shaping to prioritise web and streaming traffic, allowing them to last month announce a new headline speed of up to 17Mb. At least 10% of their customers have to be able to achieve this speed in order for them to advertise it, making them faster than any other standard UK phoneline broadband supplier! We're currently running an exclusive £70 Amazon gift voucher offer with EE that stacks with their reduced price offers. It's a limited offer for this week only, so hurry to take advantage of it!
While Plusnet have dropped into fourth place, their average download speeds have actually improved by 1.47Mb, taking them to 14.13Mb. Similarly, Sky have dropped to fifth place, but have a 0.86Mbps increase in download speeds, averaging at 11.2Mb. As spring arrives with sunnier weekends and brighter evenings, we'll likely see further small increases across all providers as peak time congestion from video services reduces due to more people en. The availability of higher speed fibre services also continues to roll out to more exchanges.
We list a variety of different Sky TV, broadband and phone bundles with a range of different TV channel packs included, but sometimes the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming or confusing.
One of the common sources of confusion can be the difference between Sky's Entertainment Extra and Entertainment Extra+ TV packages. The price difference between the two is £5 a month, but what is the plus in Entertainment Extra+?
To help explain the difference we've put together a guide to Entertainment Extra+ from Sky outling the extra channels, HD and 3D content, TV Box Sets and enhancements to On Demand services that come with this package.
If you've decided that Entertainment Extra+ is for you, then check out the following TV, broadband and phone bundles:
Plusnet Unlimited - 12 months FREE broadband and £75 cashback!
Sky TV Bundles - Reward of your choice worth up to £250 and up to half price Sky TV for a year!
BT Broadband - 12 months better than half price truly unlimited broadband + Sainsbury's gift cards!
Virgin Media Big Bundles - 12 months reduced price, 6 months free Netflix and up to £100 reward!
