Student broadband.
Do not sign a 24-month contract.
The one piece of advice every student needs before sorting their broadband. Here is how to get fast cheap internet for your student house without getting stung by a contract that outlasts your tenancy.
For most students the best student internet is a 12-month broadband contract that ends when your tenancy does, or a monthly rolling plan if your accommodation situation is uncertain. A superfast connection of 35 to 67Mb is more than fast enough for most student houses. The contract length matters far more than the speed. Never sign a 24-month broadband deal in student accommodation unless you are certain you will be in the same house for two full years.
Compare student broadband deals at your address
Availability and pricing varies by address. Check what deals are available at your student house postcode and filter by contract length.
Check my postcodeWhich contract length is right for your situation?
This is the decision that matters most. Get it wrong and you either pay a substantial exit fee or keep paying for broadband in a house you no longer live in.
12-month contract
A 12 month broadband plan that aligns with most academic year tenancies. Cheaper per month than rolling plans. At the end of 12 months you are free to switch, renew, or walk away. The right choice if you know you are in the same house for the full year and your tenancy ends before the broadband contract does.
Monthly rolling
Costs £3 to £8 more per month than a 12-month deal but you can cancel any time with 30 days notice. Best if your accommodation is uncertain, you are in halls that include broadband but need a backup, or you want to stop paying over summer without hassle.
24-month contract
Cheapest monthly price but runs for two years. If you move after year one you face exit fees equivalent to your remaining months. Only makes sense if you are absolutely certain you are staying in the same house for two full consecutive years. Most students are not.
How much broadband speed does a student house actually need?
Speed requirements depend almost entirely on how many people are in the house and what they are all doing at the same time. The number that matters is simultaneous usage at peak time, typically evenings when everyone is home.
Recommended speeds by household size and usage
The mistake most student houses make is getting a faster connection than they need. A 100Mb connection costs roughly £5 to £10 more per month than a 35Mb connection. Split between four housemates that difference is just over £1 per person per month. It is usually worth it for the extra headroom, but a superfast 35Mb connection is genuinely adequate for most two or three person student houses.
What happens to your broadband when everyone goes home for summer?
This is the question most students do not ask until they are sitting at their parents' house in July realising they are still paying £35 a month for broadband in an empty student house. Here is how each contract type handles it.
| Contract type | What happens over summer | Cost if empty for 3 months | Can you stop paying? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month (ends in summer) | Contract ends, no further payments | £0 | Yes, contract ends |
| 12-month (runs through summer) | Still paying for an empty house | £90 to £120 | Only with exit fees |
| Monthly rolling | Cancel with 30 days notice, stop paying | £0 after notice period | Yes, 30 days notice |
| 24-month contract | Still paying, months ticking down | £90 to £120 | Only with exit fees |
The ideal setup for most students is a 12-month contract that starts when you move in and ends a few weeks before you move out. Time the start date carefully. If your tenancy runs from September to June, a 12-month contract starting in September ends in September the following year, running three months past your tenancy. Starting it in late October means it ends in late October, covering the summer gap.
Are student broadband discounts actually worth it?
Student broadband deals verified through UNiDAYS or Student Beans sound appealing but are not always the cheapest option. Some providers use the student label to make a standard deal seem exclusive when it is not actually better than what anyone else can get. Before using a student discount, compare the deal against standard open-market offers for the same provider and contract length. The open-market deal is sometimes cheaper, particularly with budget providers who do not offer student-specific pricing at all because their prices are already low.
The genuinely good news for students is that the UK broadband market is competitive and there are solid cheap deals available without needing a student discount. Superfast broadband on a 12-month contract from a good provider can be had for £25 to £35 per month. Split four ways that is £6 to £9 per person, which is genuinely affordable.
What matters more than finding a student discount is getting the contract length right, making sure the deal includes a decent router so you do not need to buy one, and checking that the stated average speed is realistic for your address. Our comparison tool shows accurate speed estimates for your specific postcode rather than just the provider's national average.
How to sort student broadband without it becoming a house argument
Decide who signs up before you move in. The account holder is responsible for the monthly payments. Make this decision before you need broadband and feel the pressure to just sort it quickly. Whoever signs up needs to be comfortable chasing housemates for their share each month, or your house should set up a shared account or bill-splitting system from day one.
Use a bill splitting app. Splitwise, Monzo shared tabs, or a simple standing order to whoever pays the broadband bill keeps this from becoming a monthly conversation. Automate it from the start and nobody has to ask anyone for money.
Check the address before signing up. Broadband availability and speeds vary by address. The speeds advertised nationally may not be what your specific street gets. Always use a postcode checker to see actual estimates for your student house address rather than trusting the headline number. See our cheap broadband page for more options if budget is tight.
Questions students ask
A 12-month contract that aligns with your tenancy, with a superfast speed of 35 to 67Mb. This gives you fast reliable internet at a lower monthly price than a rolling plan, without the risk of being locked into a 24-month deal that outlasts your time in the house. If your situation is uncertain, a monthly rolling plan gives full flexibility.
Some providers offer student deals through UNiDAYS or Student Beans but they are not always cheaper than standard deals. Always compare the student discount deal against open-market offers before assuming it is the best price. Budget providers often beat student-branded deals without any verification needed.
On a 12-month contract, cancelling early means paying the remaining months as an exit fee. On a monthly rolling plan you just give 30 days notice with no exit fee. This is why getting the contract length right from the start matters so much. Check what the exit fee would be before you sign any fixed-term contract.
One person signs up and takes the account in their name. There is no way to have multiple account holders on a standard broadband contract. Whoever takes the account is responsible for the bill. Agree on a cost-splitting arrangement before signing up and automate it so it does not become a monthly conversation.
On a rolling plan you can cancel with 30 days notice and stop paying. On a 12-month contract it depends on when the contract ends. If you time it right so the contract ends when your tenancy does you pay nothing over summer. On a 24-month contract you keep paying regardless. This is the most practical reason to avoid 24-month broadband deals in student accommodation.
Related deals and guides
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