Community Fibre broadband review 2024
| Speed Satisfaction | 3.4/5 |
| Customer Service | 3.8/5 |
| Value for Money | 4/5 |
| Reliability | 4.6/5 |
| Router | 3.8/5 |
| Overall score | 3.9/5 |
Community Fibre offers powerful full-fibre broadband with speeds that outclass most other providers while still remaining affordable. And its customers appear happy! But you must live in London to get it. As well as that limitation, its phone service may not suit everyone, and its free Wi-Fi router has a couple of caveats.
| We like | We don't like |
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Community Fibre broadband: In summary
| Download Speeds (Average) | 35Mb / 75Mb / 150Mb / 500Mb / 920Mb / 3000Mb |
| Upload Speeds (Average) | 35Mb / 75Mb / 150Mb / 500Mb / 920Mb / 3000Mb |
| Data Usage Limit | Unlimited |
| Type of Broadband | Full Fibre |
| Home Phone Line? | Yes (optional) |
| Inclusive phone calls? | Included |
| Bundled Wi-Fi Router? | Linksys WiFi 6 Intelligent Mesh |
Community Fibre Broadband Speed
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Speed Score: 3.4 out of 5 |
Community Fibre installs and operates its own Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) network. As such, it has a different selection of packages from many other providers, most of which share BT Openreach lines. You’ll find the following choice of packages available:
- Community Essential 35Mb Fibre: 35Mb download / upload speed
- Community Fibre 75Mb: 75Mb download / upload speed
- Community Fibre 150Mb: 150Mb download / upload speed
- Community Fibre 500Mb: 500Mb download / upload speed
- Community Fibre 1 Gig: 920Mb download / upload speed
- Community Fibre 3 Gig: 3000Mb download / upload speed
Most homes will find the 75Mb package good enough. If you’re in a larger home, where the broadband is shared among many (5+) users, you may want to step up to 1 Gbps.
Community Fibre speed summary
Community Fibre’s speeds put most other broadband providers to shame. Not only does it offer excellent download performance, but its upload speeds are a lot better than the competition.
That’s because unlike the majority of providers, Community Fibre offers symmetrical broadband. This means the download and upload speeds are the same. Most other broadband is asymmetrical, with download speeds prioritised at the expense of upload rates.
It won’t matter for everyone, but for certain activities, such as working from home or online gaming, faster upload speeds will definitely be welcome.
We have a more in-depth guide to upload speeds if you need further help.
Community Fibre Customer Service
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Customer Service Score: 3.8 out of 5 |
At the time of writing, Community Fibre has a 4.6 out of 5 Trustpilot score from more than 36,000 user reviews.
In our 2024 survey, Community Fibre also ranked well for customer care, with an above-average satisfaction score of 76%.
In March 2024, it confirmed it was outsourcing customer support to South Africa.
Community Fibre Value for Money
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Value for Money Score: 4 out of 5 |
Community Fibre is pretty competitively priced when you consider the speeds it offers.
At the entry level, prices start at less than £20 for 75Mb fibre on a 24-month contract. This is exceptional value for money, as long as you're willing to commit to a two-year contract.
The best value services are the higher-end packages. Community Fibre 200 provides a 150Mb average download and upload speed for around £18 per month. That’s more than enough for many homes, but if you want to go even faster, there’s also 500Mb for around £23 or a staggering 3Gb for under £50 on a 24-month contract.
All Community Fibre packages are broadband only as standard. But a call package is available as an added extra if you need it. This too is pretty cheap, at £10 per month for unlimited anytime calling to UK landlines and mobiles. It also includes a dedicated app to allow you to make free Wi-Fi calls to landlines and mobiles when you're abroad.
In 2024, customers will find their packages rising by 6.9%, even if they're mid-contract. An April price hike is sadly common among broadband providers. Community Fibre is by no means the most expensive, but there are others who are going out of the way to pledge fixed prices for the entire duration of a customer's contract.
For more help comparing Community Fibre's price hike against other providers, visit our guide to broadband price rises in 2024.
Community Fibre Reliability
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Reliability Score: 4.6 out of 5 |
In our 2024 Broadband Awards, Community Fibre scored 92% in the 'Most Reliable Provider' category and ranked in second place. This is a huge improvement on last year's results.
As Community Fibre is a small provider, and coverage is limited to London, it's not included in research such as Ofcom's customer service report.
If you're signed up to either the 1Gbps or 3Gbps package on a 24-month contract, you'll get Premium Wi-Fi and receive additional Mesh Wi-Fi 6 routers. This guarantees Wi-Fi coverage with a minimum speed of 35Mb for 12 rooms in total, or you'll get three months' free broadband.
Community Fibre Bundled Wi-Fi router
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Router Score: 3.8 out of 5 |
Community Fibre supplies a Linksys WiFi 6 Intelligent Mesh router with most of its packages, although you'll receive a Technicolor multi-gigabit if you're signed up to the 3000Mb plan.
| Router | Included with package |
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| Linksys WiFi 6 Intelligent Mesh router | All Community Fibre packages up to and including 1 Gig |
| Technicolor multi-gigabit | Community Fibre 3000Mb |
The LinkSys WiFi 6 is a mesh Wi-Fi router, something that’s a little different to the free hardware supplied by most providers.
Mesh Wi-Fi uses ‘nodes’ to extend the Wi-Fi signal around your home, each of which has a dedicated link to the main router, which is separate from the connection your devices use.
The end result is that mesh Wi-Fi networks are much faster than regular Wi-Fi boosters. They’re also very easy to use, providing a seamless connection with the same network name. As you move around the home, your devices will automatically latch onto the strongest signal. It means that you’ll easily be able to work or video call from anywhere in the house.
Community Fibre Wi-Fi Router Specification - Linksys WiFi 6 Intelligent Mesh router
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Router installation
Setting up your Community Fibre router shouldn't be difficult, and you'll be able to do this yourself. There are a few tips available on its website to help you achieve the best results for a fast Wi-Fi speed. If you do need more help, there's an online support hub available. This includes FAQs for setting up your router and extenders, and this will be the quickest and easiest way to get help.
Community Fibre: Expert Summary
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Community Fibre Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 |
We wouldn't hesitate recommending Community Fibre. It offers incredible value and delivers exceptional speeds, with prices to suit most budgets. It’s especially good if you need a faster than normal upload speed.
You also get a good free router, with a useful mesh Wi-Fi feature that can help solve problems with weak signal coverage. And it offers broadband only as standard, with no requirement to get a phone line or pay line rental. And to top it all off, it has an outstanding customer service record.
The downsides are few and far between, and largely situational. The free router, while good enough for most homes, does have a limited number of network ports. A Wi-Fi guarantee is only available for two of its fastest and most expensive packages.
The biggest problem is that most people can’t get it. Community Fibre is only available in parts of London. But if you're lucky enough to live within its network area, you’re unlikely to find anything better.
Switching broadband providers
You'll only be able to sign up to Community Fibre broadband if you're based in selected London areas. If you're outside of London and are looking for similar ultrafast speeds, your best bet is to look for alternative full fibre broadband deals.
You can easily check which packages are available in your area by popping your address into this deals checker. If you're able to sign up to a full fibre broadband package, you'll see these listed in the comparison table. Don't forget to use our filters, so you can sort by price, speed or contract length.
If you’re out of contract, switching between any provider is easy. Check out our guide on ‘how to switch broadband and get an amazing deal’ for more hints and tricks, learn how to save money and upgrade your home's internet connection with little fuss.
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