Best student broadband deals for 2024

Students often need shorter, more flexible, broadband contracts owing to moving more frequently, or only needing a connection during term time.

Major providers offer student-friendly broadband deals, including fast full fibre options with up to gigabit broadband speeds.

Other options cover 4G or 5G mobile broadband deals, which can be used on the move as well as taken to new homes.

Credit: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.com

Student broadband: The options

Students who need to organise their own home broadband, either independently, or as part of a group in a shared house, have four main options:

1. Fixed-line student broadband deals
2. Fixed-line standard residential broadband
3. Fixed-line monthly rolling contract broadband
4. 4G or 5G mobile broadband

Depending upon the University you're studying at, and where in the country that's located, will vary the broadband options available to you.

For example, those living in busy city centres will have more full fibre broadband options, while those in smaller towns may have more limited choice.

It's possible to see exactly what's available with our free broadband tool, but let's look at these different options in more detail too.

Dedicated student broadband deals

Two major broadband providers still target students with dedicated broadband deals:

• BT and,
• Virgin Media.

While most broadband providers have now moved to 24-month contract terms, BT and Virgin Media still offer student-specific deals with 12-month minimum term contracts.

Virgin Media also offer students the option of 1-month contract plans too, with monthly prices increasing by around £8 per month for the flexibility.

BT

BT offer students broadband deals in both part-fibre and full fibre enabled areas

Pricing starts at £33.99 per month, with upfront fees ranging from free to £41.99 for a 12-month minimum term plan.

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
Go	Fibre Essential	36Mb average	£33.99	£41.99	12 months
Go	Full Fibre 100	150Mb average	£35.99	Free	12 months
Go	Full Fibre 500	500Mb average	£45.99	Free	12 months
Go	Full Fibre 900	900Mb average	£54.99	£41.99	12 months

While the cheapest deals listed here will suit smaller house shares or individual properties, students living in larger homes where multiple people are going online at the same time will want to look at the faster speed options if they're available in your area.

BT's 12-month broadband deals aren't specific to students, so anyone can sign up for them and they don't require any specific proof of course attendance.

Virgin Media

Virgin Media offer student-specific broadband options which are only made available for a limited time until October each year.

Here is the current round of offers, due to be withdrawn at the end of October 2024:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
Go	M125 Fibre Broadband	132Mb average	£26.99	Free	12 months
Go	M250 Fibre Broadband	264Mb average	£31.99	Free	12 months
Go	M250 Fibre Broadband	264Mb average	£39	Free	1 month
Go	M500 Fibre Broadband	516Mb average	£41.99	Free	12 months
Go	Gig1 Fibre Broadband	1130Mb average	£46.99	Free	12 months
Go	M500 Fibre Broadband	516Mb average	£49	Free	1 month

Virgin Media offer both 12-month and 30-day rolling contract options, with around £8 per month difference between the two.

For students only staying in accommodation for 9 months of the year or less, the more flexible 1-month deals may be worthwhile, especially as neither option has a setup fee.

Those staying for two years or more in a shared house may want to look at Virgin Media's standard residential broadband deals, as these are often more competitively priced and can be bundled with Virgin Media TV and home phone.

Finally, it goes without saying, Virgin Media broadband is only available in their network areas, so may not be available as widely as BT's student broadband deals are.

Standard home broadband

Students sharing a house with plans to stay for at least a year or more, may find better priced options by simply opting for a standard home broadband deal.

While less and less major providers offer 12-month terms anymore, a number of independent full fibre broadband providers do, as do some smaller, more niche providers.

Here's the pricing for some nationally available 12-month broadband plans:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
Go	150Mb Fibre Broadband: 12 months	150Mb average	£26	Free	12 months
	Offer: Installed in 48 hours + Free setup
Go	Ssuper Fast 115Mb: 12 months	109Mb average	£33.99	Free	12 months
Go	Your Ultrafast 100: 12 months	100Mb average	£36	£120	12 months
	Offer: Black Friday: 20% off + One tree planted every month
Go	Rebel 330: 12 months	330Mb average	£45	Free	12 months
	Offer: £60 Amazon Gift Card with code WIFIREBEL + Fixed Price Guarantee + Tri-band Wi-Fi extender £5/mth each

We've picked ultrafast speeds for this table to ensure students sharing accommodation have enough bandwidth to go around, but click through for cheaper or faster deals from each provider.

You can also check availability and filter deals by 12-month terms and the broadband speed required on our broadband comparison page.

For example, some location specific providers, like Community Fibre who focus on connecting properties in London, offer very competitive prices for really fast full fibre broadband, as well as 12-month contract options, so are definitely worth a look for anyone studying in London.

It's worth being aware that ending a broadband contract early will incur early leaving fees, and these can often be hefty, with potential additional fees for equipment as well.

For this reason, taking out a 24-month plan just to save money on the monthly fee, when you know you'll be leaving that accommodation sooner, isn't a good option.

So, even if these 12-month deals don't seem as cheap as longer-term plans, they're likely to save money overall for those who only need broadband for a year.

Also, bear in mind, that while longer contract deals can be taken on a home move, where a customer moves out of a network area, they can still be subject to early cancellation fees.

Flexible 30-day rolling student broadband

Some broadband providers, like Virgin Media's specialist student deals, offer 30-day rolling terms, which can be ideal for students who may not know how long they'll be staying somewhere.

They also have the added benefit of offering a fixed-line broadband deal, often full fibre nowadays, which can be much more reliable and faster than relying on a mobile broadband plan.

Here are some of the options available on 30-day rolling terms:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
Go	500Mbps: 30 days	500Mb average	£23	Free	1 month
Go	Connect: No Contract	200Mb average	£33	Free	1 month
Go	Be500: FlexiMonth	500Mb average	£35	Free	1 month
Go	Rebel 330: Monthly flexible	330Mb average	£45	£60	1 month
	Offer: WiFi 6 Router Included + Fixed Price Guarantee + Tri-band Wi-Fi extender £5/mth each

Note that, with the exception of Rebel Internet, these broadband providers are only available in select locations, not nationwide. So, checking availability on our no contract broadband comparison page is worthwhile.

The major benefit of these rolling contract plans is the ability to cancel with just one month's notice and no risk of any early leaving fees. That could be ideal for those who don't know how long they'll need it for.

Mobile broadband for students

The most flexible option of all, is mobile broadband, which can of course be taken and used at any location, and isn't tied to a specific property.

There are two mobile broadband options for students, which include:

1. WiFi hotspot or mobile broadband dongle: the most portable option, but only supports a few devices
2. Dedicated home mobile broadband router: much more like a home broadband connection, requires a mains power supply, but would support multiple users

Students that just want broadband for themselves are likely to be better served with a mobile hotspot, that can be easily carried around.

While students looking to share broadband between multiple occupants at home will find a mobile broadband router more akin to a fixed-line connection, albeit using 4G or 5G.

Here's some of the current deals available:

Location may dictate the best deals to go for, so it's worth checking out coverage in the places you're likely to use the connection most.

You can also compare more mobile broadband deals to see the best prices.

How to choose a student broadband deal

Before taking out a new broadband contract, there are a few things that all student households should consider carefully.

All the student broadband options we've discussed in this guide have their pros and cons, and they will appeal to different student households.

Here are the pros of fixed line home broadband for students:

• Usually cheaper option on 12-month contract
• Unlimited data
• Rolling contracts available with higher upfront costs

On the other hand, there are some notable issues:

• Fixed term contracts will result in early termination fees when a student goes home for the summer
• One person must be responsible for the direct debit which could lead to conflict in student households and requires effective budgeting

Even with the cancellation fees, fixed line home broadband may be the best option for those looking for cheap student broadband.

Meanwhile, 4G or 5G mobile broadband has its benefits:

• Available wherever there is a 4G or 5G mobile signal
• Some 1-month rolling contracts available
• Some unlimited data options available

On the other hand, there are problems here too:

• Higher upfront costs
• Higher monthly costs
• Many have data limits
• Speeds may be slower than desired on 4G

The options for student broadband can also depend on where we live. Fixed line broadband may not be available at our student address or 5G may not be live in our area yet.

It's frustrating for students to realise their broadband options aren't as extensive or economical as they are at home, but there are deals out there. It's just a case of deciding which option is best for them.

Summary: Student deals evolving

The days of student-specific broadband deals seem to have disappeared, but other affordable options are sprouting up to take their place.

No single option is perfect, and students will need to carefully consider the pros and cons for their circumstances.

Here are a couple of questions to ask about your student broadband:

1. Will one person be using it or the whole house? If it's multiple people, faster speeds and unlimited data could be crucial.
2. Do you want a rolling contract or would you be comfortable on a fixed term broadband deal? Bear in mind that cancellation fees may apply.
3. How many people have a say in the home broadband and who will the bill-payer be? If it's going to be a contentious issue, choosing mobile broadband for an individual could be a safer choice.

For many, going to university is the first time they will have made these types of choices and been responsible for household bills, so understanding student budgeting and other financial costs of living can help.

Students should try to compare broadband deals ahead of leaving for university if possible, just to get an idea of what's available in their university location. This will make the final decision easier at a time when it's easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of things going on.