Student broadband

Best Broadband for Students

Students looking for the best broadband should make sure the service offers faster, more reliable speeds and WiFi, at competitive prices and on flexible short-term contracts.

Bundled options, such as a TV and mobile phone with the same provider, can provide good value for money, although it depends on your needs.

Student broadband

Students can choose fixed broadband or mobile broadband, and sometimes both, but each type has its pros and cons.

Fixed line broadband

Pros

  • Speeds are even more reliable, and you get ultrafast speeds and unlimited data at competitive prices.
  • Perfect for connecting multiple devices, heavy usage, unlimited downloads, 4K streaming and online gaming.
  • You can add TV packages or streaming services if you want.

Cons

  • No portability – you can only use it at home, in your college house.
  • Sometimes it gets expensive when you add setup and other hidden costs.
  • Switching providers or moving can be tedious.

Mobile Broadband

Pros

  • 4G and 5G mobile broadband plans are as fast as fixed line fibre broadband
  • Easy to use, setup and activate
  • Portable and easy for moving home – You can use mobile broadband wherever you get strong signal. You just need portable devices like 4G or 5G wireless routers or create WiFi hotspot using your mobile phone.
  • Flexible, short-term contracts or pay as you go options. 

Cons

  • Reliability, speeds depend up on your location and signal strength. Speeds can fluctuate or mobile operators may manage traffic and reduce speeds 
  • Mobile data is expensive. Unlimited data plans are not only expensive but fair usage policy may also restrict speeds when you are a heavy user.

Student broadband providers

  • BT and Virgin Media offer student-specific broadband deals on nine-month contracts.
  • TalkTalk and Plusnet are budget broadband providers that offer great speed and performance at low prices.
  • Virgin Media and Hyperoptic offer a wide range of ultra-fast broadband packages – ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps.
  • Want to add TV to broadband? Virgin Media, Now Broadband, and Sky are all good choices.
  • Do you need lightning fast speed, extreme reliability and competitive pricing? We recommend Hyperoptic and Community Fibre.

See Deals

What you need to know

  • Fibre optic broadband (not ADSL) is ideal for connecting multiple devices, gaming and streaming HD/4K video and TV
  • A one-time setup and activation fee may apply.
  • 12 to 24 month contracts apply.
  • Select providers including Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, Now Broadband and Cuckoo Broadband offer one-month contract options.
  • If you cancel the service before the end of the contract, a cancellation fee will apply.

Mobile Broadband for Students

Mobile broadband is accessed using following devices:

  • A dongle can be used to provide an internet connection to a single device such as a laptop. A 4G SIM card must be inserted to get 4G speeds.
  • Mobile WiFi (MiFi) lets you connect more devices.
  • Data SIM cards on tablets and smartphones can also be used to provide internet connectivity and data.
  • You can use your tablet and smartphone as a WiFi hotspot.

Mobile broadband deals are offered by following providers:

  • EE
  • Three
  • O2
  • Vodafone
  • Giffgaff
  • ID Mobile

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