This article is a repost from Save the Student
NOW broadband
Super Fibre
A best-buy for high-speed fibre broadband. You get much faster speeds than standard broadband, essential for shared living and streaming.
The short contract length is perfect for most student tenancies.
Comes with no activation fee, free line rental and unlimited downloads. Customers are also eligible for NOW TV pass discounts.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 63 Mbps
- Contract: 12 months
- Advertised cost: £26pm
- Effective cost: £26.42pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £317.
Effective cost breakdown
Broadband for 12 months: £312
- Delivery fee: £5
- Calculation: (£312 + £5) / 12 = £26.42pm.
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Virgin Media broadband
M350 Fibre broadband
If you’re looking for ultrafast fibre, this Virgin Media broadband package is very good value.
Standard contracts are for 18 months, but they do offer monthly rolling contracts too for a slightly higher price.
To see the packages available to you, click below and enter your postcode.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 362 Mbps
- Contract: 18 months
- Advertised cost: £27pm
- Effective cost: £27pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £486.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 12 months: £486
- Activation fee: FREE
- Calculation: (£486) / 18 = £27pm
Other packages
Virgin Media has some more bundle options available here, including some with TV too.
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BT broadband
Fibre 1
This broadband deal from BT is one of the best on the market for students. Fibre broadband on a student-friendly 12 month contract.
BT also offer faster speeds.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 50 Mbps
- Contract: 12 months
- Advertised cost: £29.99pm
- Effective cost: £32.49pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £389.87.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 12 months: £359.88
- Activation fee: £29.99
- Calculation: (£359.88 + £29.99) / 12 = £32.49pm.
Visit BT Broadband »
Onestream broadband
Fibre 55
This Onestream offer has great speeds at low cost with a 12 month contract.
But be aware that you get a free 2 month trial of Kaspersky security and Onestream assured, which you will need to cancel to avoid being charged after your trial ends.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 45 Mbps
- Contract: 12 months
- Advertised cost: £18.95pm
- Effective cost: £18.95pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £227.40.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 12 months: £227.40
- Activation fee: FREE
- Calculation: (£227.40) / 12 = £18.95pm.
Visit Onestream Broadband »
Sky broadband
Sky Superfast
A no-frills package from Sky, offering good value but on a long 18-month contract.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 59 Mbps
- Contract: 18 months
- Advertised cost: £25pm
- Effective cost: £25pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £450.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 18 months: £450
- Activation fee: FREE
- Calculation: (£450) / 18 = £25pm.
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Hyperoptic broadband
Ultrafast [LIMITED COVERAGE]
Hyperoptic’s coverage is limited to certain buildings within a couple of major UK cities. Still, with an insane 1Gb speed and low price, it’s 100% worth checking your postcode!
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Package details
- Average download speed: 1 Gb
- Contract: 12 months
- Advertised cost: £45pm
- Effective cost: £45pm
- Lifetime cost: £540.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 12 months: £540
- Activation fee: FREE
- Calculation: (£450) / 12 = £45pm.
Visit Hyperoptic Broadband »
TalkTalk broadband
Fibre 65
Only worth considering if you’re happy with an 18-month contract – and even then it’s pricey.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 67 Mbps
- Contract: 18 months
- Advertised cost: £27pm
- Effective cost: £27pm
- Lifetime cost: £486.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 18 months: £486
- Delivery fee: Free
- Calculation: (£486) / 18 = £27pm.
Visit TalkTalk Broadband »
Utility Warehouse
Ultra Broadband
Utility Warehouse (UW) are unique as they become cheaper the more services you bundle together with them (eg. energy bills).
In our comparison, we have just used their standalone ‘Ultra’ broadband package.
The broadband contract is 18 months which may not suit all students.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 38 Mbps
- Contract: 18 months
- Advertised cost: £24pm
- Effective cost: £24.33pm
- Lifetime cost: £437.99.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 18 months: £432
- Delivery fee: £5.99
- Calculation: (£432 + £5.99) / 18 = £24.33pm.
Visit Utility Warehouse »
Plusnet broadband
Unlimited Broadband
Highly rated customer service whilst keeping broadband cheap and cheerful with speeds at the low end.
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Package details
- Average download speed: 36 Mbps
- Contract: 18 months
- Advertised cost: £25.99pm
- Effective cost: £25.99pm (see below)
- Lifetime cost: £467.82.
Effective cost breakdown
- Broadband for 18 months: £467.82
- Activation fee: Free
- Calculation: (£467.82 / 18) = £25.99pm.
Visit Plusnet Broadband »
3 Considerations when choosing broadband
Here’s how to find the best student broadband deals:
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What speed do you need?
Download speed is probably the biggest factor to consider, especially if you’re sharing broadband with other housemates.
If it’s too slow, you’re going to be suffering from buffering (and high blood pressure) for the length of the contract.
The cheapest packages are standard broadband, with ‘potential’ download speeds of 10–11 Mbps (often less). This option is suitable for low-medium use by about three people.
If you have a need for speed, fibre broadband are the words you’re looking for. Expect speeds from 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
Fibre-optic broadband is now available for over 90% of the UK and has come down massively in price over the past few years. Overall, it represents the best value for student houses, especially when the cost is split between housemates.
And, if you do find that your broadband is slow, try these tips on how to improve your WiFi speed.
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How long will you be in your house?
Students are typically best off with a 12-month broadband contract to coincide with short-term tenancy agreements.
If you are planning to stay put for longer, 18-month contracts can sometimes offer better value.
Every now and then, a 9 month student broadband deal pops up (we’ll include these above if so). These shorter broadband contracts can suit students not staying at uni over the summer months (i.e. September – July), but aren’t always cheaper overall.
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Are you interested in subscription TV?
All-in-one bundles of TV and broadband often give the best overall value, but only if you’re likely to pay for a TV package anyway.
For this guide, we’re focusing on broadband-only. See our TV and broadband bundle comparison for more.
Ways to get cheaper broadband
Not all of these tricks will apply to your broadband provider or situation, but a couple might save you money:
- Choose packages with unlimited data (we only review these)
- Pay for broadband upfront
- Opt-in to paperless billing
- Be aware of price hikes – then it’s time to switch, or…
- Haggle when the contract ends!
- It could be cheaper to pay a cancellation fee than see out a contract
- Seek out hidden charges when comparing broadband (see our ‘effective monthly cost’ calculations above for more info).
Student broadband FAQs
What is student broadband?
Some broadband providers in the UK market broadband packages especially for student households. They recognise that students tend to have short term tenancies, and share WiFi and bills with more people.
Mainstream broadband contracts can be up to 24 months, which is not practical for most students.
The best student broadband deals offer higher internet speeds, shorter contracts and exclusive student discounts.
Can I get a 9 month broadband contract?
Each summer one or two broadband providers tend to offer a 9 month broadband contract for students. In recent years, these have been BT Broadband and Virgin Media.
Look out for these deals in the table above from July – October. However there is no guarantee there will be a 9 month broadband deal every year.
When considering a 9 month contract, make sure it’s not actually cheaper to go for a longer 12 month contract over the period.
Can I get a 1 month broadband contract?
A 30 day rolling broadband contract offers the most flexibility of all. Students will save the cost of broadband when they are not living at university over the summer holidays.
Only Hyperoptic have a monthly rolling contract.
However 1 month contracts are often more expensive per month. So over the year you may actually be better off with a 12 month contract.
If you live alone, you may be better off using data on a cheap SIM only deal.
Can I get broadband without a phone line?
For standard broadband (ADSL), an active phone line is needed as that’s how internet data is transmitted.
Fibre optic broadband runs along a separate cable. This means you can usually do away with the phone line. Check with the provider to find out for sure.
Until recently, broadband companies would charge extra for phone line rental alongside advertised broadband prices. They must now include line rental in the total price. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need a phone line.
If you do need a phone line, it may need to be activated or reconnected by BT before you can install broadband.
Do I need to buy a broadband router?
A working router is needed to share the broadband connection and transmit WiFi.
Most broadband providers supply you with their own standard router (sometimes at a cost). It can be worth investing in a better router for stronger WiFi signal (browse on Amazon).
How long does it take to install broadband?
For phone line broadband connections, it can take up to 14 days. Fibre broadband connections can be activated sooner.
How long it will actually take depends on whether you need an engineer to come out or if anything needs activating.
How can I check my broadband speed?
Run a quick line test on SpeedTest.net to reveal your live download and upload speeds.
If they’re way below the advertised speeds, complain to your broadband provider.
What happens at the end of my broadband contract?
Broadband providers must now tell you when your contract is about to expire, and inform you of your options. This is a legal obligation.
Previously, this date could pass without you knowing.
As you might’ve guessed, doing nothing is almost never the cheapest option. You’re much better off switching broadband provider or haggling for a better deal.
How can I cancel broadband?
You have the right to cancel your broadband – without penalty – within the first 14 days of placing your order.
Beyond that, check with your provider for their early cancellation policy. It will almost certainly involve a penalty fee but, in some cases, it can be worth paying to switch to a cheaper or better service.
At the end of your student broadband contract, you usually need to give a month’s notice to the provider (but again check your specific terms).