Switching Broadband Without the Usual Mistakes

Speeds you actually need, contract traps, and why your wi-fi is the bottleneck

Broadband is sold on a headline download figure, and most household frustration has nothing to do with it. Knowing what actually matters makes switching a much smaller decision.

How much speed you need

Streaming a 4K film uses roughly 25 megabits per second. A household doing several things at once rarely needs more than about a hundred, and most people buying a gigabit package will not notice the difference.

Upload speed is the underrated figure. Copper-based services have very slow uploads, which is what makes video calls stutter and cloud backups take all night.

Full fibre and part fibre

Services described simply as fibre are frequently fibre to a street cabinet with copper for the final stretch. Full fibre, or FTTP, runs glass all the way to the property and is far more consistent.

The contract traps

Check the price after the introductory period, which is usually where the real cost sits. Check the contract length, the exit fee, and whether mid-contract price rises are built in — many are.

Set a calendar reminder a month before the contract ends, since rolling onto an out-of-contract price is how households overpay for years.

Your wi-fi is usually the problem

A fast line into a house with poor wi-fi produces a slow experience. Test by cable at the router before blaming the provider.

Position the router centrally and high, away from thick walls, and use a mesh system or wired connections for distant rooms. This does more than any speed upgrade.

Switching practically

Check whether installation needs an engineer and a new cable into the property, and whether the landlord's permission is required.

Keep your number if you want to by arranging it through the new provider rather than cancelling first.

Comparing fairly

Compare the total cost over the whole contract including any setup fee and router charge, rather than the monthly headline. Cashback and voucher offers should be counted only when they actually arrive.

Check the provider's complaint handling and whether they are signed up to an ombudsman scheme.

Social tariffs

Discounted broadband exists for households receiving certain benefits in some countries, and take-up is low because few people know. It is worth asking about.

Before you switch

Check the new service is actually available at your address rather than on the street, since availability varies house by house on newer networks.

Do not cancel the old service yourself — the new provider handles the switch, and cancelling first creates a gap with no connection at all.

Landlines

Traditional analogue lines are being switched off, so check alarms and personal alarms will still work.