About BT coverage and availability
BT’s broadband services operate on the Openreach network, which happens to be a wholly owned subsidiary of BT. Openreach manages most of the UK’s digital telephone and internet infrastructure. With the exception of Virgin Media broadband, most major UK broadband providers use Openreach’s network to provide their services. Again, BT’s fibre services are available to 96% of the UK’s homes, but for those unfortunate few that aren’t able to get it yet, there is a basic broadband service offered by BT, so you’re able to browse and email
If you want full fibre, it’s possible that this type of fibre optic technology isn’t available in your area yet. That doesn’t mean you won’t find suitable speeds for your usage needs, as standard fibre services are widely available across the country. Ultrafast full fibre optic cables are steadily being rolled out across the country, so these services might be available to you soon.
Find out when BT broadband is coming to your area
If you are just looking for any fibre broadband and BT doesn’t offer it in your area, you likely won’t find it available from competitors either, since most providers use the same Openreach network. You do have other options though; Virgin Media maintains its own separate network independent of Openreach. If you live in London, Community Fibre is another option that provides 100% full fibre to the premises broadband connections to Londoners.
If you have your heart set on getting BT’s full fibre service in your home, you can check the Openreach website directly for their planned rollout estimates. Just enter your postcode on their availability checker to get an idea of when to expect full fibre in your area. You can also sign up to be notified for email updates on BT’s website when it comes to you.
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How does BT broadband work?
BT offers standard ADSL broadband and superfast fibre optic broadband packages, via the independent (though wholly owned by BT) Openreach network, as most UK providers do. Standard ADSL offers a step-up from traditional dial-up internet connectivity via a landline. ADSL allows users to download data and make landline phone calls simultaneously via the country’s telephone network. ADSL is increasingly disappearing as fibre optic cables make quick connectivity more accessible across the country, but it’s still available in areas where fibre optic isn’t available yet.
BT’s widespread fibre optic broadband service uses powerful fibre cables to transmit signals to a cabinet located somewhere on your street, before copper cables connect the signal to your home. FTTC, also known as fibre to the cabinet, offers average speeds between 35Mbps and 65Mbps, though speeds can sometimes reach up to 80Mbps.
For even faster connections, Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), also known as 'full fibre', delivers lightning-fast speeds directly to your home without relying on older copper cables. This enables ultrafast and gigafast speeds of up to 5Gbps. BT and other Openreach providers like TalkTalk, EE, Vodafone, and Plusnet all offer ultrafast speeds of up to 900Mbps on their full fibre networks.
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Installing BT broadband and TV
Setting up your BT broadband TV can be as easy as plugging an ethernet cable into your BT Smart hub and the other end into your master phone socket, but it depends which plan you sign up to, which hardware you’ll be getting, and what your current broadband setup looks like.
If you need to have an engineer install your service, BT will arrange an appointment in advance for an engineer to visit and set your service up for you.
BT Fibre Essential
BT’s entry level broadband package, Fibre Essential should be simple to install as long as your home has had a fibre connection before. BT will send you a smart hub in the post and you should be able to plug it in and get connected on your own. If your home hasn’t had a fibre connection before, an engineer will need to visit your property to set it up for you.
BT Full Fibre (FTTP)
BT’s Full Fibre packages offer a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) service, which means you’ll get your internet connection directly via a fibre optic cable into your home. This delivers a superior, high-speed connection. If you're new to full fibre, an engineer visit will be arranged to get your broadband set up and install the necessary equipment, such as an Optical Network Terminal (ONT). If you previously had an FTTP connection with another provider, you might be able to swap providers easily with self-installation.
Equipment charges
BT doesn’t charge customers to use its hardware, but the equipment is considered owned by BT throughout your contract. They will expect you to return any smart hubs and TV boxes at the end of your contract to avoid a fee. BT also offers a handy recycling service for outdated equipment, and they offer to recycle or refurbish devices for free when they’re no longer needed.
Bundling BT broadband with TV
BT offers broadband and TV bundles with popular content for all ages. BT TV includes a free NOW TV Membership (which includes access to the most popular Sky TV channels), and can choose to add on Netflix, BT Sport, and more. BT’s TV packages can be paired with any broadband package starting from average speeds of 36Mbps with BT Home Essentials broadband to the 900Mbps available with BT Full Fibre.
BT recently revamped its TV offering, with five flexible packages to choose from, plus optional monthly add-ons. The new BT TV lets you customise your content, and you have the flexibility to change the package you use each month, so you can turn the service off and on as and when it suits you.
TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) is a popular add-on for customers who bundle broadband and TV with BT. Once you have decided on your broadband speed (depending on availability at your address), you can choose your TV package, including NOW TV add-ons, and several options for TNT Sports depending on which league or sports you want access to.
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