By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. If you make a purchase, Which? will receive an affiliate commission, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
BT broadband review
Our BT broadband customer satisfaction survey reveals how people rated their broadband service for installation, speed, reliability and customer support
Britain's biggest broadband provider hasn't always been Britain's best. In previous Which? surveys, BT has often fallen below average. But with improving availability of faster speeds, including lightning-fast full fibre broadband, has it caught up with the competition? Our latest customer survey reveals how BT broadband customers rated their BT broadband service.
Each year we survey thousands of UK broadband customers to check how they rate each big provider's speed, reliability, customer service and value for money. Read on for our review, or use the free broadband comparison service from Which? to find the best BT broadband deal for you.
What BT customers told us
Our research showed us that BT broadband customers had mixed reviews of the service they received.
- 'The customer service is pretty poor and BT is hard to communicate with, or get a refund from, when it’s required.'
- 'I’ve been with BT for a few years now and while I’ve had issues at various times, they’ve usually been sorted eventually.'
BT broadband review
Customer score: 62% (9th out of 13). Which? members can also read our full review, including how its customers rated it for key factors, such as customer service and technical support.
If you're already a member, log in now, or join Which? today.
- Pros
- Cons
- Which? Verdict
| Speed | Reliability | Ease of setup | Value for money | Ease of contacting | Customer service | Technical support | Overall communication |
Discover which providers impressed their customers most in our latest survey – we reveal the best and worst broadband providers
BT broadband deals
BT offers broadband and home phone deals, or broadband, home phone and pay TV. Until recently, to have a broadband deal with BT meant having a phone line too. However, that's no longer the case – changes to landline phone services in the UK mean that it's now possible to get broadband-only services if you prefer. BT's broadband deals now have an 24-month contract as standard, which may be too long for some.
BT's deals also give free and unlimited access to the company's wi-fi network. This comprises 5m hotspots in public places across the UK.
If you want a package that includes a pay-TV service, read our BT TV and broadband provider review
Our guide to the best broadband deals includes top picks from our experts on the best-value broadband
How much is BT broadband?
BT offers a wide range of packages, with various combinations of TV and premium channels alongside its broadband service.
You can view the entire range of BT broadband packages, or enter your postcode below to check for the best deals across all providers in your area.
BT broadband speeds
BT has the best broadband availability in the country. The chances are that if any company can supply broadband to your house, it will be BT.
BT offers standard ADSL speeds (average speed 10Mbps) to those who can't access fibre, although it no longer advertises standard deals on its website. Instead, it focuses on fibre-optic connections with average speeds between 36Mbps and 150Mbps, depending on the package you take.
Around two thirds of homes can also access ultrafast BT broadband via fibre-optic technology called 'G.fast' or 'fibre to the premises' (FTTP). BT's full fibre offerings have average speeds of 300Mbps, 500Mbps and 900Mbps, depending on the package.
BT’s ultrafast packages also come with a speed guarantee, whereby you can claim £20 if your speed falls below a set rate.
Does BT put up broadband prices every year?
Yes – so if you do decide to take up a broadband contract with BT, keep in mind that it will raise the price of your deal at the end of March each year.
In April 2024, BT introduced a fixed price increase. Now if you take out a broadband deal with BT, it will increase the amount you pay by £3 per month every spring. The price for TV plans will increase by £2 per month (so if you take both broadband and TV, your price will increase by £5 per month in total).
If you took out a deal with BT before April, your contract will include a price increase that is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation as published in January with an additional 3.9% added in. This meant many customers saw their price increase by 7.9% this year.
What is the latest BT router?
BT supplies customers with its Smart Hub 2. It's free, but there can be an £11.99 postage and packaging charge depending on the deal.
We've tested the BT Smart Hub 2 and were impressed. It's one of the best ISP-supplied routers currently available. Find out more in our BT Smart Hub 2 review.
What is BT Complete Wi-Fi?
BT Complete Wi-Fi is an add-on service that includes a mesh wi-fi extender system. If you sign up, BT will send you a special 'disc' to place in your home to extend the signal of your BT Smart Hub 2. If you need more than one, if will give you up to three in total.
It usually costs an extra £10 per month (though special offers may also be available) and comes with BT's 'Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee' – if you can't get signal everywhere in your home (excluding outbuildings and gardens) you'll get £100 back.
Find out more about the system – and what our experts make of it – in our BT Complete Wi-Fi review.
It's also possible to buy the system separately, though you won't get the associated guarantee – it's worth weighing it up against other products using our wi-fi extender reviews.
What is BT Hybrid Connect?
This is a back-up system to allow you to stay online if there's a broadband outage. If you sign up to Hybrid Connect, you'll be sent a second router that can connect to mobile broadband. It uses 4G services via the EE mobile phone network to keep you connected if your usual broadband service isn't working for some reason. It costs £7 per month on a rolling contract.
Your back-up connection will be up to 30Mbps, depending on where you live and how busy the network is. Your Smart Hub 2 router will know how to connect to it automatically when there's an outage.
Keep in mind that the Hybrid Connect router still needs power to work, so you won't be able to connect if there's a power cut.
How to contact BT broadband
Bookmark our BT customer contact page, which contains helpful links to service status updates, customer service phone numbers and social media accounts.
Find out how we assess broadband providers to provide you with our expert verdict on the best and worst UK providers.