How to Check if You Can Get Fibre Broadband

To check if you can get fibre broadband, enter your postcode into a broadband availability checker and select your exact address. The result tells you which speed tiers reach your property, whether full fibre (FTTP) is available, and which providers serve your line. Checking by full address matters, because availability can differ between two homes on the same street.

This guide walks through the free checkers worth using, how to tell full fibre apart from part fibre, why a neighbour might have it when you don’t, and what to do if fibre hasn’t reached you yet.

• Enter your full postcode and select your specific address in a broadband checker.
• The Ofcom checker shows speed bands (Standard, Superfast, Ultrafast) and flags Universal Service Obligation eligibility.
• The Openreach fibre checker tells you whether full fibre is live, planned, or being built at your address.
• If a deal advertises speeds up to around 67-80Mbps only, that is usually part fibre (FTTC), not full fibre (FTTP).

Which free checkers tell you what’s available

The quickest way to check fibre availability is to run your postcode through more than one checker, because no single tool covers every network. Use a regulator tool for an independent view, a network tool for build status, and a comparison checker to see real deals you can order.

The Ofcom broadband checker

The Ofcom broadband checker shows the broadband services present at your address, using speed categories of Standard (under 30Mbps), Superfast (30-300Mbps) and Ultrafast (over 300Mbps). You enter a postcode or allow location detection, and each category carries a green tick (generally available), an amber triangle (available to some but not all properties) or a red cross (not available). It also flags whether you may be eligible to request a decent connection under the Universal Service Obligation if nothing else reaches you.

This is the best starting point because it is run by the regulator and is provider-neutral. It tells you what is technically present at the property rather than what one company wants to sell you.

The Openreach fibre checker

The Openreach fibre checker tells you the build status of full fibre at your address, which is more detailed than a simple yes or no. Once you enter your postcode, possible results include “Full Fibre should be available to order soon”, “Your address is in our plans, but Full Fibre isn’t available to order yet”, “We expect to start building Full Fibre in your area within the next year”, “We’re currently upgrading the network in your area”, and “Full Fibre isn’t available at your address and there are no plans to build it yet.”

Openreach is overlaying parts of its existing copper network with fibre and running fibre directly to homes, which involves civil engineering work in different and sometimes hard-to-reach locations. That is why timing varies so much between addresses. Openreach states fibre broadband (including part fibre) is already available to more than 96% of the UK.

Comparison and provider checkers

A comparison checker lets you see availability and orderable deals from multiple networks in one search, including Openreach-based providers, Virgin Media’s cable network and smaller alternative networks (altnets). This matters because the Openreach checker only covers the Openreach footprint, and Virgin Media’s network does not cover all of the UK, so its fastest tiers are available in selected areas only.

If you want to see which packages you can actually order at your address, a whole-of-market postcode check pulls deals together so you can compare speed and price side by side.

Compare broadband deals at your postcode

Broadband Deals Reviewed by James Ford, TV and Broadband Expert

Offer Ends30/08/2026

Full Fibre 150

• New customers only
• Switch to Fibrus and they'll cover up to £400 of your switching fees
• No mid-contract price rises

159Mb average* speed

Unlimited Downloads

£0.00 Setup costs

18 Month contract

Pay as you goCalls

£34.99per month

Buy Now
or call 0800 977 5741

Offer Ends31/08/2026

Superior

• New customers only

900Mb average* speed

Unlimited Downloads

£0.00 Setup costs

24 Month contract

Pay as you goCalls

£29.99per month

Buy Now
or call 0800 977 5741

Offer Ends31/08/2027

Extra

• New customers only

500Mb average* speed

Unlimited Downloads

£0.00 Setup costs

24 Month contract

Pay as you goCalls

£27.99per month

Buy Now
or call 0800 977 5741

View All Broadband Deals

How to tell full fibre from part fibre

Full fibre (FTTP) is fibre run all the way to your home, while part fibre (FTTC) runs fibre to the street cabinet and copper for the final stretch. The difference shows up clearly in the speeds you are offered. Full fibre supports speeds up to around 900Mbps or more, whereas part fibre on the Openreach network typically tops out at around 67-80Mbps.

If a deal you are being shown advertises a maximum download speed of around 74-80Mbps, you are almost certainly looking at part fibre rather than full fibre. Many providers now name their full fibre products clearly, so checking both the package name and the headline speed is the fastest way to tell them apart.

For a fuller breakdown of how the underlying technologies differ, our guide on ADSL, cable and fibre explains what each one means for speed and reliability.

How to tell what you already have

You can usually tell what type of connection you already have from your current speed and your contract details. If your line gives you a steady speed of more than 30Mbps, you are on part fibre or full fibre rather than older ADSL; speeds below that are likely ADSL. A connection running well above 100Mbps is almost certainly full fibre.

You can confirm by checking the speed tier named on your bill or in your account, or by running an online speed test on a wired connection. If your provider lists your product as “Full Fibre” or quotes speeds in the hundreds of Mbps, fibre is already at your property.

Why your neighbour might have fibre when you don’t

A neighbour can have full fibre when you don’t because availability is recorded per property, not per street, and the build often reaches addresses at different times. Fibre is rolled out address by address, so two homes on the same road, or even in the same block of flats, can show different results on the same checker.

Several practical factors cause this. The way your property connects to the network, whether you share a duct or pole with neighbours, and the order in which engineers complete a build all affect timing. In some cases a connection needs equipment installed on a shared access point, and physical work that affects neighbouring properties can hold things up. None of this means fibre will never reach you, only that your address is at a different stage.

Not sure full fibre is worth it for your home?

See how the speed tiers compare before you switch

Read the full fibre guide

How much of the UK can already get full fibre?

As of July 2025, full fibre was available to 78% of UK homes, or 23.7 million residential premises, according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 report published on 19 November 2025. That was an increase of nine percentage points (three million premises) on July 2024. Gigabit-capable broadband, which includes Virgin Media’s cable network as well as full fibre, reached 87% of homes (26.4 million premises) by the same date.

Availability varies by nation. Ofcom reported full fibre reached 79% of premises in England, 71% in Scotland, around 78-79% in Wales and 95% in Northern Ireland, which had the highest coverage. Take-up of full fibre stood at 33% of all premises, up from 23% a year earlier, so many homes that can get it have not yet switched.

The build continues at pace. Openreach is investing up to £15bn to expand its full fibre network to 25 million premises by December 2026, including around 6.2 million homes in rural or semi-rural areas. Independent tracking put the Openreach full fibre footprint at around 22.8 million premises by mid-June 2026, with roughly 2.25 million more needed to hit that target.

Check full fibre deals in your area

What to do if fibre isn’t available yet

If fibre isn’t available at your address yet, you have several options rather than just waiting indefinitely. The right one depends on whether your area is in a build plan, and how quickly you need a faster connection.

• Register interest with the network building in your area, so you’re told when full fibre goes live and can order on day one.
• Re-check the Openreach and Ofcom checkers every few months, as build status changes and new addresses are added continually.
• Consider part fibre (FTTC) as an interim step if it’s available, since speeds up to around 67-80Mbps suit most households.
• Look at Virgin Media’s cable network or a local altnet, which sometimes reach areas Openreach full fibre has not yet built.
• Check Universal Service Obligation eligibility if no decent connection is available, which can give you a route to request a basic broadband service.

If cost is the main barrier rather than availability, it’s worth checking whether you qualify for a social tariff broadband deal, which offers cheaper packages for households on certain benefits. And if you can already get gigabit speeds, our guide on whether 900Mb broadband is worth it explains when the fastest tiers make sense.

See which providers cover your home

What fibre broadband typically costs

Most UK full fibre packages cost between around £25 and £50 a month in 2026, depending on speed, provider and contract length. Part fibre (FTTC) deals usually sit at the lower end of that range, while the fastest full fibre tiers around 900Mbps cost more.

As a guide, faster full fibre tariffs of 500Mbps and above tend to be priced higher than entry full fibre, though promotional pricing and mid-contract rises mean the figure you start on may not be what you pay later. Many providers now build in annual price changes written into the contract, so it’s worth reading the full pricing schedule before you commit.

Checking your postcode lets you compare what’s actually available to you rather than national averages. Because availability and price both depend on your exact address, a whole-of-market check is the most reliable way to see your real options.

• Social Tariff Broadband: Compare UK Deals for Low Incomes
• Is 900Mb Broadband Worth It for Your Home? Full Fibre Guide
• How To Close Old Credit Card Account? – Check The Process
• ADSL,Cable & Fibre: What’s the Difference?
• Compare Best Broadband Deals in Cardiff

Information correct as of 21 June 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice.