The best student broadband deals

We look at dedicated student deals and those open to all to find the top package to go for.

Broadband is a pretty important utility for university life nowadays, so you’ll want to sort getting connected as soon as you’ve found a place to live.

To find the right deal that you and your housemates all agree on, it’s worth setting a budget and thinking carefully about the speed and usage limits you’ll need to see you through the year.

Since you’ll be sharing a connection higher speeds will be better for when everyone is online at the same time and to prevent data limit dramas an unlimited usage deal is best.

Some providers have started offering dedicated student broadband deals which offer a shorter contract term of nine months, so you don’t have to pay for your connection over the summer. We’ve taken a look at these options and compared them to regular unlimited deals open to anyone on contracts lasting up to 12 months to see which are offering the best package overall.

In the following comparisons we’ve only looked at unlimited deals as these make sense for a shared household and have left 18-month deals out as they are unlikely to be suitable for most students on a three-year course. After living in halls for one year, many will rent for the remaining two, which can make 18-month contracts tricky. But you can check out the full range of deals on broadbandchoices.co.uk.

Broadband-only packages

With a broadband-only deal you don’t have to pay for line rental. Virgin Media has a range just for students.

How they compare

Here’s how Virgin Media’s student broadband-only deals compare against the deals open to all lasting up to 12 months. The student deals are in bold.

As you can see Plusnet offers the cheapest deal with a total first year cost of £180.87 compared to Virgin’s cheapest student deal costing £337.95. You get an extra three months for much less, but you’ll have to settle for slower speeds.

Broadband and phone

Broadband and phone bundles tend to be better value than broadband-only deals. BT offers one deal specifically for students.

How it compares

Here’s how BT’s dedicated student broadband and phone deal stacks up against bundles open to everyone which last up to 12 months. The student deal is highlighted in bold.

As you can see the dedicated student deal falls short on price once again. With Sky’s Broadband Unlimited deal you’ll pay £203.75 compared to £272.36 with BT for pretty much the same deal. Sky’s deal comes with the added incentive of a £100 M&S voucher.

Fibre broadband and phone

If superfast broadband is something you and your flatmates are prepared to pay more for, BT also offers a student fibre broadband and phone bundle.

How it compares

Sky, Talk Talk, Plusnet and Virgin Media also offer superfast connection speeds. The table below shows how BT’s student fibre broadband offer stacks up. The student offer is in bold.

When it comes to fibre broadband the dedicated student deal from BT has some clout. While still around £9 more expensive than the cheapest deal from Sky, it offers double the speed.

Broadband, phone and TV

If everyone’s agreed you might also want to combine a TV package into your broadband and phone deal for days when not a lot of work is getting done. BT is the only provider offering a student specific one, however it’s on a regular 12-month contract not a 9-month deal as previous deals have been.

How it compares

Sky, Talk Talk and Virgin Media also offer TV bundles. Here’s how BT’s deal compares. The student offer is in bold.

*Includes 25% online discount and £75 credit offer

In this case BT’s dedicated student deal is one of the priciest options. Right now Sky offers a cheaper deal and comes with pretty much the same features.

Fibre broadband, phone and TV

If you want to go the whole nine yards and get superfast broadband in the mix you can. BT is offering a dedicated student fibre broadband, phone and TV package. Again it’s on a regular 12-month contract not a 9-month deal as previous deals have been.

How it compares

Sky, Virgin Media and Talk Talk also offer fibre broadband and TV bundles. Here’s how BT’s student deal compares to deals lasting up to 12 months. The student deal is in bold.

*Includes 25% online discount and £75 credit offer

A BT deal open to all is cheaper than the student offer it has going, but provides half the speed. In fact no other provider offers 76Mb on an unlimited 12-month deal for such a price.

What to look out for when picking a deal

As you can see you dedicated student deals don’t always pay off.

When making a decision on which package to go for make sure you compare not only the price, but exactly what you get for your money. There’s no point going for a deal with data restrictions, as you are likely to tip over if lots of people in the same house are using the service.

Also take a look at The UK's best and worst broadband providers to see which firms are giving their customers the best service.

More on student finance:

The best student bank accounts

The universities that lead to the highest salaries

How to find student bursaries, grants and scholarships