Find the right broadband provider: a guide to smaller ISPs

There's been a big increase in the number of smaller broadband providers either building their own fibre network or using the Openreach broadband network to provide a rival service. 

Sometimes, these providers offer much better prices and may also offer a more reliable connection and better customer service than you're used to. To help weigh up your options, we've listed a range of alternative broadband providers (also called 'alt-nets') below. All of these are available on the Which? broadband Compare tool, which makes it easy to search, switch and save. 

Read our guide to the best and worst broadband providers to see how your current provider measures up

What to consider when choosing a smaller broadband provider

As with choosing any broadband provider, there are a few things to weigh up when deciding whether to switch. The providers below aren't part of our regular broadband survey, but here's a helpful list of what to consider:

• Some providers hike prices considerably when contracts end, so be wary of cheap prices for new customers.
• What’s availability like in your area? Plan ahead so you know what your options are to switch if prices rise at the end of a contract.
• What's the customer service like? It may be worth calling the provider in advance to discuss your options and get a sense of how helpful they are. 
• Providers vary in the range of broadband speeds they offer, so look for one that best suits your needs. Read our guide to broadband speed for some tips.

A guide to smaller internet service providers (ISPs)

All of the providers below are available on the Which? broadband Compare tool, where you can weigh them up against rivals. Below, we explain the regions where the provider is available, what speeds they offer, details of typical contracts and a selection of the deals available from each provider. 

4th Utility (pockets of the UK)

4th Utility offers ultrafast broadband in a range of major UK cities, but it doesn't have full coverage in all of them. It's also available in pockets across England, Wales and Scotland. Its deals look enticing, but be aware that the prices for new customers are significantly lower than those for existing customers, so you may want to shop around when your contract ends to see if you can get a better deal by switching. 

• Speeds 50Mbps to 900Mbps.
• Contract length Monthly, 12 months, 24 months.
• Price Competitive for 24-month contracts – for example, 250Mbps broadband with an effective monthly price of £23. Introductory offers are competitive, particularly for the fastest speeds, but prices for existing customers are similar to other providers
• Mid-contract price rises 4th Utility reserves the right to increase prices mid-contract.

Airband (southern England, the Midlands and Wales)

Airband has its own fibre and fixed wireless broadband network, available in parts of Devon, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Wales and Worcestershire. 

• Speeds 150Mbps to 900Mbps fibre broadband, 40 to 400Mbps fixed wireless broadband.
• Contract length 24 months.
• Price: Introductory offers can be very competitive – for example, 150Mbps for £33 with the first six months at half price.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

BeeBu (United Kingdom)

BeeBu offers full fibre broadband services using several different alternative networks such as the CityFibre network and other smaller localised providers, but also offers partial fibre services via the Openreach network in areas where it doesn't have a different full fibre partner. This means the speeds - and prices - available depend on where you live.

• Speeds 80Mbps to 1000Mbps.
• Contract length 24 months.
• Price Competitive compared to big providers but similar to other small providers - for example, £28 for 160Mbps broadband.
• Mid-contract price rises BeeBu increases its prices by £3 per month each April.

BeFibre (northern England, the Midlands)

BeFibre is building its own fibre network, which has pockets of coverage across much of northern England and the Midlands. This means it doesn't offer slower speeds, unlike other smaller providers that use the Openreach Broadband network. 

• Speeds 150Mbps to 2300Mbps (2.3Gbps).
• Contract length Monthly, 12 months, 18 months.
• Price Prices for monthly contracts are competitive – for example, £30 for 150Mbps broadband on a monthly contract. Introductory offers are very competitive, particularly for the fastest speeds. Prices for existing customers are similar to other providers.
• Mid-contract price rises Now advertises fixed prices during the minimum contract period. Customers who took a deal prior to January 2025 may see their deal increase by CPI +3.9% with one month's notice.

Cuckoo (England, Scotland)

Cuckoo uses the CityFibre network to provide ultrafast broadband. Similar to many other smaller providers, Cuckoo only offers three broadband packages – 150Mbps, 500Mbps and 900Mbps. However, unlike many smaller providers, Cuckoo doesn’t offer monthly rolling contracts. There is a £5 premium if you opt for a 12-month contract instead of a 24-month contract.

• Speeds 150Mbps to 900Mbps.
• Contract length 12 months, 24 months.
• Price Competitive – for example, 900Mbps for £35. 12-month contracts are pricier.
• Mid-contract price rises Prices increase by £3 per month from April 2026.

Earth (United Kingdom)

Earth is slightly different to other broadband providers. It says it wants to help its customers to do their part for their planet and does so by planting mangrove trees in Madagascar each month, with more than 50,000 planted so far. It uses the Openreach network, so is available to most households in the UK.

• Speeds 76Mbps to 950Mbps.
• Contract length 12 months, 24 months.
• Price Not the cheapest we've seen when compared with other small providers – 109Mbps for £33.99, for example. If you want to contribute towards mangrove trees, this costs an extra £4.99 per month, although the first month is free.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

iTalk telecom (United Kingdom)

iTalk is a smaller broadband provider that uses the Openreach network, making it accessible to most households in the UK. However, it doesn’t offer the fastest speeds you'll see from providers with their own fibre networks and its broadband speeds can be particularly slow in rural areas.

• Speeds 10Mbps to 900Mbps.
• Contract length 18 months.
• Price Very expensive for faster speeds. Can have good offers for slower speeds – for example, 80Mbps for £25.99 per month
• Mid-contract price rises None.

LightSpeed (Midlands, North of England)

LightSpeed has its own full fibre broadband network available in parts of Cheshire, East Midlands, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire and Suffolk. 

• Speeds 75Mbps to 2000Mbps (2Gbps).
• Contract length 12 months, 24 months.
• Price Very reasonable - 75Mbps is just £18.99 per month. On top of this, there can also be competitive introductory offers – for example, £29.99 per month for 500Mbps with the first four months discounted to just 99p.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

Lit Fibre (Midlands, South of England)

Lit Fibre offers ultrafast broadband in parts of Birmingham, Essex, London, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Suffolk. It does this by building its own fibre network. It doesn't implement mid-contract price rises, but be aware that the price of 1,000Mbps broadband for existing customers is almost double the introductory rate. 

• Speeds 100Mbps to 1,000Mbps.
• Contract length 18 months, 24 months.
• Price Similar to other smaller providers – for example, 100Mbps for £28 per month. Prices for existing customers rise significantly for the fastest speeds.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

Pop Telecom (United Kingdom)

Pop Telecom doesn't operate its own network, like many other providers it piggybacks on the one offered by Openreach making it available in the majority of properties throughout the country. Full fibre services are available to households in certain areas.

• Speeds 11Mbps to 1000Mbps.
• Contract length 18 months, 24 months.
• Price Relatively expensive when compared to other small providers – for example, £32.99 for 67Mbps
• Mid-contract price rises Prices will increase by £3 per month annually, starting from April 2026.

Rebel (United Kingdom)

Unlike regional broadband providers that generally build their own fibre network, Rebel uses the Openreach broadband network. This means that it's available to the majority of households nationwide. However, it's less likely to be available in rural areas. 

• Speeds 115Mbps to 1,000Mbps.
• Contract length Monthly, 12 months, 24 months.
• Price More expensive than other smaller providers – for example, 115 Mbps for £35 per month 
• Mid-contract price rises None.

V4 Consumer (pockets of the UK)

V4 Consumer is available in pockets across the UK. Be aware that it only offers 24-month contracts and its prices are more expensive than other smaller providers we've analysed. 

• Speeds 21Mbps to 950Mbps.
• Contract length 24 months.
• Price More expensive than other smaller providers – for example, 100Mbps for £31.99
• Mid-contract price rises None.

Youfibre (pockets of the UK)

Youfibre offers fibre broadband to almost 100 towns across the UK using its own fibre network. It offers among the fastest speeds we've seen for residential broadband, with packages going up to 7,000Mbps, and has excellent prices for new customers, especially at the faster speeds. However, it's unclear how much the prices increase for existing customers after the initial contract ends. 

• Speeds 150Mbps to 7,000Mbps.
• Contract length One Month, 18 months.
• Price Excellent – for example, 150Mbps for £23.99 per month.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

Zzoomm (pockets of England)

Zzoomm offers fibre broadband in small pockets across England through its own network. Its packages go up to faster speeds than some other smaller providers, reaching 2,000 Mbps. The majority of packages offer a £10 monthly discount for new customers. 

• Speeds 150Mbps to 2,000Mbps.
• Contract length 12 months.
• Price Competitive – for example, 200Mbps for £32.95.
• Mid-contract price rises None.

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