Key points
- Broadband-only means no traditional home phone service, not a free network.
- The provider still charges one monthly price for the connection, router and service.
- Compare the whole contract, including setup costs and any annual increases.
- Full fibre, cable and 5G are the most common broadband-only routes.
What broadband-only really means
Broadband-only does not mean the network is free to maintain. It means you are not buying a traditional home phone service alongside broadband. The provider still charges one monthly broadband price for the connection, router and service.
Modern broadband-only deals are most common on full fibre, cable and 5G home broadband, but some copper-based products can also be sold without an analogue calls package.
Full fibre valueVodafone can be competitive where FTTP or CityFibre is available.Check Vodafone
Cable broadbandVirgin Media is worth checking in cabled areas for fast broadband-only packages.Check Virgin Media
5G broadbandThree can be a strong option where you want a router without a fixed-line install.Check Three
How to compare deals fairly
Monthly price
Compare the whole contract, including any annual increases and end-of-contract pricing.
Setup costs
Router delivery, activation and engineer fees can change the real first-year cost.
Speed and upload
Check average speeds and uploads, especially for working from home and cloud backups.
Contract length
A low headline price is less attractive if the contract is too long for your plans.
Packages to compare first
- Full fibre if available at your address and priced close to older broadband.
- Cable broadband where Virgin Media is already installed or easy to install.
- 5G home broadband if you need speed of setup or cannot arrange fixed-line installation.
- SOGEA if full fibre is unavailable and you need a familiar fixed-line fallback.