Broadband is one of those things nobody thinks about until it is slow, and by then you have already signed the tenancy or bought the house. If you work from home, the speed available at a postcode should be part of your search, not an afterthought.
What the speeds actually mean
- Up to 30 Mbps: Fine for one or two people browsing and streaming in standard definition. Video calls will struggle if others are online.
- 30–100 Mbps: Comfortable for a couple or small family, with reliable HD streaming and stable video calls.
- 100–500 Mbps: The sweet spot for a busy household with several people working, streaming and gaming at once.
- 500 Mbps and above: Overkill for most, genuinely useful for large households or anyone moving huge files.
Upload speed matters more than you think
Marketing shouts about download speed, but if you are on video calls or backing up work, upload speed is what keeps you from freezing mid-sentence. Full-fibre connections give you fast uploads; older copper-based ones do not, however high the download figure looks.
Check the postcode, not the area
Broadband availability can change from one street to the next. A headline of gigabit in your town does not mean it reaches your front door. NOOK shows the real broadband speed for each home so you never move somewhere that cannot support how you work.