About High-speed Broadband

High-speed, up to 8Mb broadband speeds are now widely available across the UK, and most of our customers are enjoying the benefits of these. Thanks to ADSL2+, even faster 'Up to 20Mb' broadband speeds will be available soon (see our ADSL2+ FAQ).

This means you'll be able to download files quicker, as well as stream better quality video and music.

Our guide will tell you what to expect from your broadband once it's up-and-running. We'll also look at what things make broadband speeds go up and down.

• About high-speed broadband
• During the first 10 days of your broadband service
• What speeds you can expect
• Things that can affect broadband speeds
• More detailed information

About high-speed broadband

You might have noticed that we refer to our broadband services as 'Up to' a certain speed. This is because high-speed broadband doesn't come as a fixed speed - it's flexible. Often, the speed you get will be automatically adjusted. This is to make sure you're getting the fastest, most stable broadband service that your phone line can support.

We're signed up to Ofcom's Broadband Speeds Voluntary Code of Practice which means that we're committed to providing a line speed estimate if you sign up for our broadband, or move your broadband to a new address. This is to give you an idea of the kind of speed you can expect when your broadband is up-and-running. We continue to be committed to telling you about the things that can make your speed go up and down, as actual broadband speeds can sometimes be lower than estimated ones. A number of things can affect speeds and we'll tell you about them in this guide.

During the first 10 days of your broadband service

For the 10 days after your broadband is activated, BT keep an eye on the speed you receive. They'll run some checks to find out the lowest broadband speed you've received in the last 10 days - this is to work out what speed your phone line can support.

You'll probably see your speeds go up and down whilst this happens. You might even get disconnected now-and-again if your phone line can't handle the speed. Don't worry, this is completely normal and part of the training period.

We'd like you to help us with the tests too. So that we can get accurate results it's important that you connect to the Internet as many times as you can during the first 10 days. When you do this it's a good idea to switch the power to your modem or router off then on again (once or twice a day is fine). This will force your equipment to reconnect. After 10 days, your speeds will start to settle down and give you the best service your line can support.

After this your speed will still go up and down from time-to-time. However, the changes should be less noticeable than during the first 10 days of your service. Read on to see why this happens.

What speeds you can expect

Up to 8Mb (using Max DSL), and when available, Up to 20Mb (using ADSL2+) are theoretical maximum speeds, which you'd only see under perfect conditions. So, don't be surprised if you see your broadband speed is lower than this - that's normal. If you want to see what kind of speeds you can realistically expect check out our Expected Speeds guide.

Things that can affect broadband speeds

Are you getting slow broadband speeds? It's worth checking the checklist above to see if any of these might be affecting you. Our Slow Speeds guide is a great place to get loads of information too.

More detailed information

Interested in finding out more about the technology behind high-speed broadband? We've got loads of guides to choose from, just have a look at the links below. It's also worth checking out Ofcom's Code of Practice about broadband speeds

Up to 8Mb Broadband

Detailed information about the set of products used to provide 'Up to 8Mb' broadband. You'll also find out what many of the technical terms relating to high-speed broadband mean. Read our Advanced Guide to Broadband Max.

Up to 20Mb Broadband

'ADSL2+' will provide Up to 20Mb broadband speeds across the UK. Check out the ADSL2+ FAQ.

Find out about BT's programme of changes to bring the UK telephone network up-to-date. See our 21CN (21st Century Network) FAQ.

General information

Find out some useful tips on getting the best broadband speeds.

Want to see what broadband speeds you should be getting? Have a look at our Expected Speeds.

Read about how traffic prioritisation can effect the speed you can receive. Check our Traffic Management guide.

If your broadband speed is slower than you'd expect it to be read our Slow Speeds guide.

Think you've got a connection fault? Track down the problem by following our Broadband Faults guide.

See how much data you've transferred using your broadband connection with View My Broadband Usage.

This page last updated 3rd April 2009