Property Fundamentals
How do I check the broadband speeds at a property?
Use the Ofcom Broadband and Mobile Coverage Checker. Enter the postcode, pick the address, and it returns the maximum download and upload speeds available across each network type — Standard (ADSL up to 24 Mbit/s), Superfast (FTTC up to 80 Mbit/s), and Ultrafast (FTTP / cable, 300 Mbit/s+). Coverage is reported per address, not per postcode, because results inside the same postcode often differ.
The data feed Ofcom publishes is supplied by every UK ISP under regulatory obligation, refreshed every six months. Estate agents are required to disclose the available speeds on listings as material information under NTSELAT Part B, but the Ofcom checker is the authoritative source for verification.
Full-fibre rollout is funded in rural areas through Building Digital UK Project Gigabit. Around 87% of UK premises had gigabit-capable connections at the end of 2025, up from 70% in 2023.
What this means in practice
A buyer viewing a 1930s semi in TN15 6QH on 12 March 2026 enters the postcode into the Ofcom checker, picks number 47, and sees: Standard 14 Mbit/s download, Superfast not available, Ultrafast not available — pure ADSL only. The next-door property at number 49 shows Ultrafast FTTP at 1000 Mbit/s available because Openreach upgraded one side of the road in 2024 but stopped at the cul-de-sac entrance. The buyer factors in £30/month 4G home broadband as a stop-gap, plus a likely £200–£500 Openreach connection charge if FTTP arrives in the area later. A two-second postcode check would have saved a household relying on a child working from home from a six-month broadband gap.
Related questions
Why does broadband speed differ between neighbouring houses?
Three reasons. Distance from the nearest cabinet — FTTC speed drops sharply with copper-pair length, so a property 100m from the cabinet may get 80 Mbit/s and one 800m away just 18 Mbit/s. Network type — Virgin Media cable, Openreach FTTP and altnets like CityFibre and Hyperoptic each cover different streets, sometimes literally house-by-house. And in-home wiring — old internal phone wiring can knock 20% off the line speed regardless of the external connection. The Ofcom checker reports the available external speed; actual realised speed depends on the router and internal wiring too.
Is gigabit broadband available everywhere in the UK?
Not yet. Around 87% of UK premises had a gigabit-capable connection by end of 2025, with Project Gigabit targeting 99% by 2030. Coverage gaps are concentrated in rural Wales, Scottish Highlands, parts of Northern Ireland and pockets of Cumbria and Devon. Building Digital UK procurement contracts run on a county-by-county basis with awarded suppliers (typically Openreach, Fibrus, Quickline) building out specified premises lists. Properties on the awarded list have a published target year; those not on any list rely on the commercial market or 4G/5G fixed wireless access.
Related reading
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