UK homes wanting the ‘fastest’ broadband speeds might want to shop around and take a look at smaller providers rather than big names such BT, Sky and Virgin Media. That’s according to a new report from the team at Broadband Genie that suggests the quickest overall downloads are being supplied by so-called Altnets. These are much smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that offer regional connectivity rather than supplying all homes across the UK.
Coming out on top in the latest findings is ISP Brillband which supplies access across parts of Scotland and the UK. Broadband Genie handed this lesser-known firm the award of Fastest Broadband Provider 2024 thanks to it supplying average speeds of 523Mbps to homes that use its service.
With those downloads coming through the walls, an HD blockbuster movie would take less than a minute to whizz to TVs – that’s around 10 times faster than the UK average.
“Congratulations to Brillband for an outstanding performance across the last year,” said Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie.
“If you’re lucky enough to receive Brillband’s full fibre broadband, it offers a future-proof service, capable of handling the most demanding of digital requirements. You also have the benefit of having an unlimited refer-a-friend scheme.”
Around 400,000 tests were completed by Broadband Genie to crown their winners with other Altnets also bagging prizes. YouFibre picked up the award for Best Altnet whilst another smaller provider, Trooli, won the Speed Satisfaction Award.
The Best Value for Money Award went to toob, a provider that offers internet access in areas such as Poole, Brighton, Reading, Slough and Guildford.
Out of the main UK-wide providers, Virgin Media picked up Fastest Widely Available Provider. Best Social Tariff – which offers cheaper prices for those on benefits such as Universal Credit- went to Vodafone.
These results certainly show that the smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are giving bigger firms a serious run for their money. They might not offer nationwide coverage but if they are in your street it’s worth checking out their deals.
“Overall, the results show a positive outlook for broadband customers across the UK,” added Tofts. “The most popular broadband providers such as TalkTalk, Plusnet, Sky, and BT are still having a hard time when it comes to signing up people to their full fibre products, which suggests that price could be a big obstacle.
“While Brillband and other challenger providers serve fewer customers, these smaller companies are more likely to be investing in the latest technology and signing customers up to the fastest speeds on the market.”
