POP Telecom broadband review 2024: Is it any good?
Dan Howdle • September 30th, 2024
You may not have heard of Pop Telecom, but this family-owned business, based in Essex, has been trading for more than 20 years. So how does it fare against its competitors here in 2024?
The company now offers everything from ADSL to Standard Fibre to Full Fibre, with the company boasting rural broadband options. Does it live up to its promises? Let's take a look.
Broadband speeds
Pop Telecom now offers a range of broadband packages, including standard ADSL with an average download speed of 11Mbps and Full Fibre options for more demanding users. The Full Fibre packages offer a choice between 220Mbps, 330Mbps, and 1000Mbps, which provide faster and more reliable internet for households that need a little more oomph (and that can get it).
Pop Telecom Full Fibre
Pop Telecom’s Full Fibre options offer significantly faster speeds. For example, the Full Fibre 220 package can download ten songs in around three seconds, while the UltraFast Full Fibre 1000 can download the same album almost instantly.
These full fibre packages cater to those with large households, gaming needs, or home businesses requiring stable and fast connections. You can check if Full Fibre is available in your area using our national broadband postcode checker.
Upload speeds
Upload speeds vary with each package. For standard ADSL, you can expect upload speeds of around 1Mbps, but full fibre packages offer much faster speeds. The Full Fibre 220 package, for instance, provides an upload speed of 20Mbps, while the UltraFast Full Fibre 1000 offers 115Mbps, making it perfect for households full of gamers and streamers.
Traffic management and unlimited data
Pop Telecom promises truly unlimited data, with no traffic management. This means there’s no throttling of your connection even during peak times, allowing you to enjoy stable speeds no matter how much data you use.
Choose a speed that you need
Depending on your household's internet usage, Pop Telecom offers a range of speeds that should suit you. While the Standard Fibre (or ADSL if you can't get anything else) options may suffice for basic browsing and email, Full Fibre packages are better suited for gaming, video streaming, or multiple simultaneous users. Our guide to broadband speed can help you decide what’s best for you.
-
£50 gift cardSuperfast- 61Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- PAYG calls
- £50 Gift Card
£27.00 per month(prices may change during contract)£50 gift card£5 one-off cost24 month contract -
£80 gift cardFull Fibre 500
- 500Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- PAYG calls
- £80 Gift Card
£33.00 per month(prices may change during contract)£80 gift card£5 one-off cost24 month contract -
£60 voucherFibre Broadband- 74Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
- £60 Amazon Voucher
£35.00 per month£60 voucher£0 one-off cost24 month contract
Router and installation
Pop Telecom charges an additional £9.99 for router delivery, which is added to your first bill. If you require a new line installation, there will be extra charges as well, with the setup generally taking around two weeks.
Router
When you sign up for one of Pop Telecom's ADSL or Standard Fibre packages, you’ll be sent the TP-Link VR400 router. This dual-band device can handle speeds up to 100Mbps and includes four ethernet ports and three antennae to ensure solid Wi-Fi coverage.
However, for customers on Full Fibre packages, Pop Telecom likely offers more advanced routers to support higher speeds and larger data requirements. We say 'likely' because at the time of writing the Pop Telecom website was down and we were unable to verify. However, it is pretty certain you'll get a better router than the VR400 with Full Fibre simply because it's not capable of handling Full Fibre's faster speeds.
Reliability
Pop Telecom uses the Openreach network, which covers 99.8% of the UK. Although Pop Telecom is too small to be featured in Ofcom’s regular reports, it holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.0 stars from over 8,000 reviews, suggesting a reasonably good level of satisfaction among its customers.
Customer service
Pop Telecom’s UK-based customer service is available via phone, live chat, and social media. Their phone lines are open from 9am to 6pm daily at 0343 538 6611. Though they are a smaller company, customer feedback indicates some recurring issues, such as unexpected charges for line and router assurance.
Pop Telecom does not feature in Ofcom’s customer service reports, but customers frequently mention their transparent communication and quick issue resolution, especially for broadband installation and troubleshooting.
Conclusion
Pop Telecom is evolving, now offering Full Fibre packages with competitive speeds that bring it closer to more prominent broadband providers. While it may not provide the lowest prices, its Full Fibre options make it worth considering, particularly if you’re in an area with limited providers.
The company’s focus on rural broadband, niche demographics, and simple package structures are appealing to those they target. However, potential customers should be aware of past customer service issues and the risk of hidden charges. As with any provider, carefully review the contract details before signing up.
