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NOW broadband deals in the UK 2024

Looking for cheap broadband? Compare prices from top providers and get a great deal

NOW Broadband is one of the newer players in the UK broadband market. It first entered the fray in 2016, carving out a niche as a budget-minded subsidiary of Sky.

While NOW only serves around 1 per cent of the market, there are still several reasons to consider it as your next broadband provider, including extensive network coverage across the UK, a competitive price point compared to other major players and straightforward add-ons for the NOW TV streaming service.

NOW Broadband isn’t the fastest option available, and anyone looking for high-speed fibre optic connections that can download hundreds of megabits per second (Mbps) is going to be left disappointed. But when it comes to price, simplicity and flexibility, there’s a lot to recommend for this value broadband deals provider. If NOW offers good coverage for your area, it may be worth switching from your current contract to improve your internet connection speed or save a few pounds every month on a cheaper plan.

Plusnet – Full Fibre 145
Monthly Cost
£27.99
Average speed
145 Mb
Contract term
24 months

Monthly prices are subject to increase each year on 31 March by Consumer Price Index rate of inflation + 3.9%.

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NOW Broadband deals

Unlike some other broadband providers, NOW Broadband has just three deals to consider, and they’re very similar in pricing, starting at £20 per month and ending at £24 per month. So, the main consideration isn’t the cost, but rather which internet speeds are available for your home. If you can get the highest speeds possible, there’s little reason not to get them.

Deal name Average speed Contract length Downloads Monthly price* TV or phone included? Setup fee
Super Fibre 63Mbps 12 months Unlimited £24 Line rental included £0
Fab Fibre 36Mbps 12 months Unlimited £24 Line rental included £0
Brilliant Broadband 11Mbps 12 months Unlimited £20 Line rental included £0

What do you get with NOW Broadband?

As ever in life, you get out what you put in – and the benefits of NOW Broadband scale according to how much you’re willing to pay.

Fibre broadband is the fastest kind of internet connection available today, using fibre-optic cables to transmit information at high speeds. NOW relies on a part-fibre network, which uses a mix of fibre-optic (new and fast) and copper cabling (old and slow). It can still reach download speeds of 30Mbps and above, but that’s far less than the maximum broadband speeds offered by BT, Virgin Media and EE, which can exceed 1,000Mbps (1 gigabit per second or 1Gbps). 

Many customers will be content with NOW’s speeds, though, especially for smaller homes or those with less-intensive internet usage. (You’ll find a good explanation of broadband speeds in our broadband deals guide.)

Alongside broadband, NOW also offers TV streaming packages. As a subsidiary of Sky, it lets you add a Sky Sports or Sky Cinema subscription to your contract, giving you good internet speeds as well as plenty of content. There are also add-on options for reality TV streaming service Hayu and an Entertainment package that throws in Peacock, MTV, Comedy Central and a host of other Sky TV channels, including HBO shows through Sky Atlantic.

Advantages of NOW Broadband

  • Good value: NOW is one of the cheaper broadband providers, meaning you can get decent speeds for £20 to 24 per month 
  • Flexible payment plans: with options to ditch up-front fees for a year-long contract or choose a more flexible month-by-month charge – unlike the two-year contracts pushed by many other providers – there’s a lot of room to create a payment plan that works for you
  • TV bundles: as NOW is a subsidiary of Sky, you can tack on access to Sky Cinema, Sky Sports or any medley of HBO and Hayu TV shows
  • Customer satisfaction: it’s relatively quick to get a customer service agent on the line – less than a minute, according to communications regulator Ofcom – which blows every other major broadband provider out of the water. Ofcom also cites NOW’s low levels of complaints, with just 10 per cent of customers making complaints compared to the average 20 per cent rate

Disadvantages of NOW Broadband

  • Limited fibre optic: NOW’s broadband network is what’s called “part-fibre”. It still relies heavily on a limited copper cabling system to reach customers’ homes and can’t unleash the full potential of fibre optic as some competitors can. That limits overall performance and means that maximum download speeds are a fraction of what’s possible with some other providers
  • Small customer base: NOW Broadband only serves around 1 per cent of broadband customers across the UK (via Statista), though it’s more impressive when considered as part of Sky’s 21 per cent market share
  • Few incentives: some providers will offer credit towards your bill when you first sign up or provide perks and discounts through O2 Priority. NOW is a little more bare bones
  • Renewal increase: it’s always worth checking the cost of your contract when it renews. NOW Broadband’s Fab Fibre plan increases from £24 per month to £35.50 per month in the second year, which is a significant increase

What speeds can you get with NOW Broadband?

NOW Broadband speeds are a little slow compared to some full-fibre providers. That’s because NOW’s part-fibre broadband network still relies heavily on an older copper cable standard, limiting the maximum speeds possible. NOW’s speeds will be sufficient for people with less-intensive internet needs, though you won’t be getting the 1.6Gbps performance boasted by EE.

However, it’s very hard to make sweeping statements about broadband speeds, as they can vary hugely between postcodes, even within the same city. You may get poor coverage on certain London streets and excellent performance in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Urban areas are likely better covered, with speeds of up to 70-75Mbps, but it’s often up to chance whether your own address is connected to NOW’s broadband network or if you’re stuck with maximum 10Mbps speeds.

We recommend looking at our guide to the best broadband providers in your area to get a sense of what’s available to you and using NOW’s postcode checker for your home address.

Plan Average Speed (Where Available) Hackney London Estimated Download Catford London Estimated Download Leeds Estimated Download Berwick-upon-Tweed Estimated Download Margate Estimated Download
Super Fibre 63Mbps 40-50Mbps 70-74Mbps N/A 72-74Mbps 55-74Mbps
Fab Fibre 36Mbps 36Mbps 36-37Mbps N/A 36-37Mbps 36-37Mbps
Brilliant Broadband 11Mbps 3.5-8Mbps 14-19Mbps 14-19Mbps 14-19Mbps 11-17.5Mbps
icons8-switch-96

Is it easy to switch to NOW Broadband?

In April 2023, Ofcom introduced a “One Touch Switch” requirement for broadband providers, ensuring that customers don’t have to liaise with two providers to switch between them. 

 

If you’re currently with BT, EE, Plusnet or TalkTalk, NOW Broadband will automatically contact your existing provider and handle the transition for you. That means you don’t need to cancel your current broadband plan or contact customer support: “As soon as you’ve ordered NOW Broadband, we’ll contact your current provider and switch your phone line over to us. So, you can sit back and relax whilst we do the work.”

 

If you’re moving from Virgin Media, things are a little different. You’ll have to manually cancel your current contract and ideally set it to expire the day after your NOW Broadband access begins to ensure you aren’t left without internet coverage during the transition.

 

For any providers not mentioned here, we recommend contacting them directly to manage the cancellation.

Are NOW Broadband deals right for me?

Thinking about a NOW Broadband deal? Here’s everything you should consider before committing:

  • Is it the right time? If you’re currently in a long-term broadband contract with another provider, you may be liable for cancellation fees if you leave your agreement early. Try to line up a new provider with the end of a current contract if you can
  • Is it the right speed? NOW is one of the slower broadband providers overall, though many households won’t need more than its part-fibre network to get suitable speeds. Check which speeds are available for your home, and consider whether it’s enough for your needs.
  • Is it the right price? NOW’s broadband deals are close in pricing: at the time of writing, you’ll be paying £20 to 24 per month for any of its three options. It’s unlikely you’ll get much less than that anywhere else, though some providers (such as Shell Energy) offer discounts for those receiving financial support. As always, it’s good to shop around
  • Do I want to switch? It’s always tempting to switch to a cheaper provider, but make sure you’re happy with giving up your existing service, especially when it comes to added benefits
  • What’s in it for me? Broadband providers may run short-term discounts or cashback incentives when signing up, so keep an eye out for these promotions

NOW Broadband deals FAQs

NOW’s low Trustpilot score (1.3/5) is sadly on par with other broadband providers – most customers only bother leaving a review when they’ve had a poor experience. NOW doesn’t broadcast its customer support line too loudly, either; you’ll have to sign into your account to see the number on its website (0330 3323 050).

One thing to keep in mind is that Ofcom‘s statistics show that, once you have called NOW’s customer support, the average wait time to speak to a service agent is only 51 seconds, beating every other major provider. However, NOW would rather you find a solution from its online help pages or customer service bot.

NOW Broadband deals are generally a good value but a little light on perks to sweeten the deal – the low cost is seen as incentive enough without other benefits. If you want more from your NOW plan, you’ll likely have to pay for an add-on such as NOW Boost, which ups the maximum streaming quality to Full HD, or a separate channel package that throws in more TV shows and films (Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, etc). You’ll get a landline included in your broadband plan, too.

There are two primary payment options when signing up for NOW Broadband – either a 12-month Saver Plan with no up-front fee or a No Contract Plan with a £60 setup charge but the ability to cancel whenever you like. As £60 is around three months of broadband, it’s probably worth picking the Saver Plan if you’re confident you’ll stay with this provider for the foreseeable future. (You’ll also have to pay a £10 delivery charge to have your router shipped to you.)

Cancelling can be expensive, though – when you sign up for NOW Broadband, you agree to a “minimum term” that must be covered. So, if you’re on a 12-month contract and end it halfway, you’ll have to pay for the remaining six months regardless. 

You should keep an eye on your contract renewal date, as you can be locked into a price increase for the following year if NOW decides to raise its rates for your specific broadband plan. It’s always worth haggling for a better rate, asking to switch to a different plan or looking at other providers ahead of renewal. 

henry st leger

Henry St Leger

Consumer Tech and Software

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former news and features Editor at TechRadar, where he specialised in consumer technology, software, and home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, soundbars, and smart speakers.

He has been writing about technology and related topics for over six years. His work for the Independent Advisor focuses on cyber security and internet-connected software including VPNs.

Henry has written for a wide number of prominent websites including NBC News, Healthline, The Times, Edge, T3, iMore, and GamesRadar.

amy

Amy Reeves

Editor

Amy is a seasoned writer and editor with a special interest in home design, sustainable technology and green building methods.

She has interviewed hundreds of self-builders, extenders and renovators about their journeys towards individual, well-considered homes, as well as architects and industry experts during her five years working as Assistant Editor at Homebuilding & Renovating, part of Future plc.