How to find the best broadband deal where you are

Before you start shopping for broadband and comparing deals, it's best to think about the broadband you’ve got at home. Run an online broadband speed test to see what speed you’re getting and check with your provider to see what’s included in your package and how much you’re paying.

Once you know what you’ve got at home, think about why you want to switch:

• If you’re looking for an upgrade because your current speed is too slow or you’ve got more people at home using the internet, you’ll need a faster download speed than what you’ve currently got to make your connection faster and smoother.
  

• If you’re current speed if fast enough and you’re just looking for a cheaper broadband deal, you’ll need to look for broadband options that offer lower costs than you’re currently paying but offer the same or similar speeds.

If you’re unsure what speed you actually need, read our guide to choosing the right broadband speed to find the right speed and package for your home.

There’s loads of different options for how you your get broadband at home. You can get broadband by itself, with TV, with a landline, or with extras like Netflix, Sky Sports, or Disney+ all in a single bundle.  

At Virgin Media, we make it easy to choose a package that gives you everything you need (and nothing you don’t). Here’s a closer look at the different types of bundles you’ll come across:

Not all broadband providers or speeds are offered everywhere. Once you’re ready to start looking for a broadband deal, the first step to choosing your broadband is checking what’s available in your area.

You can easily check this online, using an online broadband postcode checker to see exactly what speeds, bundles and offers you can get where you are.

Our broadband postcode checker will give you a list of deals that you can actually get at home, so you don’t waste time looking at deals you can’t get. Just pop in your postcode and you’ll see everything you can get.

Getting the best broadband deal isn’t just about finding the cheapest price – it’s about finding the right balance between speed, reliability, and value for your specific area. Here are some smart ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your broadband options:

1. Understand the broadband types in your area

Before comparing prices, it’s worth understanding what kind of broadband tech you can actually get. Different tech bring very different speeds and levels of reliability – and what’s best for you depends heavily on your local infrastructure.

Full fibre (FTTP) broadband is the latest and greatest connection you can get, delivering a direct fibre line to your home to give you the fastest and most reliable connection you can get. There’s also the option fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband, which nowadays uses a mix of fibre and copper cables, offering decent speeds for most households but still relying on a street cabinet to deliver it.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure what you can get, use our broadband postcode checker to see all the available broadband types and speed options available where you area.

2. Compare speeds, not just prices

A cheap broadband deal might sound great, but if the speed can’t keep up with all the streaming, gaming, or remote work you do at home, it’s not worth the savings. When you’re broadband is too slow for what you need, you’re more likely to experience lag when you’re gaming, buffering what you’re streaming, and slowdowns when there’s more people at home using the internet at the same time.

If you’re looking to save on your broadband, look for packages that match your household’s internet habits so you can get the best package for your home.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure what you need, read our guide to choosing the right broadband speed to find the right speed and package for your home.

3. Don’t forget about upload speed

Many people focus only on download speeds, but upload speeds matter for video calls, cloud backups, and online gaming. If you work from home, are often uploading large files, or live-stream content, you’ll want to a connection with a fast upload speed to make sure it makes your needs.

Pro tip: Check upload speeds before committing — if you frequently work from home, upload-heavy tasks like Zoom calls or cloud storage can be a bottleneck on slower plans.

4. Look for promotional and seasonal deals

Broadband providers regularly run promotions designed to attract new customers or retain existing ones. These deals can save you money upfront, offer free extras, or even give you upgraded speeds for the same price. Timing can be key – many providers launch discounts around key periods like back-to-school, Black Friday, and Christmas, giving you a chance to grab big savings on your broadband.

Pro tip: We'll always have our best broadband offers on our broadband deals page, so be sure to check back regularly for sales, offers, and promotions!

5. Look for social tariffs if you’re eligible

If you’re receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other government benefits, you could be eligible for our M15 or M50 Broadband on a social tariff.

With Virgin Media Social Tariff Broadband, that means you get fibre broadband on a rolling 30-day contract with a low monthly cost and our most flexible contract terms. The broadband speeds you can get are ideal for everyday online activities like browsing, streaming and working from home, but may not be enough if there’s lots of you at home or you use the internet for internet-intensive activities like streaming in 4K or gaming online.

Pro tip: You’ll need to run an eligibility check to get social tariff broadband, so make sure you’ve got all your details at-hand before you apply.

6. Look for bundles and extras

Bundling your broadband with other services – like TV, streaming services like Netflix or Sky Sports, or a SIM – can unlock major savings you won’t get with just broadband.

Some providers offer perks like free setup, gift cards, or streaming subscriptions, to help you save when you bundle everything together. It's worth comparing all of the different packages available to make sure you get the best price for everything you use and watch at home.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for a broadband and TV deal with Netflix, you won’t need to pay anything extra if you switch to Virgin Media. With us, you’ll get Netflix included at no extra cost with M500 broadband, Gig1, and all of our TV bundles. That’s Netflix Standard with ads on us, just for choosing Virgin Media.

At Virgin Media, we’ve got a range of superfast and ultrafast broadband deals with speeds to suit every home – ranging from 130Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond when you go gigabit.

To check out all of our best broadband deals, pop your postcode into our broadband postcode checker to see the speeds, packages, and deals we’ve got in your for your area.