EE Broadband Review

EE broadband is a quality broadband option, especially for EE mobile customers and those who don't want a landline.

Price:

Speed:

Reliability:

Customer Service:

EE broadband offers superfast broadband alongside ultrafast services in certain areas and a basic copper broadband service for customers who don't want fibre.

Arguably, EE broadband is cheapest when taken with an EE pay monthly mobile contract thanks to the discounts and mobile data boosts available.

Yet EE's quality customer service record means they're a formidable force in UK broadband in their own right.

EE customer reviews

EE customers have rated them 4 out of 5 overall.

Speed:

Reliability:

Satisfaction:

Value for money:

Customer Service:

Recommendable:

Customer survey response breakdown

Results are based on surveys conducted by Choose of EE customers in 2022.

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Broadband Awards

The Choose Broadband Awards 2022 saw EE pick up our Best Customer Service Silver award.

EE won our Silver award for customer service due to having the lowest levels of customer complaints in the market, as well as providing the shortest waiting times for customers wanting to speak to an adviser. EE also offer a UK based call centre via a free 0800 phone number.

EE: at a glance

What they offer

What we like	What we don't like
Good range of broadband packages	Downgraded TV service
Option to take broadband without home phone	Not the cheapest provider around
Good discount options for pay monthly mobile customers	Adding a landline costs more per month
Quality customer service record

Broadband deals

EE broadband packages

EE offer five packages to customers ranging from basic copper broadband up to the ultrafast deals available in certain areas.

All EE home broadband plans are now on 24-month contracts, with small upfront costs a possibility depending on the deals available at the time.

Following a shift in policy starting in August 2020, EE now supply broadband only contracts to customers as standard with no home phone line included.

The table below details the broadband and home phone deals currently being offered by EE:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
	Broadband	10Mb average	£26	£10	24 months
	Offer: 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers
	Fibre	36Mb average	£26	Free	24 months
	Offer: 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
	Fibre Plus	67Mb average	£29	Free	24 months
	Offer: 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
	Full Fibre Max 100	100Mb average	£31	Free	24 months
	Offer: 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
	Full Fibre Max 500	500Mb average	£39.50	Free	24 months
	Offer: 6 month free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
	Full Fibre Max Gigabit	900Mb average	£49	Free	24 months
	Offer: 12 month free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup

24-month deals were a stealth introduction by EE in 2021, replacing the 18-month option that set them apart from their sibling network BT. There are no options for shorter contracts unfortunately, so EE broadband won't be suitable for all customers.

Fibre Max are ultrafast broadband packages delivered over the Openreach fibre to the premises (FTTP) and G.fast networks. The fastest Fibre Max 900 package is available to around 6.4 million households so far.

EE offer monthly broadband discounts of 10% for pay monthly mobile customers, as well as providing a data boost of up to 20GB for customers too. This can be a good incentive to combine services.

In addition, customers signing up to Fibre Max 500 or Fibre Max 900 will get free access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for either six or 12 months.

Customers should remember that EE's broadband prices will rise by CPI + 3.9% each year, so customers will see price rises during the minimum term contract.

Broadband without landline

If customers want a home phone with their EE broadband package, they can add it for £2.09 per month - as long as they are on copper or superfast broadband plans.

We've got more information on the call packages available to customers who take a landline later in this guide.

No home phone lines are available with the Fibre Max packages, so customers on those plans will not be able to add a phone line.

We've got more information on broadband without a home phone in our dedicated guide.

Mobile broadband

EE offer 4G and 5G mobile broadband that could theoretically be used as a replacement for fixed home broadband in rural areas or for customers who don't want a traditional fixed line broadband package.

4GEE was first launched by EE in 2017, although it's now on its third generation called 4GEE Home Router 3.

EE also offers a 5G hub called the 5GEE Home Router 2021, but 5G coverage is far patchier around the country so the upgrade may not be economical for many. This device is only available on an 18-month contract.

Here are some mobile broadband package options from EE:

	Package	Mobile broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
	4GEE Home Router	31Mb average 100GB usage	£35	Free	18 months
	4GEE Home Router	31Mb average 200GB usage	£40	Free	18 months
	4GEE Home Router	31Mb average 500GB usage	£50	Free	18 months
	5GEE Router 2021	200Mb average 500GB usage	£50	£100	18 months
	5GEE Router 2021	200Mb average Unlimited usage	£55	£100	18 months

1-month 4G contracts are available from EE with an upfront fee of £150 - there's no change to the monthly cost of the service.

Although the flexibility of mobile broadband for the home may be appealing, the monthly costs (with a data cap as well) don't make it the most affordable option.

However, it's worth noting EE have excellent 4G coverage in the UK, so their mobile broadband solution for homes could be a viable option for those struggling in hard-to-reach locations. Read more about mobile coverage.

There's more information about the 4GEE in this comparison with the HomeFi 4G offered by Three.

How does EE compare on price?

EE sit in the middle of the pack when it comes to broadband pricing. They don't offer budget broadband in the same way that Plusnet or TalkTalk do, but they don't provide the same premium features as their parent company BT.

Here's how EE 67Mb package with compares to their major rivals:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
	Fibre Plus	67Mb average	£29	Free	24 months
	Offer: 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
Go	Fibre 65	67Mb average	£26	Free	18 months
	Offer: Free setup and P&P
Go	Fibre 2	67Mb average	£36.99	£31.99	24 months
	Offer: £50 BT Virtual Reward Card + + (Ends 25/04/2024)

Special offers can dramatically change the landscape, but it's clear EE are more expensive than budget providers - and they don't include a landline as standard in the way TalkTalk and Plusnet do.

Even so, the 10% mobile discount and data boosts offered by EE can be a great incentive for EE mobile customers to choose EE broadband over rival products, so don't forget to factor that in.

If we look at ultrafast comparisons, the big fish is undoubtedly Virgin Media. Their services are currently available to over 15 million households while EE's full fibre coverage only stretches to 6.4 million (plus some Gfast coverage).

More ISPs are making themselves known for ultrafast services so be sure to read reviews of the likes of Zen and Hyperoptic for other fast broadband options.

Here's how EE compare to Virgin Media and parent company BT for their speediest ultrafast broadband:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
	Full Fibre Max Gigabit	900Mb average	£49	Free	24 months
	Offer: 12 month free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
Go	Full Fibre 900	900Mb average	£59.99	£31.99	24 months
	Offer: £50 BT Virtual Reward Card (Ends 25/04/2024)
Go	Gig1 Fibre Broadband	1.13Gb average	£45	Free	18 months
	Offer: Reduced price: £45 per month + No setup fee (was £35) (Ends 30/04/2024)

EE offer the cheapest package compared to their rivals on these three broadband-only contracts, although the shorter minimum term or comprehensive TV service on offer may be reasons to opt for Virgin Media.

We put EE and Virgin Media head-to-head in our comparison guide or we've got more on who's best for fibre broadband for a more general overall.

Plus, if budget is the most important factor when choosing a new broadband provider, read our guide to the cheapest broadband and call plans in the UK.

How fast is EE broadband?

EE advertise superfast broadband speeds of 36Mb and 67Mb, along with ultrafast speeds of 145Mb, 500Mb and 900Mb and basic broadband speeds of 10Mb.

ISPs can only advertise broadband speeds that can be achieved by at least 50% of customers at peak times, but these can vary wildly from property to property.

EE are signatories to the Voluntary Code of Practice on Broadband Speed, so customers should receive a personalised speed estimate on EE's site when they sign up. This should give a more accurate assessment of the speeds a customer should expect to receive.

Regulator Ofcom also publishes annual test results showing how broadband performs in the real world. These are the most recent results for EE and their rivals around the 36Mb mark:

It's clear that EE are almost living up to their promised speeds, performing as well as rival Plusnet and considerably better than parent company BT.

Meanwhile, this is what their 67Mb package speed tests look like:

EE's speeds dip slightly here, but they're not alone in that.

It's important to point out that the only package that exceeds its advertised average speed is the FTTP package offered by BT - this demonstrates the speed and reliability of full fibre broadband compared to the part fibre deals.

No tests have yet been undertaken for EE's ultrafast broadband package, so we don't have a clear idea of how that's performing for customers. Again, that's not a unique problem for EE - we have a similar issue with Sky and their ultrafast packages.

Upload speeds

The upload speeds customers can expect to receive vary depending on the package they take.

Here are the average upload speeds alongside the download speeds available from EE:

So, EE don't offer symmetrical download/upload speeds in the way that other providers like Hyperoptic and Community Fibre do, but these types of upload speeds will be more than sufficient for most households.

In fact, EE's upload speeds perform well amongst their competitors:

EE also perform above average for upload speeds in the faster 67Mb category of packages too:

EE Smart Hub

EE now offers the Smart Hub router for all new and upgrading fibre customers.

Their most advanced router to date, the Smart Hub has autosensing modems that mean it only works with EE broadband lines.

The Smart Hub also provides EE's strongest wi-fi signal so far, with seven internal wi-fi settings and dual wi-fi bands.

Users can log in to the Hub manager from any laptop, PC or mobile and check who in the family is accessing the Hub and how much data they're using. This feature also allows parents to restrict wi-fi access to certain devices.

Security seems good, with WPA2 encryption on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wi-fi bands. It also has a firewall enabled by default, and a wi-fi protected setup (WPS) button (safer than the old PIN methods).

From a purely aesthetic angle, the box is sleek - and the teal light is a pleasant, unique addition.

Smart WiFi

EE home broadband customers can sign up to Smart WiFi for an extra £10 per month.

This service gives customers a slightly enhanced Smart WiFi Router designed to work with Smart WiFi Discs and boost the signal around the home. Along with this, customers will receive a 4GEE WiFi Mini portable hotspot to be used as a backup for the home broadband network if something goes wrong.

As far as home network boosters go, EE's can help extend the home wi-fi signal, but there isn't any option to leave the contract if they don't work.

Read more about boosters and speed guarantees.

EE home phone

If customers choose to take a landline from EE, they will be put on a pay as you call plan unless they choose a call add-on.

These are the home phone plans on offer and what they feature:

Note: UK calls don't include the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, nor are the islands included in the international add-on.

All call plans include calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers free of charge for 60 minutes. After that, callers will get charged - but it's easy to get around, by hanging up before an hour's up and ringing back.

Calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 are subject to an EE access charge, plus the service charge of the organisation. However, with an active call add-on, the cost of connecting to 0845 and 0870 calls is covered by EE.

For customers that choose not to take out a calling add on, all out of allowance calls are charged at EE's standard rates:

• 24p call set up charge for UK landlines and mobiles
• UK landlines cost 16.1p per minute
• UK mobile calls cost 18.8p per minute
• Calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers cost 11.4p per minute, plus a service charge set by the organisation being called

EE also offer a Call Plus service. This costs £5.22 per month and comes with seven calling features:

• Call divert
• Call waiting
• Ring back
• Choose to refuse (blocking up to ten numbers)
• Reminder call
• Anonymous call rejection
• 3-way calling

The prices above are current as of EE's updated tariff guide on 1 March 2022.

See our guide to the cheapest call plans to check out the competition.

EE TV and broadband

EE once offered a branded TV service, launched in 2014 to compete with other market newcomers like TalkTalk. But this service was retired and replaced with Apple TV 4K in 2019.

However, now EE broadband and TV requires customers to take pay monthly mobile services from EE too - it isn't available for EE broadband customers to take separately.

Here's how much it costs to add EE Apple TV 4K to broadband and mobile:

	Package	Broadband	Monthly price	Upfront price	Contract term
Go	Broadband + Apple 4K TV	10Mb average	£41	£10	24 months
	Offer: Apple TV 4K with BT Sport Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers only + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers
Go	Fibre + Apple TV 4K	36Mb average	£41	Free	24 months
	Offer: Apple TV 4K with BT Sport Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers only + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
Go	Fibre Plus + Apple TV 4K	67Mb average	£44	Free	24 months
	Offer: Apple TV 4K with BT Sport Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers only + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 5GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
Go	Full Fibre Max 100 + Apple TV 4K	100Mb average	£46	Free	24 months
	Offer: Apple TV 4K with BT Sport Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers only + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup
Go	Full Fibre Max 500 + Apple TV 4K	500Mb average	£54.50	Free	24 months
	Offer: Apple TV 4K with BT Sport Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers only + 6 month free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 10% off for EE pay monthly mobile customers + 20GB extra data for EE pay monthly mobile customers + Free setup

It's clear EE's TV service is very different to the way it was a few years ago and doesn't compare to the pay TV services offered by Sky and Virgin Media or even the YouView TV service offered by BT and TalkTalk.

Read our comparison of EE and TalkTalk for TV and broadband.

Customer service

EE are one of our top picks for broadband customer service, having overcome issues in 2015 and committing to a customer service overhaul that has really paid dividends.

We like their customer service so much that we awarded them Silver in the Choose Broadband Awards 2022.

The most recent complaint figures released by Ofcom covering Q3 2021 show EE were one of the least complained about broadband provider with 4 complaints per 100,000 customers, a drop compared to the previous quarters.

EE have kept their complaint levels low for several years now, suggesting customers are happy with the service overall.

This is backed up by the latest Comparing Service Quality report from Ofcom which showed EE were the most likely to be recommended of all major ISPs and also found the following:

While it certainly isn't all plain sailing for EE, they lead in a number of key areas, not least in keeping their complaints down and answering the phone quickly.

For the purposes of this EE broadband review, we're happy to highlight their customer service record as a major selling point.

Verdict: Is EE broadband any good?

EE aren't the cheapest broadband provider around, but they do offer incentives for loyal mobile customers and a customer service record that is difficult for other providers to match.

As our EE home broadband review has shown, EE have plenty going for them including:

• Good mix of price and quality
• Low complaint numbers
• Ultrafast services available in certain locations
• Tie-ins with their pay monthly mobile services
• Reward customers who don't want to take a landline with lower prices

It's a shame that EE TV is no more - although Apple TV 4K has its charms, competitors like BT, Sky and Virgin are leagues ahead on entertainment.

Plus, while their ultrafast broadband deals are certainly competitive, they are only available to 6.4 million households at the time of writing, so many customers will have to wait a little longer for EE full fibre to arrive in their area.

All things considered, however, EE is a top option for customers searching for a solid broadband package, especially if they want to ditch the landline and have an EE mobile contract to take advantage of discounts and perks.