Broadband Suppliers

Broadband can be provided in several ways, with a huge number of broadband suppliers or Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offering many different packages. The type of broadband you want will affect which broadband supplier you choose.

The three most popular types of broadband in the UK are:

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1. ADSL broadband
2. Cable broadband
3. Mobile broadband

ADSL broadband suppliers

ADSL is the most popular type of UK broadband and is supplied through BT phonelines.

However, BT is not the only UK broadband supplier offering ADSL broadband. A process called Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) allows other broadband suppliers to provide a broadband connection through a BT phoneline.

Unbundling the broadband element of these connections from the phoneline means that ISPs or broadband suppliers can install their own type of broadband.

Home Broadband

Most home broadband suppliers offer a range of packages to suit the way different people use the internet.

You can compare the best home broadband packages using our comparison tables.

Key home broadband suppliers are:

• O2 Broadband
• Talk Talk Broadband
• BT Total Broadband
• Virgin Media
• AOL Broadband
• Be
• Tiscali
• Orange
• Plusnet
• Sky

Cable broadband suppliers**

UK Cable broadband is transferred along specially laid fibre-optic cables under the ground. This is available to around 12.6 million homes across the UK.

Broadband provided through fibre-optic cables instead of copper phone wires can travel faster bringing you faster download speeds.

The fibre optic cable infrastructure for UK broadband is currently owned and operated by Virgin Media which bought it from the NTL and Telewest group in 2006.

• Virgin Media is the only cable broadband supplier in the UK.

To find out which broadband suppliers offer a service in your area, enter your postcode into our postcode checker.

Mobile broadband suppliers

Mobile broadband is the newest way for broadband suppliers to provide access to the internet.

As the name suggests, this technology allows you to access the internet without either a phoneline or a cable, wherever there is a mobile phone signal.

In the UK, mobile phone networks are the major mobile broadband suppliers. They provide mobile access to the internet via a dongle or portable modem which can be plugged into a laptop.

Key Mobile Broadband Suppliers include:

• 3 Mobile Broadband
• Vodafone Mobile Broadband
• T-Mobile Mobile Broadband
• Orange Mobile Broadband
• O2 Mobile Broadband
• Virgin Media Mobile Broadband

There are lots of other questions you should ask when considering which of the many broadband suppliers to choose.

The main things you need to consider is how you're going to use the internet and the kind of deal you are looking for:

• Are you new to the internet and just looking for Beginners broadband?
• Are you into online gaming or likely to download a lot of movies and music? You may need to look into packages tailored to Heavy-use broadband.
• Are you looking for Business Broadband or a package aimed at simply being Familiy Broadband?

Most broadband suppliers will have a package tailored to suit your needs.

It's also important to check whether your preferred broadband supplier offers a service in your area. You can use our postcode checker to find out.

You should also find out what hardware you need. Many broadband suppliers offer free wireless routers with their packages but some broadband suppliers are offering broadband with free gifts ranging from PlayStations to Laptops.