Hull internet providers: what are my options?
Hull is in a unique position. There’s no access to BT Openreach, no Virgin Media and none of the other providers you usually see on Broadband Genie.
All’s not lost, though. Despite not having the same options as other cities, you have one significant benefit. Large parts of Hull and the surrounding areas can enjoy full fibre, ultrafast internet. The fastest, most reliable type of connection currently available.
So what you don’t have in choice is more than made up for with broadband speed!
Why are there so few broadband options in Hull?
Hull is a fair-sized city, but you may find your choice of internet service providers (ISPs) surprisingly limited.
You won’t see BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk or other popular ISPs offering broadband in Hull, which is unusual to say the least.
Why?
The reasons go back to the earliest days of telecommunications. When the phone first became a thing, many towns and cities in England sold communications rights to the Post Office, which later spun the business off to become British Telecom (BT).
Kingston upon Hull didn’t. It was the only place in the country to keep control of its telecommunications, which is why it’s the only city in the country that doesn’t have BT or any other local providers that use the BT Openreach network. It doesn’t have Virgin Media, either.
But there are plenty of choices when it comes to more localised full fibre broadband providers, and almost all postcodes (99.7%) have access to a full fibre broadband service. That’s something very few other areas of the country have right now!
Let’s take a look at some of the options available.
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What's Openreach?
Openreach is the company that maintains the former British Telecom Network used for the majority of broadband and phone services. If a repair or installation is required, it’s Openreach who will send an engineer, not your provider.
More than 650 service providers using the Openreach network. That’s the majority of the UK’s broadband providers. This includes Sky, TalkTalk and BT. The exception to this is Virgin Media - it uses its own, separate cable network.
Hull broadband alternative providers
Hull Fibre Broadband
Available in either 12-month or 24-month contracts, Hull Fibre offers just three packages starting from 100Mbps. The contract price is slightly more expensive for the shorter contract term, but that’s the norm for most broadband providers.
The fastest package gives you an average upload and download speed of 1000Mb (yep, both upload and download! This is a symmetrical service).
As an extra, you’ll be able to add on a digital VOIP landline from £10 per month, as well as landline forwarding to your mobile for £3.
If you want to improve the Wi-Fi signal around your home, you can add a Wi-Fi extender unit on for £5 per month (or pay £10 per month for three units).
MTH Broadband
MTH Networks has a vast number of options, speeds and contract lengths available to suit residents of Hull. Prices start from under £30 per month, with the promise of no mid-contract price rises. Your speed options will depend on whether your street is rigged up to MTH’s full fibre network. But if it is, you’ll be able to sign up to average download speeds of up to 900Mb.
KCOM Broadband deals in Hull
KCOM offers a range of full fibre broadband packages, called ‘Lightstream’ with average download speeds ranging from 30Mb to its fastest broadband package, ‘Full Fibre 900’, with download speeds averaging 900Mb.
Packages include high upload and download speeds, no data caps, a Wi-Fi 6 router that supports WPA 3 and unlimited data. That means fast upload and download speeds with no buffering!
There’s a package here for just about any use, and prices are competitive compared to other areas.
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What’s the difference between ‘fibre’ and ‘full-fibre’ broadband?
Full Fibre broadband is also known as ‘Fibre To The Premises’, ‘Fibre To The Home’. This is often shortened to FTTP or FTTH. They’re all the same thing!
Instead of copper phone line making up the final part of the journey from that green cabinet on the street, fibre optic cables are installed right up to your home.
It’s amazing the difference in speed this small data journey can have. With full-fibre broadband you can expect to receive speeds of 1Gb+.
The downside is full-fibre is only available to a small percentage of homes in the UK, and it’s taking a good while to get everyone up to speed.
Are there any alternative ways to get broadband in Hull?
There aren’t your only options. Here are some other alternatives for getting hooked up to a broadband connection:
5G and 4G Home broadband in Hull
One option is mobile broadband.
Mobile home broadband works in much the same way as fixed line broadband. You have a router with Wi-Fi and connect all your devices to the internet. The only difference is that you’re using a mobile network instead.
Hull benefits from good mobile data reception, with EE, O2 and Three offering 4G and 5G coverage throughout the city, its boroughs and even out into the countryside.
Despite this, you should always confirm coverage in a specific location before purchasing any mobile device, as there can still be signal dead spots. One easy method is to check the signal strength on a mobile phone, but you can also take advantage of the coverage check tools provided by networks, though do keep in mind that these are a guide only.
It's crucial to check signal strength before buying any mobile service to ensure you'll be able to get a fast connection. Click the logos below to access the official network coverage check tools:
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There are other alternative ways to get online in Hull. Connexin Fibre, MS3 Networks and Open Fibre also service some areas.
Another alternative option is satellite broadband. While not the cheapest option, it’s accessible to most areas of the UK and can provide decent speeds.
Consider Starlink, Konnect, Freedomsat or Anywhere Broadband if you’re interested in reaching for the stars.
Are there any other alternative ways to get online in Hull?
Type your address into our deals checker to see the broadband options available to you. Deals here should be arranged in price order, with the cheapest broadband option showing first.
But don’t forget to also check out the ‘offer details and pricing’. If there are any offers like gift vouchers, it will recalculate your effective monthly cost you’ll pay over the course of your contract.
Where we get our information
We strive to keep our local broadband information as up-to-date as possible. This means using trustworthy sources with regular checks. The information on this page comes from the following:
- Local broadband speed information: labs.thinkbroadband.com/local
- Mobile broadband coverage (1): nperf.com/en/map/GB
- Mobile broadband coverage (2): checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage
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