NOW Broadband review 2023

By Matt Powell

NOW broadband review

NOW is a great value budget broadband provider. It offers cheap ADSL and fibre, as well as low-cost internet and TV bundles. But you’ll have to pay setup fees and ad-free TV costs extra. Its Wi-Fi router could be better, too.

We like

• The flexible TV bundles.
• It’s very cheap broadband.
• There’s no credit check.
• Optional no-contract deals.

We don’t like

• Most packages have a setup fee.
• Must pay extra to remove TV adverts and stream in HD.
• The free router only has two network ports.

NOW broadband: in summary

• Download speeds (average): 11Mb (ADSL) / 36Mb / 63Mb
• Upload speeds (average): 1Mb (ADSL) / 9.5Mb / 19Mb
• Data usage limit: Truly unlimited
• Type of broadband:  ADSL & fibre optic (FTTC)
• Home phone line: Yes (required)
• Inclusive phone calls: Yes (optional extra)
• Wi-Fi Router: NOW Hub 2

You can find our current favourite NOW broadband deals below:

NOW broadband speeds

NOW offers three different speeds across its range. Each is available in a variety of packages, and that includes no-contract broadband and TV bundles.

NOW Brilliant Broadband

• Download speed: 11Mb
• Upload speed: 1Mb

The cheapest NOW package is suitable for up to two people if it’s not used often. But this speed is kind of slow by modern standards.

Given that the fibre packages only cost a little more but are much faster, we don’t recommend this service unless you only need occasional internet access.

NOW Fab Fibre

• Download speed: 36Mb
• Upload speed: 9.5Mb

This is our recommended minimum for most homes. It’s quick enough for several people sharing or an individual who needs more bandwidth than NOW Brilliant Broadband can deliver.

It’s a fibre service using the BT telephone line, so you must have fibre in your area to get it.

NOW Super Fibre

• Download speed: 63Mb
• Upload speed: 19Mb

The fastest broadband offered by NOW is a serious upgrade on Fab Fibre, but it doesn’t mean you have to pay a lot more for it. In fact, it’s sometimes available at the same price. 

This is the best option for larger homes where several of you are trying to use the internet at once. It’s also the best choice for those of you who want to quickly download large files. 

NOW Broadband speed summary

NOW user Speed Satisfaction score: 3.49 / 5

This score is taken from the feedback of NOW customers, who are asked to rate the performance of their NOW broadband service on a scale of one (very dissatisfied) to five (very satisfied). The score is an average of all results.

A score of 3.49 is lower than we’d like as it’s below the average of 3.77. Admittedly, it’s not lower by a huge amount, but it’s enough to suggest some customers aren’t getting the speed they expect.

NOW Broadband is an Openreach network provider. That means there’s a similar choice of broadband services and speeds as most other providers, all delivered over a regular telephone line.

NOW offers cheap standard ADSL with an average speed of 11Mb, and two tiers of fibre optic internet with speeds of 36Mb or 63Mb. 

Some Openreach providers do quote a slightly faster average speed, but it’s not by much. With them sharing the same core infrastructure, you're not usually going to get a drastically different experience from NOW to any other Openreach provider.

NOW broadband value for money

NOW value for money user score: 3.95 / 5

The NOW user value for money score is the average rating from customers, who are asked to rank NOW for value between one (very poor value) to five (very good value).

NOW’s 3.95 value score is significantly above the overall average of 3.47, reinforcing NOW's position as a low-cost, high-value provider.

NOW Broadband is competitively priced. Its entry-level Brilliant Broadband package starts at under £20. On top of that, the much quicker fibre services are typically just a few quid more. 

However, NOW does charge setup fees. So, unfortunately, unless you get it on a special offer with free setup, you’ll have to pay something for installation.

The cheapest NOW packages come on a 12-month contract. But NOW is also one of the few providers to offer “no-contract” or rolling monthly packages. These generally have the same monthly price as their longer-term equivalents but a much higher setup fee. 

No-contract broadband can be very useful if you have to cancel before the 12-month term is up. It means you’ll avoid an early termination fee, but it isn’t worth it otherwise.

All NOW Broadband deals include phone line rental in the price. As a BT Openreach network provider, you will need an active line.

Also noteworthy is the fact that NOW Broadband offers broadband without needing a credit check. So if you’ve been rejected by another provider, you can turn to NOW. The only financial commitment it requires is a 10p balance in your bank account, which will be debited and then credited back when signing up.

NOW rewards

NOW doesn’t usually offer free gifts, but it’s not completely unknown. When they’re available, they are generally a Broadband Genie exclusive you won’t get with any other comparison site or from NOW itself.

When NOW do offer deals, they tend just to provide a discounted monthly price or a free setup offer.

You can compare the latest NOW offers on our NOW cashback and rewards page. Or, for general help with rewards, visit our guide to claiming free gifts and vouchers.

NOW customer service

NOW customer service user score: 3.76 / 5

NOW users were asked to rate their provider for customer service on a scale of one (terrible) to five (excellent). The user score is the overall average for each provider.

In our home broadband survey, NOW ranked slightly higher than the average 3.69 score for customer support. It’s not the highest rating of the providers reviewed in our survey, but above average is definitely great. We'd have no concerns about recommending NOW based on this.

If you need to contact them, NOW operates a customer support line between 8am and 11pm seven days a week. So it’s not 24/7, but it does cover peak times.

See more: NOW customer service & complaints contacts | How to cancel NOW

NOW Wi-Fi router

All NOW deals include a free NOW Hub 2 Wi-Fi router. 

NOW Hub 2 specifications

• Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) & 802.11ac (5Ghz)
• Dual-band Wi-Fi: Yes
• Tri-band Wi-Fi: No
• Ethernet: 2x gigabit LAN

The sleek NOW Hub 2 Wi-Fi router is the same hardware as the Sky Q Hub, just rebranded for NOW Broadband. 

The Hub 2 is a dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi router. Without getting too bogged down in the technical details, that means it’ll work with just about any Wi-Fi device you’re likely to own.

You can get faster speeds on newer Wi-Fi devices that support 802.11ac aka Wi-Fi 5, and it will also broadcast a 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g/n signal for older devices.

There are gigabit wired network connections on the rear, but only two of them. Most routers have at least four, so that’s not so great. It means you’ll need to invest in a network switch to have more than a couple of wired devices connected at once.

NOW broadband extras

NOW TV

NOW TV is an unusual alternative to other TV providers, as they offer a flexible approach to premium TV. 

Instead of signing up for a contract that includes hundreds of channels — many of which you may never watch — you buy a monthly pass for specific types of channels. You can then cancel these at any time.

NOW TV offers Entertainment, Sky Sports, Kids and Sky Cinema passes, with channels such as Sky Atlantic, Cartoon Network, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sci-Fi. 

With your pass in hand, you can view NOW TV via any compatible device. That includes streaming boxes and sticks (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, etc.), smart TVs, games consoles, mobile devices, and Windows and Apple Mac computers.

What it doesn’t offer is the same variety of channels as Sky TV or Virgin Media TV. Still, if you’re mainly interested in checking out the latest movies and watching headline shows like Game of Thrones, NOW TV is a straightforward way to do that. You just don’t have to worry about lengthy contracts or bolting a dish to your house.

A word of caution, however: the cheapest NOW TV passes don’t support HD video streams and include adverts. If you want the best quality picture and uninterrupted viewing, you’ll have to pay more.

NOW Broadband: our verdict

Broadband Genie rating: 3.5 / 5

If you’re looking to cut costs or simply want a no-nonsense broadband service without tons of extras, NOW is compelling. 

Its basic ADSL service is super affordable, but the fibre services make the most sense. After all, it’s a rapid fibre broadband connection at a lower cost than much of the competition.

You even have the choice of no-contract deals. And no credit check means it’s suitable for anyone worried about being turned away by other providers due to a poor credit score.

NOW Broadband and TV deals are also good value, combining fast unlimited broadband and very flexible and affordable TV bundles. Its TV offering is especially attractive if you’re interested in premium Sky TV channels without the commitment, or satellite dish, of a full-blown Sky TV package.

There are a few negatives, however. 

Outside of special offers, setup fees are payable on all NOW packages. With the longer-term deals, the cost is minimal, but no-contract broadband requires a substantial up-front payment. NOW isn’t alone here, though, as all no-contract deals include a large setup fee.

The free router may also be limiting for some homes, as it only has two network ports.

And NOW TV doesn’t provide the same dizzying choice of channels as Sky or Virgin Media TV, so those with interests outside mainstream entertainment and sports content might find it disappointing. Plus, don’t forget that you’ll have to pay more to enable HD and remove ads.

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