Home broadband deal in Oxford
Home broadband access can vary wildly from region to region. Not all exchanges have been fitted with the same services, but in Oxford, residents will find they have a good range of options.
The cheapest option for unlimited home broadband tends to be ADSL. This can reach speeds of an average 10-11Mb and uses standard BT lines, so it's widely available. Oxford’s exchanges are Local Loop Unbundled (LLU) which means different providers can install their own equipment, giving customers a greater variety of providers.
But ADSL is an older technology. If you're after something faster, you’ll need to look at fibre optic broadband via the telephone line, or Virgin Media network. This is available in Oxford at all exchanges, so most homes will be able to get access.
Openreach network fibre using a regular BT telephone line provides much better speeds than ADSL - up to an average of about 65Mb. While it is not as widespread as ADSL, it does still cover a large percentage of the UK’s homes, and it's available from numerous ISPs. Virgin Media broadband is even faster, topping out at 1Gb. However, that's only available from Virgin Media and its network is smaller, leaving many homes without this option.
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What is Openreach?
Openreach is the company that maintains the former British Telecom Network used for the majority of broadband and phone services. If a repair or installation is required, it’s Openreach who will send an engineer, not your provider.
More than 650 service providers using the Openreach network. That’s the majority of the UK’s broadband providers. This includes Sky, TalkTalk and BT. The exception to this is Virgin Media - it uses its own, separate cable network.
As the range of fixed-line broadband can vary even one street over, it is important to get an idea of what’s available in your location. When comparing home broadband on Broadband Genie, you type your address into our deals checker for an accurate list of options.
Mobile broadband internet providers in Oxford
When it comes to mobile broadband services, the Oxford area enjoys a reasonably strong level of access, with slightly more choice compared to some other parts of the country.
The four network operators — Three, EE, O2, and Vodafone — all provide good 4G in and around Oxford. O2 and Vodafone have perhaps the best signal strength here, covering both central Oxford and out to provide service in locations such as Cassington, Yarnton, Beckley, Headington and Kennington.
O2 and Vodafone also provide a strong signal in central Oxford, but may be slightly weaker in some spots.
Oxford does also have access to the latest and greatest 5G mobile technology from all mobile network operators, although it covers far fewer areas than either 3G or 4G.
It’s important to check coverage for yourself when buying mobile broadband, as weak signal will result in a slow connection. For more information, read our guide to mobile broadband coverage, and click the logos below to access the official signal checking tools:
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