Our Verdict

Bottom line

If Gigaclear covers your postcode, this is one of the best broadband deals in the UK right now. Symmetrical 300Mbps for £16/month is genuinely hard to beat, and the full fibre connection is in a different league to the part-fibre most households are still stuck with. The catch? You need to be in a rural area where Gigaclear has built out their network.

Let's be honest about what £16 a month gets you here. Most people on a BT or Sky "fibre" deal are paying roughly the same (or more) for a fraction of the speed, and almost certainly getting upload speeds around 10-20Mbps. Gigaclear gives you 300Mbps in both directions. That's a massive difference if anyone in your household works from home, uploads large files, or does video calls.

The guaranteed minimum speed of 240Mbps during peak hours is worth flagging too. That's not an aspirational number. It's a contractual commitment. If your speeds regularly drop below that, you've got grounds to complain or leave. Plenty of providers on the Openreach network would struggle to make a promise anywhere near that generous.

One thing worth knowing: the usual price is £19/month, which is still competitive. The £16 figure is a promotional rate for March 2026, and Gigaclear normally charges a £30 activation fee that they've also waived here. So if you've been on the fence, this is genuinely a good time to move.

Speed in Context

Raw numbers only tell you so much. Here's how 300Mbps actually stacks up against what most UK households are working with.

Download Speed Comparison

Average speeds, not "up to" marketing claims

Gigaclear Ultrafast 300 300 Mbps
BT Full Fibre 300 300 Mbps down / 50 Mbps up
Sky Superfast 80 80 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up
UK Average Broadband ~70 Mbps

Key difference: BT's 300Mbps package only offers 50Mbps upload. Gigaclear gives you 300Mbps both ways.

Who Is This Actually For?

Not every household needs symmetrical 300Mbps. But for certain situations, it's genuinely transformative compared to what's typically available in rural areas.

🏡

Rural remote workers

300Mbps upload means video calls that don't freeze, large file uploads that don't take ages, and cloud backups that run in the background without killing everything else.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Busy households

Multiple people streaming 4K, gaming online, and doing homework research simultaneously. 300Mbps handles it all without anyone having to negotiate bandwidth.

🎮

Gamers and streamers

Full fibre means low latency as well as high speed. No more blaming your internet when you lose. The symmetrical upload is also great for Twitch or YouTube streaming.

📷

Content creators

Photographers, videographers, or anyone regularly pushing large files around. A 1GB upload takes roughly 27 seconds on this connection. Try that on ADSL.

Pros and Cons

What's good

  • Price is excellent. £16/month (promo) or £19/month (standard) for symmetrical 300Mbps full fibre is very competitive.
  • Symmetrical uploads. 300Mbps up is the headline feature. Most providers don't come close.
  • Guaranteed minimums. 240Mbps contractual floor during peak hours.
  • Decent router included. Linksys Wi-Fi 6 is a solid piece of kit. Not a cheap ISP box.
  • One Touch Switch. They handle the switching process, including contacting your old provider.

What's not

  • Very limited coverage. Gigaclear only serves select rural communities. If you're urban, this isn't an option.
  • Mid-contract price rises. Like most providers, Gigaclear can increase your price during the contract. Worth reading the T&Cs.
  • Installation quirks. New builds on their network may need a small trench dug to your property. Usually straightforward, but ask upfront.
  • Post-contract price hike. Once your 18 months are up, expect the price to jump quite a bit. Set a calendar reminder to renegotiate.
  • No TV bundles. Broadband only. No Sky-style package deals here.

How It Compares

Here's where the Ultrafast 300 sits against similar-speed packages from larger providers. All figures are for broadband-only deals at comparable speeds.

ProviderSpeed (Down/Up)Price/moContractSetup
Gigaclear Ultrafast 300300 / 300 Mbps£16 (promo)18 months£0 (promo)
BT Full Fibre 300300 / 50 Mbps~£3324 months£0
Sky Superfast 500500 / 60 Mbps~£3318 months£0
Virgin Media M350362 / 36 Mbps~£3318 months£0
Hyperoptic 300300 / 300 Mbps~£2524 months£0

Prices checked March 2026 for new customers. Hyperoptic is urban-only, so not available in Gigaclear's coverage areas. Included for reference.

The Router: What You Actually Get

Gigaclear ships a Linksys dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with this package. It's a proper piece of equipment, not the throwaway plastic boxes some providers send out. Wi-Fi 6 support means better handling of multiple devices and improved range compared to older standards.

For larger homes, Gigaclear offers Smart Wi-Fi mesh extenders at £6/month that add extra nodes for complete coverage. These aren't included with the Ultrafast 300 by default (they are on the 500 and 900 plans), so factor that in if you've got thick stone walls or a sprawling cottage layout.

Switching: What to Expect

Gigaclear uses One Touch Switch, which is the industry standard now. You place the order, they contact your existing provider, and the switch happens on a set date. You don't need to call your old provider to cancel anything.

If your property already has Gigaclear fibre running to it (from a previous customer, for instance), installation is fast. If not, they'll need to run fibre to your home, which can involve minor groundwork. It's painless in most cases, but worth asking about during the sign-up process.

One genuinely useful thing: if you're stuck in a contract with another provider, Gigaclear will give you free broadband for up to 12 months while you wait for that contract to end. That's a strong offer that removes a real barrier for a lot of people.

Common Questions

Is 300Mbps enough for a family of four?
More than enough. 300Mbps can comfortably handle four simultaneous 4K streams (each needs roughly 25Mbps) with plenty of bandwidth left for gaming, video calls, and general browsing. The symmetrical upload is what really sets it apart for households where multiple people work or study from home.
What happens when the 18-month contract ends?
Your price will increase to Gigaclear's standard list price, which is typically a noticeable jump. Set a reminder for month 16 and either renegotiate directly with Gigaclear or review your options. They sometimes have retention deals for existing customers who ask.
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes. Gigaclear offers a VoIP phone service as an add-on. You can port your existing number across. But you don't need to take a phone package at all, as the broadband doesn't rely on a phone line.
How do I check if Gigaclear covers my area?
Use the postcode checker on Gigaclear's website. They cover select rural communities across around 26 counties in England, mostly in areas like Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Devon, Essex, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Northamptonshire. Coverage is patchy by design since they build out community by community.
What's the difference between Ultrafast 300 and Ultrafast 400?
The Ultrafast 400 package gives you 400Mbps symmetrical speeds (vs 300Mbps) and includes one Smart Wi-Fi mesh node at no extra cost. It's usually around £22/month. If you have a larger home or particularly heavy usage, the mesh node alone might make it worth the upgrade. Otherwise, the 300 is the better value pick.