Check the complete property address with several networks or providers, then confirm the technology, upload speed and installation requirements. Treat borough pages and predicted coverage maps as a starting point rather than an order confirmation.
Start with our London fibre broadband overview to see how availability, networks and speeds fit together.
Start with the property, not just the postcode
Use your postcode to find the address, then select the correct building and flat number. A converted house can have several separately recorded premises; a building name may appear differently across databases. If the checker lists only the original house, ask the provider to investigate the address record rather than ordering against a neighbour's flat.
For a new home, keep the full postal address and any building or plot reference handy. Avoid changing the address until a checker returns a positive result. An order placed for the wrong premise can create an installation problem instead of solving an availability problem.
Check more than one underlying network
A retail brand and a physical network are different things. Openreach maintains infrastructure used by several broadband retailers. Other operators build their own infrastructure and may sell directly or through partners. Two price comparison results can therefore be two offers using the same physical access network.
Our provider directory links to official checkers. Use it to investigate the networks relevant to London, then compare retailers on any network that can serve your home. The list is a practical research route, not a claim that every listed operator covers every borough or building.
Read what the result actually says
Ofcom's checker describes predicted availability and speeds. Provider results can additionally say available to order, planned, registering interest or subject to survey. Those states should not be treated as interchangeable. A rollout announcement or registration form does not reserve an installation date.
Save the written quote for the exact package and address. A headline speed from a landing page is less useful than your order summary, which should identify the service you are buying.
- Confirm full fibre, part fibre, cable or a wireless connection.
- Check both download and upload figures.
- Ask whether an engineer, new cable or landlord permission is required.
- Check any activation fee, minimum term and later price changes.
When the street has fibre but the building does not
In flats, the missing step may be permission or a route through shared parts of the building. Ask the provider what specifically blocks an order and who can resolve it. Useful answers include an address-record correction, building access, a survey, a freeholder agreement or unfinished network work.
Speak to the managing agent with the provider's actual request. A vague statement that the building needs fibre is less actionable than a named network, a building reference and a request for the right property contact.
Make a decision from the orderable options
Compare what is available now with what you can reasonably wait for. If you need a connection for a moving date, include a temporary option in the plan. Keep expected availability separate from a confirmed activation appointment.
Recheck results before committing: network builds, address records and product ranges change. This site does not run a live address-qualification API and does not submit your details to providers.
Your questions, answered.
Does a positive postcode result mean every flat can order?
No. Complete the address selection and confirm your exact flat. Buildings and individual premises can have different installation and permission requirements.
Is registering interest the same as ordering?
No. It asks the network to keep you informed or records demand; it does not itself confirm service, price or an installation date.
Sources & further reading
Official information behind this guide. Links checked 29 October 2026; individual datasets retain their stated reference dates.