How we select sources
We prioritise Ofcom, official network and provider pages, public statistics and the published requirements of the services in our examples. External links take you to those sources so you can check the underlying information yourself.
Dates shown against content refer to the editorial review. Coverage figures retain their own reference period. An article reviewed later does not make an older dataset real-time.
Borough coverage is not an address check
Full-fibre and gigabit coverage describe different things. Full fibre is an access technology; gigabit capability includes other technologies capable of that speed class. Their percentages should not be added together.
Coverage figures are area-level estimates for the source’s stated period and definition. They do not prove that a particular supplier serves every street, or that an individual property is ready to order. Use the exact building and flat number with the official checker.
Download-time calculator
We use decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000 MB, and each byte contains eight bits. Ideal download seconds = file size in GB × 8,000 ÷ connection speed in Mbps. A 10 GB file over 100 Mbps therefore takes 800 seconds, or 13 minutes 20 seconds, before overheads.
Any real-world allowance shown by the tool is an illustrative adjustment, not a measured forecast. Protocol overheads, Wi-Fi, server limits, competing traffic and the actual line speed can all increase the time. The tool does not test your connection.
Simultaneous activity and device estimates
We model active tasks rather than counting every device connected to the router. A sleeping smart bulb and a television streaming 4K video do not place the same load on a connection.
Netflix recommends a stable 15 Mbps or higher connection for a 4K stream. Video-call requirements vary by quality, layout and service. Where our household tool uses a planning allowance, it labels that assumption and adds headroom; the result is not a provider guarantee or a hard device limit.
Upload rate, Wi-Fi signal, latency and packet loss can matter even when the download number looks sufficient. We do not infer upload capacity from download speed.
Editorial updates and corrections
Source links and checked dates are included in the source register below. We focus on explaining technology and choices rather than displaying prices or deals that can change. The network checkers remain the source for current orderability.
The reviewed date tells you when an article was checked. Historical coverage snapshots keep their original reference period, even when the surrounding guide is reviewed later. If a source and an article disagree, check the source publication date and consult the provider before ordering.
Our coverage dataset.
Ofcom data, published through ONS. These two measures overlap and must not be added together.
All premises (residential and commercial) in the ONS indicator, using Ofcom data. The source was published on 13 May 2026. The reference period remains January 2026.
- A dated area snapshot, not live network data or an address-level eligibility check.
- Coverage records do not show the package purchased, observed speeds, guaranteed installation dates or indoor Wi-Fi performance.
- Do not substitute the residential-only national headline statistics: their denominator differs.
- Editorial region filters are for navigation and are not official statistical geographies.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Read the licence (opens in a new tab)