The State of Full Fibre in the UK: 2026 Edition

Based on current pricing (December 2025): Virgin Media Gig1 at £30.99/month offers the best gigabit value with 1130 Mbps and Netflix Standard included. For budget options, NOW Broadband Fab Fibre starts at £22/month for 36 Mbps. Gigabit seekers should compare Virgin Gig1 (£30.99/month with Netflix) against Community Fibre 1Gbps (£25/month where available). Prices change frequently—check provider sites for current offers.

Ofcom recommends minimum 10 Mbps per person for video conferencing. A household with two remote workers should target 50-100 Mbps. Upload speed matters more than download for video calls—look for packages with at least 20 Mbps upload. Teams and Zoom require 3.8 Mbps upload for 1080p video; add bandwidth for screen sharing. Full fibre (FTTP) connections provide symmetrical uploads that FTTC cannot match.

FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) runs fibre to your street cabinet, then copper to your home. Maximum speeds: 80 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up. Speed degrades with distance from the cabinet. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) runs fibre directly into your home. Speeds: 100 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps. Ofcom data shows FTTP delivers 98% of advertised speeds versus 89% for FTTC. FTTP coverage reached 59% of UK premises in November 2024.

For Openreach-network switches (BT, Sky, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk): The One Touch Switch process means your new provider handles cancellation automatically. Typical switching time: 10-14 working days. For Virgin Media switches (own network): You must contact Virgin directly to cancel—allow 30 days notice. Early termination fees apply if within contract. The switching process has been regulated since 2023 to prevent provider blocking.

Rolling monthly options: NOW Broadband (all packages), Shell Energy Flex tariff, and Vodafone's 30-day plans. Expect to pay 15-25% more than 18/24-month contracts. NOW's Fab Fibre costs £24/month rolling versus £22/month on 12-month contract. These suit renters on 6-month ASTs, house movers, or those testing a new provider. Early termination fees on standard contracts typically equal remaining months × monthly cost.

Volt bundles Virgin broadband with O2 mobile. Benefits: Automatic speed boost to next tier (e.g., M250 becomes M350) and doubled O2 data. No extra cost—benefits activate automatically when both services are in the same household. Savings value: Approximately £48/year from the speed boost alone. Volt requires separate Virgin and O2 accounts; it's not available as a single bundled purchase.

Check Openreach's network checker (openreach.com) for FTTP availability—59% of UK premises now covered. Virgin Media covers 16 million premises via cable. Alternative networks (altnets) like CityFibre, Hyperoptic, and Community Fibre serve specific areas with gigabit FTTP. Rural areas may access Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme funding (up to £4,500). Enter your postcode at thinkbroadband.com for comprehensive availability data.

Latency matters more than speed for gaming. Ofcom 2024 data: FTTP averages 8-12ms latency versus 14-20ms for FTTC and 15-25ms for Virgin cable. All modern connections (50 Mbps+) handle game downloads adequately. For competitive gaming, prioritise: wired Ethernet connection (not WiFi), full fibre connection, and router QoS settings. EE's Made for Gamers package adds network prioritisation, but any FTTP connection performs similarly.

Historical pricing data shows: Black Friday/Cyber Monday (November) offers 15-30% discounts. January sales match Black Friday. Mid-contract price rises occur in March/April (BT, EE) and September (Virgin). Always negotiate 30 days before contract end—retention teams have authority to match new customer prices. Out-of-contract pricing typically adds £10-15/month; never let contracts auto-renew.

Standard FTTP installation: Free from BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, and most Openreach-based providers. Virgin Media: Free for standard installations. Complex installations (listed buildings, long cable runs, multiple dwelling units) may incur £50-200+ charges—providers quote this upfront. Openreach engineer visits typically take 2-4 hours. Self-install available if your property already has FTTP; router arrives by post.

Current provider routers: Virgin Hub 5 (WiFi 6, DOCSIS 3.1), BT Smart Hub 2 (WiFi 6), EE Smart Hub Plus (WiFi 6 + 4G backup), Sky WiFi Hub (WiFi 5), Plusnet Hub Two (WiFi 5). Premium routers included with top-tier packages; basic packages may receive older models. You can use your own router with most providers—check compatibility for Virgin (DOCSIS required) and full fibre ONT connections.

Landline number porting: Automatic between Openreach providers (BT, Sky, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk). Process takes 10-14 working days. Moving to broadband-only: Most providers now support VoIP—your landline works over broadband. BT Digital Voice and EE Phone both support number retention. Virgin Media landline numbers can be ported out but require explicit request. Geographic numbers (01/02) are always portable; some non-geographic numbers have restrictions.