Best Broadband Deals in Bolton

Broadband in Bolton

Bolton has gone from patchy to pretty decent in a fairly short space of time. Full Fibre now reaches most places, and you’ve got plenty of choice from the big names. BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone, TalkTalk, EE and Plusnet etc. all provide deals here, with network providers CityFibre and Openreach doing the heavy lifting in the background.

CityFibre is a key part of the picture, actually. If your postcode is on its network, Vodafone’s Pro II package can hit up to 2.2Gbps (that's a lot!), with TalkTalk and Zen also offering good, but not-as-fast options on the same lines. On Openreach, you’ll typically see packages up to 900Mbps from most providers, and up to 1.6Gbps on EE if you want to push things a bit further.

Virgin Media runs its own network across most of the town. Gig1 (around 1.1Gbps) is common, and Gig2 (2Gbps) is available in some areas. Upload speeds aren’t symmetrical by default, but you can add that feature on for a few more quid.

You’ll also spot a couple of smaller alternative networks (altnets). brsk and Grain are building out across parts of Bolton with simple pricing and symmetrical speeds of up to 900Mbps, and Hyperoptic serves a handful of newer blocks of flats with similar 900Mbps tiers. The ultra-fast niche players that shout about 5–7Gbps (E.G. YouFibre) aren’t here yet at the time of writing, but the choice you do have is already far beyond what most folk need.

In this guide

National providers Broadband speeds

Local providers Availability

Fastest provider FAQs

National broadband providers in Bolton

Bolton’s got all the usual big names – BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone, TalkTalk, EE and so on – and they all offer decent packages here. Between the Openreach and CityFibre networks, most homes can now pick from several Full Fibre deals offering anything from basic speeds right up to 1Gbps and beyond.

Most of those familiar names run on the Openreach network, which covers all of Bolton with at least Standard Fibre (up to around 65Mbps). Full Fibre, if you can get it, tops out around 900Mbps usually, while EE offers an even faster 1.6Gbps option if you need every last drop of speed. CityFibre is also available across large sections of the – Vodafone’s Pro II service, for example, reaches up to 2.2Gbps where CityFibre is installed.

Virgin Media has its own netowrk of course, and covers nearly every postcode in Bolton at the time of writing, with its Gig1 (1.1Gbps) packages available almost everywhere and its faster Gig2 (2Gbps) packages rolling out gradually. Between them, it’s hard not to find something fast, and most of the town now has at least one provider capable of gigabit speeds available. Most of us, of course, don't need that sort of speed, though, so bear that in mind when we're quoting the top speeds at you.

Provider	Network	Top speed	Coverage
BT	Openreach (Standard & Full Fibre)	900Mbps	Widespread; Full Fibre expanding
Sky	Openreach & CityFibre	900Mbps	Broad coverage; CityFibre in select areas
Virgin Media	Own network (Full Fibre)	2Gbps	Very good coverage; Gig2 in select postcodes
TalkTalk	Openreach & CityFibre	944Mbps	Good availability in most areas
Vodafone	CityFibre & Openreach	2.2Gbps	Expanding rapidly; Pro II (up to 2.2Gbps) in limited areas
Plusnet	Openreach	900Mbps	Widespread; Full Fibre rollout ongoing
EE Broadband	Openreach	1.6Gbps	Widespread; Full Fibre available in many areas

Broadband speeds in Bolton

Broadband speeds in Bolton are well above the national average, with most of the town now covered by Full Fibre. Typical download speeds sit somewhere around 200–250Mbps, but that’s just the middle ground most people go for these days – most of you in Bolton can now get gigabit speeds or better if you want them.

Openreach’s Full Fibre network reaches over 80% of Bolton homes, offering up to 900Mbps through providers like BT, Sky and Plusnet. EE goes one step higher with a 1.6Gbps package, available anywhere Openreach Full Fibre has been rolled out. CityFibre also has a major presence here, enabling even faster packages from the likes of Vodafone.

Virgin Media operates its own separate network across nearly the whole of Bolton. Its Gig1 (1.1Gbps) package is available pretty much everywhere, while the faster Gig2 (2Gbps) service is beginning to appear in certain central postcodes.

For day-to-day use, speeds of around 100–300Mbps will comfortably handle streaming, gaming and working from home. But with so many gigabit-capable networks available, you’ve got plenty of room to push things further if you want to.

Local broadband providers (altnets) in Bolton

Bolton isn’t exactly overrun with altnets just yet, but there are a few smaller networks giving the big names some competition. A handful are available to certain parts of the town though, offering fast, symmetrical Full Fibre connections that usually come with fixed pricing and shorter contract options than you get from the national providers.

Here are the main altnets currently operating in and around Bolton:

Provider	Top speed	Coverage notes
brsk	Up to 2Gbps symmetrical	Now live across large parts of Bolton and nearby areas including Farnworth, Tonge Moor and Great Lever, with rollout continuing westward
Hyperoptic	Up to 900Mbps symmetrical	Available in a handful of newer blocks of flats and developments around the town centre, with expansion planned
Grain	Up to 900Mps symmetrical	Expanding quickly in the south and west of Bolton, particularly around Daubhill, Deane and Great Lever

Broadband availability in Bolton

Bolton’s broadband coverage is very good on the whole. Most homes can now get Full Fibre from the main Openreach providers, with Virgin Media now covering nearly every postcode on its own separate network.

CityFibre is here too of course, giving you even more choice through providers like Vodafone, TalkTalk and Zen Internet. Your choice of speeds and providers is at its absolute best around central Bolton, Farnworth, Halliwell and Tonge Fold, for example.

As for the altnets, brsk has rolled out large sections of its Full Fibre network across Bolton, covering areas like Great Lever, Farnworth and Harwood. Hyperoptic is available in newer blocks of flats near the centre and key developments, while Grain is expanding quickly through southern and western neighbourhoods such as Daubhill and Deane. These networks all offer symmetrical speeds – upload as fast as download – and simpler pricing than the larger providers.

Overall, Bolton’s one of the better-connected towns in Greater Manchester, with gigabit speeds available to the vast majority and plenty of competition between networks. If you’re not sure what’s available where you are specifically, pop your postcode into the checker above to find out.

The fastest broadband providers in Bolton

Bolton’s broadband has gained serious speed in recent years thanks to Full Fibre – you’ve now got several ways to get multi-gigabit speeds. Between the national heavyweights and local altnets, there’s a lot more choice at the top end than you might expect. Here’s how the current speed table shapes up.

Winner: Vodafone – up to 2.2Gbps

Vodafone takes the top spot in Bolton with its Pro II packages, running on the CityFibre network. It’s widely available across the town and delivers multi-gigabit speeds that easily outpace most rivals. It’s also one of the better-value ultra-fast options, with symmetrical uploads and downloads ideal for game downloading, video calls, cloud storage or heavy home working.

Runner-up: brsk – up to 2Gbps

brsk’s rapidly growing Full Fibre network in Bolton offers excellent speeds and simple pricing, with symmetrical packages up to 2Gbps now available in some areas. It’s not quite as widespread as CityFibre, but where it’s available, it’s a good choice, especially if you like the idea of a smaller, more personable provider.

Third place: Virgin Media – up to 2Gbps

Virgin Media's Gig2 is reaching more spots all the time. It runs on a different network to the rest of Virgin's packages though, so you can't necessarily get just because Virgin Media is available. Upload speeds aren’t symmetrical by default, but you can add that on as an option.

Provider	Top speed
Vodafone (Pro II via CityFibre)	Up to 2.2Gbps (symmetrical)
brsk	Up to 2Gbps (symmetrical)
Virgin Media (Gig2)	Up to 2Gbps

Frequently asked questions

Can I get Full Fibre in Bolton?

Almost certainly. Bolton’s well covered by Full Fibre from Openreach, which supports providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, EE and Plusnet. Virgin Media also reaches nearly every postcode on its own separate network, and CityFibre has rolled out across large parts of the town too, giving you extra options from providers like Vodafone and Zen.

Who’s the fastest broadband provider in Bolton?

The fastest widely available service in Bolton right now is Vodafone’s Pro II, offering up to 2.2Gbps over CityFibre. brsk comes next with symmetrical speeds up to 2Gbps in some areas, and Virgin Media ties second with its Gig2 package offering up to 2Gbps as well.

Are there any local or smaller broadband providers?

Yes. brsk is the main local alternative network operating in Bolton, offering symmetrical Full Fibre up to 2Gbps with simple, fixed pricing. Hyperoptic is also available in a few newer blocks of flats, providing symmetrical gigabit speeds. Together with CityFibre’s coverage, it means Bolton’s got a little more choice than most towns its size.

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