The best fibre broadband deals in December 2023

Henry Sandercock
December 1, 2023

On the hunt for a new broadband deal? The chances are, you’ll be looking at a fibre package.

These are often the best internet deals on the market, giving you the biggest bang for your buck. Where once fibre broadband was considered to be a high-end luxury, it is now one of the most accessible options out there.

Estimates suggest that more than 95% of households in the UK can now take advantage of the ‘superfast’ internet speeds fibre offers. If you work from home or prize good quality streaming, these top speeds are likely to be essential.

You also don’t have to break the bank to get it, with many of the biggest providers – such as EE, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin and Vodafone – offering it from around £20 per month. With competition on the market high, you can often bag yourself freebies on top of a good internet deal. For example, TV streaming packages and mobile deals can often be bundled in.

Often, by switching or haggling with providers, you can save £100s a year. Look After My Bills has guides on how to switch broadband provider and how to haggle with your existing one to help you secure the best value for money.

So, what exactly is fibre broadband – and how do the different providers compare? Here’s everything you need to know when choosing a deal.

What is fibre broadband?

Fibre is called fibre because of how the internet is delivered into your home. It comes in via fibre optic cables, which send and receive data at a faster and more reliable rate than old copper telephone connections.

This means fibre broadband is faster than the type you used to get through your old phone line (known as ADSL broadband). ADSL tends to give you download speeds of between 10 megabits per second (Mbps) to 12Mbps, while fibre offers speeds in the region of 35Mbps.

Fibre is the best option for the vast majority of people. You may be able to get away with an ADSL connection if you’re only doing emails and Google searches. But if you live in a smart home, need to work from home or want to stream TV or game online, fibre is a must.

It’s also worth noting that ADSL is beginning to be withdrawn by providers. It appears likely it’ll disappear completely over the coming years.

What fibre speeds do I need?

When choosing a broadband deal, you’ll be confronted with several options. Below is a list of the most common types of product, and who they’re best suited to:

Standard fibre broadband:

The cheapest fibre option, delivering speeds of between 20 to 35Mbps. It’s ideal if you’re someone who works from home and occasionally streams or games.

Should you want top quality streaming, say in UHD or you often find yourself downloading large files, you will probably need to go for one of the faster speeds (see below).

Superfast fibre:

A faster option than standard, this kind of deal offers speeds averaging around 50 to 80Mbps. These speeds will allow you to simultaneously stream in HD on multiple devices, play online games with next to no lag, as well as work from home while also having a few smart devices connected.

In essence, it’s the perfect amount of broadband for a family home or a multi-tenant household. But it’s worth being aware that it’ll come at a premium to standard – indeed, prices are likely to rise significantly in this list from this tier onwards.

Ultrafast fibre/Full fibre:

Ultrafast – also known as ‘full fibre’, because it means the wires are running all the way into your home to deliver high speeds – is the next tier up. You can expect download speeds between 100Mbps and 900+Mbps.

This sort of fibre will allow you to game and stream without any suggestion of lag. Meanwhile, if your job requires you to download large files or complete hefty uploads or exports, it will be the ideal option for your home.

The only rub is that ultrafast isn’t available in as many locations as superfast. It is also offered by a more select group of providers, such as Virgin, BT, Vodafone and Sky.

Gigabit fibre

This is a relatively new form of full fibre broadband that offers speeds of 1Gbps – sometimes even more. Unless you live in a big household where you’re all gaming or streaming in 4k at the same time, it’s likely this type of broadband will far outstrip your needs. It’s also unavailable in most parts of the country, with households in London the most likely to get it.

Broadband type	Average speeds:	Can I stream in HD?	Can I play games effectively	For how many people?	Who needs this?
Fibre	17-30Mbps	Yes	Yes	1-2	Small families/individuals
Superfast fibre	30-100Mbps	Yes	Yes	3-5	Data intensive small families
Ultrafast fibre	100-900+Mbps	Yes	Yes	3-5 heavy internet users	Large families/gamers
Gigafast fibre	1,000Mps/1Gbps+	Yes	Yes	10+	Home-run businesses

What length of fibre broadband contract should I get?

It used to be the case that 12-month contracts were the norm. But now you’re much more likely to be offered an 18 to 24 month deal.

While this may lock you into a good price for an extended period of time – something that can be useful in this era of high inflation – it can prove to be a hindrance if you don’t like the service you’re receiving. This is because you will be charged a hefty exit fee if you try to leave during the contract’s minimum term (unless you have grounds to break out of your deal).

Some annual deals remain available. Another option is to opt for a flexible 4G home broadband deal. Many of these deals come with a rolling, one-month contract that you can cancel any time.

Who offers the best fibre broadband deals?

All providers now offer fibre broadband. But they tend to split it into different tiers (and, therefore, price points) depending on speed and connection-type.

Also, some providers are known for better service and reliability than others. Ofcom ranks them on the complaints they receive every quarter. Does your provider rank among the best or the worst?

Here’s a selection of the most popular options out there and their general characteristics:

BT Broadband:

BT’s fibre offering usually covers all bases. Its high average speeds and strong reliability mean you’re likely to be in safe hands. However, you will pay a premium compared to the rest of the market.

Sky Broadband:

Like BT, Sky can be a pricey option. Where it really delivers, though, is with its customisation options. These can often be accessed through customer service you can haggle with. Whether it’s TV streaming bundles, sports, or speed boosting, Sky can fit around your needs – if you’re willing to pay for the pleasure.

Virgin Broadband:

Virgin’s big selling point is that it regularly offers the fastest speeds on the market. So, if gaming and streaming are important to you, or if you’re living in a large household, it may well be that Virgin’s the provider for you. Virgin is also up there with Sky when it comes to TV bundles.

TalkTalk Broadband:

TalkTalk is one of the cheapest providers out there for fibre broadband. It also tends to offer decent TV add-ons.

Plusnet Broadband:

Plusnet usually undercuts other providers on price. It often throws in cashback, vouchers and bundles as well, So, if cheap fibre broadband is what you’re after, Plusnet could be what you’re looking for.

Vodafone broadband:

Vodafone offers fast speeds, low prices and decent optional extras. The only downside is that you’ll probably have to sign up for a 24-month contract.

EE broadband:

Perhaps best known for its super-fast 4G networks (and Kevin Bacon adverts), EE also offers fast internet plans. It has several speed options at pretty affordable price points.

Where to find the best fibre broadband deals

By heading to our best broadband deals page, you can see all the top products currently available on the market. We continuously update our comparison guide with the latest deals from the UK’s biggest providers.

It’s also worth visiting our cheapest broadband deals guide to see the most competitive rates out there. And we have a handy deals calculator that’ll help you save money.

Once you’ve taken a look at these pieces, we would recommend contacting your existing supplier to see whether they can match or better the deals you’ve found. It could help you save £100s a year.

Henry Sandercock

Henry Sandercock has spent more than eight years as a journalist covering a wide variety of beats. Having studied for an MA in journalism at the University of Kent, he started his career in the garden of England as a reporter for local TV channel KMTV. Henry then worked at the BBC for three years as a radio producer - mostly on BBC Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine, but also on major BBC Radio 4 programmes like The World at One, PM and Broadcasting House. Switching to print media, he covered fresh foods for respected magazine The Grocer for two years. After moving to NationalWorld.com - a national news site run by the publisher of The Scotsman and Yorkshire Post - Henry began reporting on the cost of living crisis, becoming the title’s money editor in early 2023. He covered everything from the energy crisis to scams, and inflation. You will now find him writing about energy, broadband, mobile, council tax, water bills and TV streaming for Look After My Bills. Away from work, Henry lives in Edinburgh with his partner and their whippet Whisper.

All Posts