Fibre optic, copper, throughput speeds, ADSL and more. If you're confused by broadband terms, we can help.
Broadband speed is how quickly your connection sends and receives data. Faster speeds help with streaming, video calls, gaming and using more devices at once. The speed you can get depends on your broadband type and where you live.
Understanding broadband speeds
Connection speed
This is the speed between your BT Hub and our broadband network. It can be affected by things like how far your home is from the street cabinet or exchange.
Download speed
This is the speed you notice when you use the internet. It affects how quickly pages load, videos stream and files download. Speeds can be slower at busy times when lots of people are online.
Upload speed
This is how quickly your connection sends data from your device to the internet. It matters when you're sharing files, uploading photos or videos, making video calls or online gaming.
Broadband speed vs Wi-Fi signal
Broadband speed is how quickly data travels from the internet to your BT Hub. Wi-Fi is the wireless signal that spreads from your BT Hub around your home.
If you're having issues with your Wi-Fi, please have a look at Help with Wi-Fi problems.
Why broadband speed can be different on your devices
Speed tests in the My BT app and Troubleshooter show the speed to your BT Hub. The speed on your devices may be lower depending on:
- whether you're using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable
- how far you are from your hub
- how many devices are connected at the same time
- whether other devices are currently downloading or streaming
To see what speeds you’re getting on your device you can check your BT Broadband speed.
How broadband speeds are measured
Broadband speed is measured in Mbps (megabits per second). The higher the Mbps, the faster your connection.
Faster speeds make it easier to:
- stream films and TV
- download photos, videos and other large files faster
- make smoother video calls, at a higher quality
This means more people at home can stream, game, browse and make video calls at the same time.
Activity | Minimum speed |
| Web browsing | 1-5 Mbps |
| HD video streaming | 5 Mbps |
| 4K/Ultra HD video streaming | 30 Mbps |
| Internet voice calls | 0.5 Mbps |
| Online gaming | 10 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload |
| Video calls | 3 Mbps |
Types of broadband and which one may be right for you
Standard Broadband
- Uses copper phone lines. Typical speeds are around 1-17Mbps and can be affected by how far your home is from the exchange.
- Best for light internet use, like browsing, email and social media.
Fibre Broadband
- Fibre runs to the street cabinet, then copper cables connect the cabinet to your home. Typical speeds are around 30-80Mbps.
- Good for homes where several people stream, browse or work online at the same time.
Full Fibre Broadband
- Fibre runs directly to your home. It gives the fastest and most reliable broadband. Package speeds can range from 100Mbps to 900Mbps.
- Best for busy homes, 4K streaming, gaming, video calls and downloading large files.
If your broadband seems slower than usual, see: Five steps to improve slow BT Broadband speeds.
BT Broadband doesn’t have usage caps
BT Broadband packages don’t have speed restrictions or usage caps, so we won’t slow your broadband down based on how much you use it.
For more information, see BT's approach to broadband traffic management >