Student broadband is an internet service specifically designed for students. Student households are often a little bit different to a standard home, with shorter tenancies and more people living under the same roof, all using the internet at the same time. Students can take advantage of UK broadband internet wifi providers bringing broadband packages to benefit them in different ways than a standard package.

Student broadband packages typically offer faster internet speeds and larger data allowances than standard residential internet services. This is important for students who may need to download large files for their studies, watch movies, or have a heavy gaming session, without experiencing any buffering or delays.

It’s essential for students to have access to broadband internet. Students need reliable and high speed internet connections to access all sorts of course resources, submit work, attend lectures online with the rise of remote learning. Beyond this, all students will need access to the internet for their down time, to stream the next Netflix true crime drama, movies, or enjoy gaming.

It’s pretty standard for most home broadband contracts to have a minimum contract term of 12, 18, or 24 months. However, a lot of students only need a 9 month broadband contract, in line with their 9 month student tenancy. Some of you might want the option to cancel your broadband contract early, without any additional fees.

Student broadband deals often think about these things and give you what you need, for the time you need it. They often have a shorter contract, usually 9 months, so you won’t be hit with cancellation fees at the end of the academic year.

There are so many options to choose from when looking for a student broadband deal for your house. There are some pretty important features you should compare. If you live in a big student house, you’ll likely need higher internet speeds. This will come at a bigger cost, but with more people sharing the bill, you’ll be able to afford something a bit more expensive.

Price

Naturally, price is one of the biggest factors when it comes to getting your student broadband set up. There’s something for everyone out there, and price will always vary depending on what you need for your student house circumstances.

Contract Length

If you’re only going to be staying in your house for 12 months, you should try not to get locked into a longer broadband contract. Early contract cancellations will land you with some big cancellation fees. If you think you’ll only live in your student house for 9 months, there are contracts out there for you.

It’s worth comparing all your options and their associated costs though. You might be able to still save money getting a cheaper 12 month broadband contract, and cancelling early, than opting for a more expensive 9 month contract.

Internet Speed

If you’re living in a student house expecting lots of people accessing the WiFi, you should make sure you’re getting a high speed internet connection. The last thing you want is to have delays in accessing what you need to do your studies, or worse and have all your movies stalled and buffering. For a comparison, you’ll probably need something faster than your parents might be used to back at home.

Fibre Broadband

Fibre optic broadband is an internet service which provides super fast internet speeds using fibre optic cables. It’s a lot faster and more reliable than the old school traditional ADSL broadband, which makes use of copper telephone wires. Fibre broadband is sometimes referred to as ‘superfast broadband’, so keep an eye out for these packages if you think it’s something you will prefer.

Phone Line vs Wireless

A big portion of the cost of your broadband, often comes from the phone line rental. But most of us don’t need a landline telephone. If you go for a fibre broadband deal, you can forget the cost of a landline rental and save yourself some money!

Bundled Extras

When you’re choosing your student broadband, you also be thinking about any TV, sports, or streaming deals for the year too. The good news is, some broadband providers also offer TV and streaming services as an optional extra, that often come with hefty discounts. So check out the best for you, and see if you can save some cash on all your entertainment.

Yes you can! A handful of UK Student Broadband providers offer 9 month broadband contracts, specifically designed for students. Look out for the best deals mentioned in this guide!

If you are wondering what broadband and Wifi speed you need as a student, it will depend on a few things. How many people are you sharing your broadband with in your house? And what are you probably going to be doing a lot of: streaming, gaming, video calls etc?

We always recommend going for the fastest broadband speeds you can afford. Fibre broadband is a great option for those looking for the fastest internet speeds, perfect for those of you with lots of people using the Wifi at the same time.

The minimum download speed we suggest is 36 Mbps.

As we mentioned though if you’re going to be heavy users of the internet as a household, you’ll likely want to go for more. Broadband and Wifi speeds from anywhere around 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps are probably more what you’ll be looking for.

You should always have the right to cancel your broadband, without any penalty, within the first 14 days of placing your order. This tends to be known as the cooling off period, where you might change your mind on what you think you’ll need from your broadband.

If you’re further into your contract than the cooling off period, you’ll have to check with your individual provider for details of their cancellation policy. If you want to cancel before your minimum contract length, you’ll likely incur some sort of a cancellation fee.

Remember you’ll usually need to give your broadband provider at least 30 days notice to cancel your contract.