BT broadband review

Millions of homes and offices across the UK depend on broadband connections to access high-speed internet. BT Group (formerly British Telecom) is one of the UK's most popular broadband providers. Over the years, the company has earned a reputation for providing reliable broadband services. But does BT’s broadband live up to expectations? What can you expect from the service?

In this BT broadband review, I’ll analyze the service closely, assessing its coverage, features, speed, performance, reliability, pricing, packages, and customer service. I’ll also highlight what users have to say about the service and give you my verdict.

About BT broadband

With over 9 million customers and coverage spanning over 90 percent of the UK, BT is the largest broadband provider in the country. This company offers broadband, mobile and TV services.

BT has been at the forefront of innovation in the UK’s telecom industry, launching the country’s first 5G network in 2019. The company plans to spread its 5G network across the UK by 2028. BT has extensive coverage in the UK, particularly in city centres, with plans to extend its reach to about 90 percent of the rural parts of the country by 2025.

Overall rating:	4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Price range:	£28.99 to £34.99
UK coverage area:	99% of the UK
Broadband types:	Full-fibre (FTTP), fibre (FTTC), ADSL, and mobile broadband
Average speed:	76 Mbps (ADSL, fibre) to 900 Mbps (full-fibre)
24/7 customer support:	Yes

BT broadband pros and cons

BT broadband bundles and pricing

BT offers a range of broadband plans to suit the needs of different users. You can choose a broadband-only plan or a bundle with TV and phone service. Let’s take a closer look at some BT broadband bundles.

Broadband and TV

BT broadband and TV bundles come with a Wi-Fi-enabled BT TV box, which supports a seamless wireless connection to the hub. It works with BT broadband, eliminating the need for cables, satellite dishes, and any extra installation costs.

Subscribing to BT’s broadband and TV bundle gives you access to a wide array of TV channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max, Sky Showcase, TNT Sports, NOW, and discovery+, as well as a basic Netflix subscription, depending on the package you choose.

If you’re willing to pay a little extra, you’ll also get NOW Cinema and AMC. I love that users can add or remove channels according to their preferences. You can pause, record, or rewind live TV shows.

Broadband and home phone

BT broadband and landline packages are designed for homes and businesses that use landline phones. These bundles give you internet connectivity and call minutes. You can choose unlimited weekend calls, unlimited evening and weekend calls, or unlimited anytime calls.

Users who make regular landline calls outside the country must pay extra for a home phone package that includes international calls. You can also pay an additional fee for a display, call waiting, and BT Answer 1571. All BT broadband and phone plans come with BT Call Protect, which diverts unwanted calls.

Currently, BT’s landline runs on a copper wire network, but the company plans to replace that with a fibre optic broadband network by 2025.

BT mobile

BT depends on EE’s infrastructure to provide mobile services. EE, an award-winning mobile network company, became part of the BT Group in 2016. The merger allowed the UK's number one broadband provider to offer mobile services.

BT Mobile has mobile phones and SIM-only contracts with 4G and 5G coverage across the country. The company has over 4 million Wi-Fi hotspots spread across the country, allowing users to connect to the web at no additional cost.

While you don’t need to be a BT broadband customer to sign up for its mobile service, existing broadband users get special discounts.

Speed and performance

Fast broadband is a basic necessity in the modern internet-dependent world. It’s impossible to stream, play games, or participate in online meetings with slow internet. Unsurprisingly, speed is one of the criteria that users assess when choosing a broadband service.

BT offers some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK and even guarantees the performance of its broadband connection. BT’s download speeds range from 76 Mbps to 900 Mbps, depending on the broadband package that you choose.

Some popular BT broadband deals are Full Fibre 100, Fibre 2, and Fibre 1. The Full Fibre 100 package has an average speed of 150 MB, while the Fibre 2 and Fibre 1 have an average download speed of 67 MB and 50 MB, respectively.

If you're on a BT contract and feel your broadband speed doesn’t match what the company advertises, you can test your broadband speed using the BT app or BT’s broadband troubleshooter.

Which BT broadband speed is right for you?

It seems logical to opt for the fastest broadband package to get the best speeds. But you don’t necessarily need to pay for an expensive broadband plan to enjoy fast speeds. To choose an ideal broadband speed, we recommend looking at what you use the internet for and taking the size of your household into consideration.

If you simply browse the web and social media occasionally, then you’re a light user, and about 10 MB should suffice for you. If you work from home or enjoy streaming movies and TV shows, you’ll need around 30 to 60 MB — especially if there’s more than one person in your home. Heavy Internet users, including gamers and those in large households with more than four people, need speeds of 60 Mb and above.

Reliability and coverage

For a fast and stable broadband connection, you need a reliable provider with good coverage in your area. BT is one of the oldest broadband providers in the UK, and it has extensive coverage across the country. The company continues to expand its fibre network to millions of homes across the UK.

Coverage area

BT is one of the biggest broadband providers in the UK. If you check for the best broadband in your area, chances are that BT broadband would be one of the options. This company’s fibre network covers 95% of the country. BT’s full fibre services are available in big cities like Bromley, Solihull, Waltham Forest, and Oldham. BT’s services are also available in smaller towns like Acton Scott, Birmingham, and Walton.

Although BT has wide coverage, there are still areas where its broadband service isn’t available. Most of these blind spots are in rural areas, but some are close to big cities, like parts of Kent.

Unsure if BT is available in your neighbourhood? You can use the BT postcode checker to assess its coverage in your area.

Reliability

BT is one of the most reliable broadband providers in the UK, thanks to its continuous investment in developing a solid network infrastructure. The company is currently improving the reliability of its network by upgrading from copper to full-fibre. This upgrade is set to be completed by 2027.

Although rare, some BT broadband users may experience delays and other issues with speed. However, this is usually temporary as BT works to resolve such issues quickly. If these issues persist after a month, BT has a guarantee system and will pay customers for the inconvenience. Plus, BT broadband users can end their contracts easily.

Customer service

BT customer support channels
Live chat	✅
Phone	✅
Twitter	✅
BT community	✅
Troubleshoot by text	✅
BT guides	✅

BT’s customer service team is available 24/7 via live chat to help you solve any issues you may be experiencing. The team is based in the UK and Ireland.

You can reach the BT support team via phone from 8 am to 9 pm, Monday to Friday. Users can also get assistance by reaching out to BT broadband on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The team is usually quick to respond on social media and is available all week.

If you’re experiencing landline connectivity issues and internet disruption that prevents you from reaching the team via these channels, you can also contact BT customer support via text.

Visit BT Broadband

Additional features

BT broadband has useful extra features designed to protect users and improve the service. Here are a few additional features that BT offers:

Parental controls

BT has a range of parental settings that enable parents to control what their children are exposed to online. There are three primary restriction levels: Light, Moderate, and Strict. These filters can be tweaked to suit your specific needs.

• Light: This restricts inappropriate content like alcohol, tobacco, pornography, dating sites, and platforms promoting self-hard and hate speech.
• Moderate: This restricts weapons, violence, gambling, nudity, and social networking.
• Strict: This blocks content with beauty, fashion, games, and media streaming and stops file sharing.

BT parental controls are flexible and allow parents to add and remove specific sites. It also enables parents to set Homework Time to ensure children don't spend all their time online when they should focus on school projects.

Security features

BT offers security software to protect users from online threats. BT Web Protect and Virus Protect are free for all BT broadband and fibre users.

BT Web Protect: This software protects your devices from phishing attacks, scammers, and viruses. BT Web Protect also protects you on BT Wi-Fi hotspots, mainly if you use BT ID. This software identifies potentially harmful sites and sends a warning if you are about to open a potentially shady site. You can activate the BT Web Protect software by logging in with your account online.

BT Virus Protect: This software, powered by Norton, is designed to protect your devices at home and away. All BT broadband customers automatically receive licenses for two devices connected to this software. Customers who sign up for BT fibre broadband can connect about 15 devices to this software for free. Broadband customers can also pay extra monthly to allow them access to up to 15 licenses for the BT Virus Protect software.

The BT Virus Protect software scans for viruses, spyware, and hardware and tracks cookies. This software also warns you before you open a shady website. It includes firewall protection to shield your devices from attacks. It even offers protection against harmful software sent via email or other messaging apps.

BT’s Virus Protect software comes with a Norton Password Manager, allowing users to create and store passwords along with credit card and debit card information.

The BT Smart Hub

BT Smart Hub is a wireless router that provides fast and reliable Wi-Fi connections. This router is designed for home and business and only works with the BT network. BT Smart Hub uses the latest Wi-Fi technology, providing faster and more stable connections.

BT has different models of the Smart Hub router, with the newest being the Smart Hub 2. The Smart Hub 2 delivers the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available. It is designed with an intelligent channel selection feature that automatically connects your devices to the fastest Wi-Fi channels. The BT Smart Hub 2 uses both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands.

User Reviews

As one of the more popular broadband providers in the UK, customers have much to say about BT. The consensus is that BT offers reliable, fast broadband internet. This company has various broadband packages and deals that appeal to users. However, there are several complaints about the company’s customer service response time

• Common praises:

The most common praise BT broadband gets is that it's fast. Besides its broadband speed, users also laud the reliability of its network. There are also many positive comments about BT's various broadband deals, especially its bundle packages.

• Common complaints:

One of the main complaints BT gets is that its broadband packages are more expensive compared to other providers in the UK. BT's customer service is also the subject of many complaints. Users say BT's customer service team is slow to answer questions and assist users in need. There are also complaints about occasional connection issues and the fact that BT’s high-speed packages aren’t available in some areas of the UK.

BT broadband: Our verdict

BT is one of the best broadband providers in the UK. Thanks to its fast broadband speed and wide coverage, I can see why it’s the top choice for many people. It’s easy to contact the company’s customer support team, although there are complaints that they don’t always respond immediately.

BT broadband costs more than many other UK broadband services, but I think the extra cost is worth it for its reliability and performance. BT also has a few extras that make signing up for its broadband package worth it. I recommend carefully reviewing all the deals and packages BT offers before settling on one.

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