What broadband can I get at this address?

Is the broadband good enough to work from home?

Look at the upload speed as well as the download. Video calls, sending large files and backing up to the cloud all send data out of the home, and upload is where slower lines fall short first. Count the people who will be online at the same time, too: two people on video calls while someone else streams need far more than one person working alone. If you work from home, a home with a Superfast or Ultrafast prediction is the safer choice, and it is worth asking what the current tenants actually get.

Is Ultrafast the same as full fibre?

Not always. Full fibre, where the fibre runs all the way into the home, is the usual way to get Ultrafast speeds, and can reach 1,000 Mbit/s or more with fast upload too. A cable network can also be Ultrafast, often with a slower upload. Superfast is usually part fibre: fibre to the street cabinet, then the old copper line. Providers sometimes call part-fibre products “fibre broadband”, so ask which kind of line a package uses.

Is the predicted speed the speed I will get?

No. It is the fastest the network expects that type of connection to manage at the address, not the speed of any package on sale. What you get depends on the package you buy, the router, Wi-Fi through thick walls and how many devices share the connection. Providers give a speed estimate for the address before you sign up, so compare that with the prediction here.

Can I choose my own broadband provider when renting?

Usually, yes. In most private tenancies the broadband is the tenant’s own contract, and you can pick any provider that serves the address. The exceptions are homes where broadband is included in the rent, which is common in house shares and some new-build flats; there the landlord or building has chosen the provider, and the tenancy agreement or listing should say so. Check before you sign if that matters to you, and make sure a contract you take out can be ended or moved when the tenancy does.

Do I need the landlord’s permission to get full fibre installed?

Often, yes. If an engineer only needs to plug into an existing line, you can usually just order it. A new full fibre connection can mean drilling through an outside wall and fixing a box to the building, and most tenancy agreements say you need the landlord’s consent for alterations like that, so ask first and get the answer in writing. In a block of flats the provider also needs the building owner’s agreement to bring fibre into the building. Where a tenant has asked for a service and the owner repeatedly fails to reply, the provider can apply to a tribunal for access, but that does not help if the owner considers the request and refuses.

The tribunal route is Part 4A of the Electronic Communications Code, added by the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021. See the government’s Part 4A guidance.

Why does it say Ofcom holds no prediction?

Ofcom did not receive predictions from the networks for every address in the UK. No prediction does not mean there is no broadband: check the providers’ own websites for the address, and ask the agent which provider the current tenants use. A recently built home may not be in the data yet.