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How good is Oxford broadband?

Broadband in Oxford is generally good, with a wide range of providers to choose from.

Almost all households in Oxford should be able to enjoy speeds of at least 30Mbps, since part-fibre broadband is widespread across the city (and the rest of the country). However, its coverage of full fibre and gigabit-capable internet is slightly less comprehensive than other urban cities. So fewer households will be able to enjoy ultrafast connections over 100Mbps.

You can use our internet speed test tool to see what speed you currently get, and how this compares to homes nearby.

Can I get full fibre in Oxford?

A growing number of locations in Oxford can access full fibre, which can provide speeds of 1Gbps and faster. Coverage isn't as widespread as it is in other cities, but southern Oxford, in particular, has good full fibre availability. Plus, much of the area can get Virgin Media broadband, which is different from full fibre but offers similar speeds.

Northern Oxford will likely start to see more full fibre coverage in the next couple of years, as Openreach has announced funding to install it in more areas of the whole county.

Some areas of Oxfordshire outside the city centre are being connected to this technology before more urban locations. This is largely due to Oxford's historic architecture and urban design that makes it hard to dig up and install physical cables.

Currently, there is no CityFibre coverage in Oxford, which means full fibre providers that only use that network will not be available in the city.

Guide: all you need to know about full fibre

What's the fastest speed I can get in Oxford?

If you're lucky enough to get full fibre in Oxford, you should be able to receive gigabit speeds beyond 1Gbps (1000Mbps).

In fact, since some of southern Oxford has access to YouFibre's network, Netomnia, these homes could actually enjoy the provider's famed 7Gbps package, which is one of the fastest speeds available to consumers in the UK. However, this speed level comes with a big price tag - some of YouFibre's slower (yet still very fast) deals are much more affordable.

Which broadband providers are available in Oxford?

While there currently isn't a wide range of full fibre options in Oxford, there are still lots of providers offering broadband services in the city.

These mainly take the form of part-fibre broadband, which can still supply average speeds up to 70Mbps, but those in select areas of the city may find ultrafast options above 100Mbps too.

Virgin Media

Virgin Media has good broadband coverage across Oxford, making it the city's most widely available ultrafast broadband provider.

It operates its own network that's separate to Openreach, which means its availability differs to that of BT, Sky Plusnet and others. But since Openreach's full fibre network is taking a little longer to roll out in Oxford, Virgin currently supplies the most connections above 100Mbps in Oxford.

BT

BT is the largest broadband provider in the UK and many Oxford residents still make use of its part-fibre broadband connections. While it does offer faster broadband via Openreach's full fibre network, it currently doesn't cover much of Oxford, unlike other UK cities.

Sky

Sky is the go-to provider for those who watch pay-TV. Given how popular its Sky Stream and Sky Q TV offerings are, it's also the second biggest broadband provider in the UK in terms of customer numbers. This is in part thanks to its competitively-priced broadband and TV bundles.

Plusnet

Plusnet is owned by the BT Group, which also owns mobile network EE. It offers more value-focused broadband deals on the same Openreach network as BT and Sky.

Since it focuses more on keeping broadband prices low, it doesn't offer as many bells and whistles as the larger UK providers. But many Brits still enjoy its good customer service and fair prices for simple broadband connections.

Altnet broadband providers in Oxford

There are a small number of alternative full fibre broadband providers (known as altnets) in and around Oxford.

The most widely available provider is YouFibre, which uses the Netomnia broadband network. It's mainly ready for service in southern Oxford, where it has been easier to build full fibre networks than in northern parts.

Another altnet called Gigaclear is available in many surrounding locations outside the main Oxford ring road, but not within central Oxford itself.

There are also a very small number of properties in Oxford with access to Hyperoptic's broadband network.

Guide: Altnet broadband providers explained

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Is 5G broadband available in Oxford?

5G broadband may not be too reliable in Oxford. There are parts of the city that have good 5G coverage, but relatively few areas where it has a reportedly strong signal indoors (which is essential for mobile broadband).

O2 has patchy 5G coverage around Oxford and it also doesn't report on its signal strength indoors.
EE has good indoor 5G coverage in western parts of Oxford, but its network is less reliable in eastern, especially south eastern, parts of the city.
Vodafone covers some of EE's more patchy areas in Oxford, with better coverage in eastern, especially north eastern areas of the area. Bit its 5G connection is weaker elsewhere.
Three has a very weak indoor 5G connection around Oxford, but its signal is strongest in eastern areas of the city.

This indicates that 5G broadband likely won't be your best option in Oxford, as there is less coverage of it compared to other large urban centres.

What is 5G home broadband?

How to find the best broadband in Oxford

With so many broadband providers in Oxford offering deals, it's important you do your research and find the one that works best for you. This means looking at more than just the headline monthly cost, or the speed you expect to receive.

Other factors to consider include the quality of the supplied wireless router and what features the provider offers to boost Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. You should also consider the level of customer support available—24/7, UK-based help could be invaluable to some users.

Finally, think about what customers may have said about the providers you are considering. Some providers are better than others at certain parts of a broadband service, so if you care about some things more than others, it may be best to choose one that focuses on what you like.

Take a look at our 2024 broadband customer survey to see where providers are ranked based on key parts of your broadband experience.

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Our broadband expert says

“While Oxford may not have as extensive full fibre coverage as other cities, residents will still have a wide range of options for their broadband.

Many areas have high availability of Virgin Media's ultrafast network, as do southern parts for YouFibre. But even if you can't get full fibre just yet, you can still very likely get a decent broadband speed from one of the major UK providers.”

Max Beckett, Broadband Expert

How expensive is broadband in Oxford?

Wireless broadband deals in Oxford are competitively priced overall, though the price you'll pay will usually depend on the provider you choose.

In the past, the cheapest offerings would have been for standard and superfast fibre broadband, but many providers now actually offer faster broadband for similar prices these days too.

Some providers like BT will often charge a higher rate for a broadband package, yet smaller providers can sometimes undercut these prices with very similar (and sometimes faster) speeds. So if you can see them in your next postcode check, you might be able to get better broadband for less.

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Broadband in Oxford

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How our site works

How good is Oxford broadband?

Can I get full fibre in Oxford?

What's the fastest speed I can get in Oxford?

Which broadband providers are available in Oxford?

Virgin Media

BT

Sky

Plusnet

Altnet broadband providers in Oxford

Browse broadband deals across the UK

Is 5G broadband available in Oxford?

How to find the best broadband in Oxford

Compare our best broadband deals

How expensive is broadband in Oxford?

Find cheap broadband deals

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Broadband in Oxford

About these results

How our site works

How good is Oxford broadband?

Can I get full fibre in Oxford?

What's the fastest speed I can get in Oxford?

Which broadband providers are available in Oxford?

Virgin Media

BT

Sky

Plusnet

Altnet broadband providers in Oxford

Browse broadband deals across the UK

Is 5G broadband available in Oxford?

How to find the best broadband in Oxford

Compare our best broadband deals

How expensive is broadband in Oxford?

Find cheap broadband deals