How to check broadband availability before you move

Checking availability first means you only compare deals you can actually have. Full fibre reaches 82% of UK homes but take-up is only 33%, so many addresses can get faster, cheaper full fibre than people expect (Ofcom, January 2026).

Compare live prices by postcode once you know what is available, and read full fibre versus standard broadband if you are choosing between technologies. Premises unable to get decent broadband fell to 39,000 by January 2026 (Ofcom), and thinkbroadband measured 83.82% full fibre on 7 April 2026. Broadband is one of the few things about a home you can find out for certain before you commit, and it is well worth two minutes of your time. A postcode availability check tells you which technologies reach the address, the top speeds on offer, which providers serve it and roughly what it costs. That means no unwelcome surprises after you have signed: you will know whether you can get a fast, reliable line, or whether the address is a slower spot where you might want a backup plan.

Checking early also lets you line up your deal in advance, so the connection is ready, or nearly ready, the day you move in. For anyone who works from home, that can be the difference between a smooth first week and a scramble. And if the address turns out to be a new build or a hard-to-reach property, you will spot it early and can plan a 4G or 5G stopgap rather than being caught out.

Use a postcode coverage checker to see which networks reach the property. The Openreach checker covers only the Openreach network, so check Virgin Media and alternative networks separately, or use a comparison tool that pulls them together.

A postcode map is the quickest way to see what reaches your street.

1. 1
   Enter the postcode. Use the new home's full postcode in a postcode availability checker. No name, email or phone number needed.
2. 2
   Pick the exact address. Choose your specific house or flat from the list, since availability can differ between neighbouring properties.
3. 3
   Read the technologies and speeds. Look for full fibre first, then note the top download and upload speeds and which providers serve the address.
4. 4
   Compare the deals. Weigh speed, price and contract length, and check what reaches the street on a coverage map for a second view.

Results group into standard (up to about 30 Mbit/s), superfast (about 30 to 300 Mbit/s) and ultrafast or gigabit (over 300 Mbit/s). Superfast covers 98% of UK premises and gigabit-capable 87% (Ofcom, July 2025).

Turn coverage into prices and compare live deals by postcode.

The technology that reaches an address is the biggest factor in the speed and reliability you can expect. Here is how to read what a checker shows you, best first.

For a fuller explanation of how these compare on speed, reliability and price, see our guide to full fibre versus FTTC, cable and 4G/5G. If you are not sure how much speed your household needs, what broadband speed do I need and the broadband speed guide will right-size it for you.

Full fibre (FTTP) runs fibre all the way to the home and is the most future-proof. Part-fibre (FTTC) uses copper for the final stretch. Cable, 4G and 5G are separate options whose availability varies by address.

If you are weighing options, our guide to full fibre versus standard broadband explains the trade-offs.

• Check the exact address by postcode and confirm the technology, top speeds and providers available.
• Confirm full fibre if you can get it, since it is the most future-proof and best for working from home.
• Note the providers and prices so you can compare deals and have a shortlist ready.
• Check the contract you can match to your stay, whether that is a 12-month deal or a rolling plan.
• Flag a new build or blank result early and plan a 4G or 5G stopgap if the fixed line may be slow to arrive.
• Time your order so the connection is ready, or close to it, on move-in day.

If full fibre has not reached you, a 4G or 5G plan bridges the gap, and networks expand constantly. Combined outdoor 5G reached 64% of UK premises by January 2026, up from 47% six months earlier (Ofcom).

Until fibre arrives, a 4G or 5G stopgap while you wait keeps you online.

A blank or very limited result does not always mean the address has no broadband. The most common reason, especially for newer properties, is that the address has not yet been added to the databases that providers use. Before you assume the worst, do a few quick checks.

Try the neighbouring addresses to see what they can get, since that hints at what will reach you. Check a coverage map for a second opinion, and ask the seller, landlord or developer what they have or had. If a fixed line genuinely will take time, line up a a 4G or 5G stopgap if you are not covered yet so you are online from day one.

Very new addresses are sometimes missing from coverage databases because the postcode has not been added yet. Speak to the developer or letting agent about which network serves the building, and use a rolling stopgap until the address is listed.

For a brand-new property, see broadband in a new-build home for the specifics.

If you are switching an existing provider to the new address, that is a home move rather than a switch, and our guide to moving broadband to a new address walks through it. If you are changing provider at the same time, One Touch Switch makes moving between fixed-line providers simpler. For typical timings, see UK broadband installation times. Aim to have the order placed a couple of weeks before you move, and a hub ready in case the dates do not line up perfectly.

Steer around these and you will move in with broadband sorted.

• Not checking before you sign. Confirm the broadband at the exact address before you commit to the home.
• Checking the street, not the property. Availability can differ between neighbouring addresses, so pick the exact one.
• Panicking at a blank result. On a new build it usually means the address is not in the system yet, not that there is no line.
• Leaving the order to moving day. A fixed line can take a couple of weeks, so order ahead of the move.
• No backup plan. If the line may be slow to arrive, have a 4G or 5G hub ready so you are never offline.

Checking availability is the first step. These guides help with the rest of your move:

• Ofcom. (2025). Connected Nations UK report 2025. ofcom.org.uk
• thinkbroadband. (2026, April 17). Full fibre availability increases to 82% of UK premises. thinkbroadband.com
• Ofcom. (2024). One Touch Switch: changing broadband provider. ofcom.org.uk
• Openreach. (n.d.). What to expect during your Full Fibre installation. openreach.com

Figures checked on 2 June 2026. Speeds, prices and contract terms change frequently; confirm live details at the provider before ordering.