The best ultrafast broadband deals in the UK

Virgin Media is known for its fast and reliable broadband service that utilises a different cable network to other UK providers. 

With Virgin Media Broadband you can stay connected to the things and people you love with intelligent WiFi that can adapt to how many devices are using it. Even its basic broadband packages are superfast and offer plenty of speed for larger households in particular. 

All of these packages come with Virgin phone lines as well. The only difficulty Virgin can present is its geographical restrictions, and moving over to the provider requires more action on your part. 

All of Virgin's packages are perfect for larger households, with the M100 package set up to deal with five to nine devices at once, while the M200 and M350 packages are fully equipped to deal with more than 10 devices at the same time.

• M100 fibre broadband — 12 months, 108Mbps, £27 a month, £35 set-up fee

• M200 fibre broadband — 12 months, 213Mbps, £32 a month, £35 set-up fee

• M350 fibre broadband — 12 months, 362Mbps, £37 a month, £35 set-up fee

Vodafone's Gigafast connections only reach up to an average of 900Mbps, not 1000Mbps. 

This got the provider in trouble with the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, who no longer permit Vodafone to run ads on its Gigafast connection. Of course, 900Mbps is still an eye-watering speed and will attract those looking for the very best when it comes to broadband.

Although it can't advertise as such, this package can theoretically still reach 1Gbps, but only during off-peak times, as the average speed will normally reach 900Mbps between 8.p.m and 10.p.m. 

Other packages available hit averages of 100Mbps, and 500Mbps. Both of which challenge other top broadband providers like BT and Virgin Media for affordable ultrafast broadband speeds. 

The fastest package costs just short of £50 per month, which is extremely competitive in the current market when you consider pure speed and cost. The only downside to these packages is geographical limitations, as they aren't available in all areas of the UK. 

• Gigafast Broadband 100 — 18 months, 200Mbps, £28 a month, no set-up cost

• Gigafast Broadband 500 — 18 months, 500Mbps, £38 a month, no set-up cost

• Gigafast Broadband 900 — 18 months, 900Mbps, £48 a month, no set-up cost

• Hyperoptic Fast — 12-Months, 50Mbps, £16.80 a month, £20 up-front fee

• Hyperoptic Superfast — 12-Months, 150Mbps, £20.80 a month, £20 up-front fee

• Hyperoptic Hyperfast — 12-Months, 1Gbps, £45 a month, £20 up-front fee

Hyperoptic offers some great 30-day rolling contract deals on its broadband service. Some of these contracts don't even change in price when switched between a 12 and one-month plan. 

This makes Hyperoptic a brilliant option for most households, especially if you're looking for ultrafast coverage. The top package can supply a massive 1Gbps in download speeds, perfect for homes that stream, game, and download all at the same time. 

These no commitment deals make it much easier to back out of a contract, plus each plan is very reasonably priced. When compared to the likes of BT and Virgin, Hyperoptic is a strong option for most households. 

Fibre Max is EE's version of ultrafast broadband and can provide speeds of up to 300Mbps on average. 

Fibre Max is perfect for streaming 4K content and online gaming seamlessly. Starting at £40 per month, these packages aren't exactly cheaper than the offerings at Vodafone or Virgin Media, but EE continues to supply a range of other benefits that could outweigh the price difference. 

For starters, mobile customers can get a 20GB data top-up every month when taking out these plans. Plus EE promises to never slow your speeds down, even at peak times. 

This will benefit those who are tired of losing their incredible download speed every evening. 

• Fibre Max 1 — 18 months, 145Mbps, £40 a month, no up-front fee 

• Fibre Max 2 — 18 months, 300Mbps, £47 a month, no up-front fee 

Ultrafast broadband is becoming a more and more popular prospect for budding households with lots of electronic devices. 

With Virgin offering speeds from 50 - 350 Mbps, BT looks to challenge these speeds with its own ultrafast packages. 

The main draw to these ultrafast deals is BT's promise that your WiFi will never fall under 100Mbps, otherwise, they will pay you £20 for the trouble. This is a big commitment and should give customers a lot of confidence in the service. 

Currently, you can also get Google Stadia completely free with your new Ultrafast.

If you are considering getting BT Ultrafast, make sure your home is covered by the service first by using BT's coverage checker.

• BT Ultrafast Fibre — 18 months, 145Mbps, £39.99 a month, £59.99 up-front fee 

• BT Ultrafast Fibre 2— 18 months, 300Mbps, £49.99 a month, £59.99 up-front fee

• Sky Ultrafast 1 — 18 months, 145Mbps, £44 a month, £9.95 set-up fee  

• Sky Ultrafast 2 — 18 months, 285Mbps, £49 a month, £9.95 set-up fee  

The UK provider has said Ultrafast will provide an initial two million households with access to speeds that are 12 times faster than the standard broadband package from Sky, with download speeds reaching between 145Mbps and 285Mbps. 

This depends on what package you opt for, but these speeds are more than fast enough to match both BT and Virgin Media’s top ultrafast broadband deals.

Netflix recommends an average of 25 Mbps to stream its Ultra HD quality shows, while the new Google Stadia is suggesting 35Mbps will be enough to stream triple-A blockbuster titles at 60-frames-per-second. So these new broadband offerings from Sky will be more than capable of handling the most strenuous tasks, all at the same time.

Sky Broadband Ultrafast 1, with average download speeds of 145Mbps, is priced at just £44 a month for 18 months. Meanwhile, Sky Broadband Ultrafast 2, offering average download speeds of 285Mbps, comes in at £49 a month.