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Broadband deals in Northern Ireland
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Last updated: 07 March 2023
Thanks to Openreach’s Fibre First programme, Northern Ireland has the highest rate of full-fibre coverage in the UK at 63% - far ahead of the UK-wide average of just 21%. However, this access is currently limited to mostly urban areas; if you live in rural Northern Ireland, you may have to rely on satellite broadband to access high-speed internet.
How fast is broadband in Northern Ireland?
The answer is mostly very fast - or technically, ultrafast (speeds greater than 100Mbps) - but it depends on where you live. Broadband in Belfast and the surrounding areas, including Andersonstown, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Dundonald and Newtownabbey, is particularly fast if you subscribe to top-tier services.
Currently, around a third of premises in Northern Ireland can access full-fibre connections, with speeds approaching 1Gbps. With broadband that quick, you can download an entire HD film in just over a minute.
Virgin Media’s cable network, available to around a third of residences in Northern Ireland, provides another service with dazzling speeds - of up to 516Mbps. Together, these services mean half of Northern Irish homes can access ultrafast connections.
Of course, not everyone needs or wants to pay for the fastest connection on the market. Plenty of people in Northern Ireland subscribe to slower but more widely available FTTC (fibre to the cabinet), with average speeds of 35-38Mbps or 59-67Mbps, depending on the tier you subscribe to. FTTC connections are available to 89% of all households in Northern Ireland, including 98% of those in urban areas and 66% in rural areas.
To compare the best broadband deals available in your area, put your postcode in the box below.
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Who provides broadband in Northern Ireland?
All the UK’s major broadband providers sell services in Northern Ireland. This includes:
BT
BT is the UK’s largest broadband provider. In Northern Ireland, it offers ADSL (10Mbps), three tiers of FTTC (36Mbps, 50Mbps and 67 Mbps) and in select areas, full-fibre connections (500Mbps and 910Mbps).
Some of the best BT broadband deals in Northern Ireland include:
BT Broadband
Fibre 2
£50 BT Virtual Reward Card
67Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£0 / month for 3 months
Then £36.99 / month
Pricing may change during contract
BT Broadband
Full Fibre 900
£50 BT Virtual Reward Card
910Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£0 / month for 3 months
Then £59.99 / month
Pricing may change during contract
Virgin Media
Virgin Media’s cable connections are available to around a third of Northern Irish premises, primarily in urban areas. Entry-level packages deliver speeds of 54Mbps but those who want swifter connections can subscribe to connections with average speeds of 108Mbps, 213Mbps, 362Mbps or even 516Mbps. Virgin Media broadband can also be packaged with the provider’s market-leading pay-TV offerings, giving you access to potentially hundreds of channels.
Some of the best Virgin deals in Northern Ireland include:
Virgin Media Broadband
Big Bundle
264Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£31.99 / month
£0 upfront fees
Virgin Media Broadband
M500 Fibre Broadband Only
516Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£38.50 / month
£0 upfront fees
Sky
Sky sells ADSL broadband with speeds of 11Mbps and fibre connections with speeds of 59Mbps. These connections can be bundled with offerings from Sky’s pay-TV menu, for an all-in-one entertainment package. Additionally, Sky will soon begin offering full-fibre connections through Openreach’s FTTP network in Belfast and the surrounding areas.
Some of the best Sky deals in Northern Ireland include:
Sky Broadband
Superfast 35 Broadband
36Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£38.00 / month
£0 upfront fees
Pricing may change during contract
TalkTalk
Known for its cheap broadband, budget ISP TalkTalk offers ADSL packages with download speeds of 11Mbps and two tiers of fibre at speeds of 38Mbps and 67Mbps. Those packages all come with a Fixed Price Guarantee, which means you won’t be hit with any surprise price increases for the length of your contract (usually 18 months).
Some of the best TalkTalk deals in Northern Ireland include:
TalkTalk Broadband
Fibre 35
38Mb / second
Average speed
Unlimited
Usage
£30.00 / month
£15 upfront fees
Pricing may change during contract
Other providers
Other providers operating in Northern Ireland include mobile networks EE and Vodafone’s fixed-line broadband operations, and NOW Broadband (a great choice for those looking for bespoke TV packages).
Finding broadband in Northern Ireland
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