UK Broadband Types Explained
ADSL
Standard Broadband
10–24 Mbps
Uses your phone line copper wires all the way from the exchange. The cheapest option but slowest, and speed degrades with distance from the exchange. Upload speeds are very limited (0.5–2 Mbps). Being phased out by BT/OpenReach.
FTTC
Superfast Fibre
35–80 Mbps
Fibre to the Cabinet — fibre runs to the green street cabinet, then copper to your home. The most widely available "fibre" broadband in the UK. Upload: 5–20 Mbps. Available to over 95% of UK premises.
FTTP / Full Fibre
Ultrafast Fibre
100–1,000+ Mbps
Full fibre to your home — no copper at all. Much faster, more reliable, and symmetric upload speeds (same up as down on some plans). Available to around 60% of UK premises in 2025, rapidly expanding.
5G Home
5G Fixed Wireless
100–300 Mbps
Uses 5G mobile network to deliver home broadband via an indoor or outdoor router. No engineer visit required — plug in and go. Speed and reliability depend on signal strength. Available via EE, Three, Vodafone.
UK Average Broadband Speeds by Technology (2024)
| Technology | Average Download | Average Upload | Latency | Availability |
|---|
| ADSL (standard) | 10 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 15-30ms | ~96% |
| FTTC (superfast) | 55 Mbps | 12 Mbps | 10-20ms | ~95% |
| Full fibre (FTTP) | 250 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 5-10ms | ~60% |
| Virgin Media cable | 150 Mbps | 15 Mbps | 8-15ms | ~55% |
| 5G home | 120 Mbps | 30 Mbps | 20-40ms | ~40% |
| 4G home | 30 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 30-60ms | ~90% |
Why Upload Speed Matters
Most people focus on download speed, but upload speed is equally important for many modern activities:
- Video calls: Zoom, Teams, and FaceTime all require upload bandwidth. A 720p video call needs about 1.5 Mbps upload; 1080p HD needs 3 Mbps.
- Cloud backup: Services like iCloud, Google Drive, and OneDrive continuously upload your files. Slow upload means backups take hours instead of minutes.
- Live streaming: Streaming on Twitch or YouTube requires 5-8 Mbps sustained upload for HD quality.
- Remote desktop / VPN: Working from home on a corporate VPN often uses significant upload bandwidth for bidirectional data.
Full fibre (FTTP) connections typically offer symmetric speeds — your upload is the same as your download. FTTC connections have much lower upload (often just 10-20% of download speed).
OpenReach vs Virgin Media Networks
OpenReach (the wholesale arm of BT) owns and maintains the copper phone network and fibre infrastructure used by most UK broadband providers: BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, Vodafone, Shell Energy, and others. When you choose any of these providers, you are using the same underlying OpenReach physical network — only the router, pricing, and customer service differ.
Virgin Media O2 operates its own entirely separate cable network (using HFC — Hybrid Fibre Coaxial), covering around 55% of UK premises. Their network can deliver very high speeds (up to 1.1 Gbps) but is limited to specific areas. You cannot buy Virgin Media via a different provider — it is sold exclusively through Virgin Media.
Top tip: If full fibre (FTTP) is available at your address, it is almost always worth upgrading. The price premium over FTTC has shrunk dramatically — often just £5-10/month more — and you get 3-10x the speed with much better reliability and upload speeds.
Peak Time Slowdowns
Broadband speeds are not constant throughout the day. Peak time — typically 7pm to 10pm on weeknights — sees the most congestion as entire neighbourhoods use the internet simultaneously. During peak times, your actual speed may be 30-50% lower than the maximum you have measured at quiet times (e.g. midday). This is particularly noticeable on FTTC connections where the cabinet and backhaul can be shared by many homes. Full fibre connections tend to hold their speed better during peak periods.
What Your Speed Test Results Mean
When running a speed test (e.g. at fast.com or speedtest.net), you see three key figures:
- Download speed (Mbps): How fast data arrives from the internet to your device. The most important figure for streaming, browsing, and downloads.
- Upload speed (Mbps): How fast data leaves your device to the internet. Important for video calls, cloud sync, and sending files.
- Ping / latency (ms): The round-trip time for a small data packet. Lower is better. Critical for online gaming (<30ms ideal) and video calls. High latency causes lag and jitter even with fast download speeds.
Run the test on a wired connection (Ethernet cable directly to your router) for the most accurate reading of your broadband line speed. Wi-Fi introduces its own variable that reduces measured speeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What broadband speed do I need for streaming 4K video?
Netflix recommends at least 25 Mbps per device for 4K Ultra HD streaming. Disney+ recommends 25 Mbps, and Amazon Prime Video recommends 15 Mbps (though 25 Mbps is more comfortable). If three people in your household stream 4K simultaneously, you need around 75 Mbps minimum for streaming alone, before accounting for other devices. FTTC broadband at 35-80 Mbps can handle 1-2 simultaneous 4K streams; full fibre comfortably handles the whole household.
What is a good broadband speed in the UK?
Ofcom classifies superfast broadband as 30 Mbps+ and ultrafast as 300 Mbps+. For most households (3-4 people doing normal internet activities), 50-100 Mbps is comfortable for everyday use. The UK average broadband speed in 2024 was around 80 Mbps. For heavy households — multiple simultaneous 4K streams, gaming, working from home, and cloud backup — a full fibre connection at 150-500 Mbps will be noticeably faster and more reliable.
What is the difference between FTTC and full fibre broadband?
FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) runs fibre optic cable only to the green street cabinet, then uses copper phone line for the "last mile" to your home. Speeds of 35-80 Mbps are typical, but the copper stretch limits speed and is susceptible to degradation over distance and with age. Full fibre (FTTP — Fibre to the Premises) runs fibre optic cable all the way into your home. This delivers speeds from 100 Mbps up to 10 Gbps, is more reliable, has lower latency, and provides symmetric upload speeds.
Why is my broadband slower than the advertised speed?
Advertised speeds are the maximum under ideal conditions. Actual speed depends on: (1) Distance from the street cabinet (FTTC only — copper loses speed over distance). (2) Quality of your internal phone wiring. (3) Network congestion during peak hours (7-10pm). (4) Wi-Fi signal strength — a weak Wi-Fi connection will limit speed regardless of your line speed. (5) Age and quality of your router. (6) Number of devices using the connection simultaneously. Under Ofcom's rules, providers must quote the speed at least 50% of customers receive during peak hours.
How much upload speed do I need for video calls?
Zoom recommends 1.5 Mbps upload for HD video calls and 3 Mbps for 1080p group calls. Microsoft Teams requires 1.5 Mbps upload for HD. Google Meet: 1.8 Mbps upload for HD. If two people in your household are on video calls simultaneously, you need 3-6 Mbps upload. ADSL connections (typically 0.5-1 Mbps upload) will struggle. FTTC (5-20 Mbps upload) is usually adequate for one or two calls. Full fibre with 50+ Mbps upload handles multiple simultaneous calls comfortably.
Is 5G home broadband a good alternative to fibre in the UK?
5G home broadband from providers like Three, EE, and Vodafone can deliver 100-300 Mbps in strong signal areas, making it a viable alternative to FTTC and even entry-level full fibre. Key advantages: no engineer visit, flexible contracts, often cheaper than fixed-line fibre. Key disadvantages: speeds vary by time of day and signal strength, indoor units perform better in ground-floor rooms near outside walls, and in densely populated areas speeds can drop during peak times. Check 5G coverage at your specific address before signing up.
What does Ofcom's Guaranteed Minimum Speed mean?
Under the Ofcom Broadband Speeds Code of Practice (updated 2022), broadband providers must give you a Guaranteed Minimum Speed in your contract. If your speed consistently falls below this for three days, you have the right to exit your contract penalty-free or demand the issue is fixed. The provider must measure your speed before you sign up (not just advertise the maximum) and tell you what speed to expect at your specific address. This applies to all major providers including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, and Vodafone.