Best Student Broadband Deals In 2025
Everything you need, from student broadband deals to how to check broadband speed.
Broadband, AKA the internet, is arguably the most important thing a student needs. How else will we order Uber Eats or send each other memes?!
Seriously though, good broadband is crucial for your sanity. Those late-night study sessions, lecture recordings, essay writing while Netflix plays in the background; without broadband, we would likely be living in the campus library. Ugh *shudders*.
Broadband isn’t the cheapest of the student household bills, especially when you’re on a student budget. Luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from, and we’re here to help eliminate the stress that comes with it.
We’ve researched the best broadband deals to keep your bills as low as possible while you’re at uni. So, check out our price comparison table of what it’ll cost you to get broadband from top-names like EE, Sky, and Hyperoptic.
Need a new laptop for uni? We’ve got the best budget laptops under £300.
Updated: 15th October 2024
In this guide:
- Best student broadband deals
- What broadband speed do I need?
- What is full fibre broadband?
- How to check broadband speed
- Best ways to get cheaper broadband
Best student broadband deals
We’ve put together all the best student broadband deals into this table to help you compare various deals against each other. Thank us later…
| Broadband | Average speed | Contract length | Cost (per month, inc. fees) |
| Hyperoptic Ultrafast | 1 GB | 12 months | £43.58 |
| BT Fibre 1 | 50 Mbps | 12 months | £43.49 |
| Plusnet Full Fibre | 145 Mbps | 24 months | £28.99 |
| TalkTalk Fibre 150 | 67 Mbps | 18 months | £28.83 |
| Vodafone Full Fibre 150 | 150 Mbps | 24 month | £26 |
| Sky Superfast | 61 Mbps | 24 months | £26 |
| Virgin Media M125 | 132 Mbps | 12 months | £22.82 |
| NOW Full Fibre 75 | 75 Mbps | 24 months | £22 |
| 3 5G Broadband | 150 Mbps | 24 months | £21 |
| Onestream Fibre 80 | 67 bps | 24 months | £20.21 |
Broadband student discounts
We wouldn’t be Student Beans if we didn’t offer you some student discounts. Here are some of the brands that offer a broadband student discount:
- Hyperoptic student discount — fast Fibre broadband from £22.50 a month + £0 activation fee
- Sky broadband student discount — superfast broadband for £26 per month
- Virgin Media student discount — a variety of student deals and offers starting from £26.99
- Plusnet student discount — student deals from £24.99 and £0 activation fee
- Onestream student discount — 12% student discount
What broadband speed do I need?
Broadband speed. Mbps. Fibre. What does it all mean?
Broadband speed is essentially just how fast your broadband internet connection is, how quickly it can send and receive data.
Measured in Mbps — megabits per second — broadband speeds can vary depending on the package you choose, or even your location (some rural areas have less broadband/speed options).
When choosing your student broadband deal, you’ll need to know what internet speed would suit you and your household best. It all depends on your needs and what you’ll be using the internet for.
If you stream a lot of music and video, and browse the web, as well as play and download games, you’ll need a decent speed for your broadband. Whereas if you were just using it for browsing and typing up assignments, you can get away with a lower speed broadband deal, which will be cheaper, too.
Most households can suffice with 30Mbps — allowing for streaming and connecting multiple devices.
What is full fibre broadband?
It might sound like a healthy breakfast option, but full fibre broadband is a little more techy…
Full fibre broadband provides the fastest internet speeds in the UK, and is one of the most consistent and reliable internet connections.
It’s a fibre-optic broadband connection, going straight into your house without the addition of street cabinets, so no slowing down of the internet speed and strength (like with part-fibre). Full fibre broadband packages are the fastest, but also the most spenny, so you’ll have to consider if you need it or not.
How to check broadband speed
Checking your broadband speed can be helpful in knowing what is working for you or for knowing which broadband package to choose.
If you check your broadband speed and you know you’re not happy with it, it will give you an idea on the minimum speed you’ll want from your new broadband provider.
Uswitch has a broadband speed tester that lets you know what your download and upload speeds are, as well as then giving you different broadband packages from several providers that match the speed (or faster) and the prices, too, so it’s easy to compare.
Once you have your broadband sorted out with the best speeds, download the best study apps for students, so your studies come first.
Best ways to get cheaper broadband
Here are some ways to get cheap broadband as a student and beyond:
1. Haggle
If you have proof of an offer from another provider, use your “new customer” playing card to your advantage.
2. Phrase your broadband negotiations carefully
If the discount is still too small or your household simply can’t afford the monthly amount, here are some phrases to try and sway them in your favour:
“'[Insert broadband provider here] can do it for less…” (if you have the amount, even better)
“That’s a lot of money, is there anything you can do it bring it down?”
“I’m not sure we can afford that, are there any offers going before we try somewhere else?”
3. Don’t say yes to the first offer they give you
We understand this might be counterintuitive if you’ve left setting up your broadband too late. But if you can, use our tips above to try and bring the price down. Even if it’s just a little.
4. If they won’t bring the price down, ask for perks
If they won’t lower their monthly price plan, ask if they can throw in free access to Disney+ or another offer you know they have going on. Don’t ask, don’t get!
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