EE broadband review 2024: Is it any good?
Dan Howdle • July 3rd, 2024
EE is hailed as the UK’s number one mobile network thanks to its extensive 4G and 5G coverage. And now, unexpectedly, it's now one of the UK's very best broadband providers – certainly the fastest, and with a number of features unmatched by its competitors. Let's take a closer look.
Results of our broadband survey
We interviewed 6,000 household broadband decision makers in 2021. This is how SSE broadband customers rated their service:
| Installation/switching | |
| Speed satisfaction | |
| Reliability |
| Equipment/routers | |
| Value for money | |
| Likeliness to recommend |
Our review of EE broadband
g EE has been owned by BT for many years at this point, and as such shares much of its technology – including its routers – and offers similarly specced broadband packages. EE is, however, more than just a BT subsidiary and has to some extent fostered its own unique and respected broadband identity that looks to tie together your broadband, mobile and indeed TV under one banner. So what does it have to offer in 2024?
Reasons to buy
- Fastest broadband in the UK
- Good choice for EE mobile customers
- Very good router
- Unique features for gamers and home workers
- EE TV is now worth having
Reasons to avoid
- Full Fibre packages not available to everyone
Fastest broadband in the UK (up to 1.6Gbps)
With full fibre (called Fibre Max in the EE family of packages), you can get speeds of up to 1.6Gbps. However, availability is limited to around one in three homes at the time of writing (check the date at the top of this page). Virgin Media comes pretty close to these speeds with its 1.13Gbps Gig1 package, and you're more likely to be able to get it as it's available to around two thirds of the country. Whether anyone needs 1.6Gbps however is another question entirely. We would argue no one does.
EE mobile customer benefits
If you’re already an EE Mobile customer you can get up to a discount on your monthly broadband fee. You’ll also get free additional data to on your mobile deal (provided it's not already unlimited) add to your existing limits if you also sign up to EE Broadband. With ‘unlimited’ fast becoming the preferred option on mobile data, however, it’s arguable whether this offer will continue to be useful down the line.
Smart Hub Plus router
The Smart Hub Plus router was launched in June 2023 and is one of the best free routers out there (fre as in it comes with your broadband deal). Especially considering that EE Broadband isn’t expensive, that means you’ll be getting pretty good value for money. It's capable of delivering up to 1.6Gbps (way more than any currently available broadband package from EE offers, so quite future-proof). It uses up to and including the latest Wi-Fi 6 protocols meaning it's both fast and rangey.
Work mode and Game mode
More than just buzzwords, these modes are available from within the EE Broadband app. Work mode prioritises work-related traffic so someone downloading in another room can't drop you out of your Zoom meeting, for example. Game mode is much more meaningful. It understands which game or games you're playing and routes your connection to the best server to cut latency. Coupled an EE Full Fibre connection, lag is likely to be so close to zero as means nothing, giving gamers if not an advantage at least a level playing field with the best connected other players.
BT TV is now EE TV, and it's worth having!
BT clearly no longer wants to focus on TV, having in 2023 both sold its BT Sport service (now owned by Warner Bros under the TNT Sports brand), and abandoned BT TV altogether, rebranding it EE TV – a move that's quite confusing both for existing BT TV customers and to anyone planning to get a BT Broadband and TV bundle.
The good news is that since BT TV was a fully fleshed out service with the ability to get both live TV, Freeview, Sports, Movies, kids and so on as you please, so too now is EE TV – and you can now get it with your EE Broadband deal. Both the EE TV Box Pro (formerly the BT TV Box Pro) or the Apple TV device are offered rolled in with those deals. The former is a dedicated EE TV set-top box, while the latter is an anything box which ultimately has a bit more flexibility.
-
Full Fibre 500 Essentials- 500Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£34.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Full Fibre 150 Essentials
- 149Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£29.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Full Fibre 50 Essentials
- 51Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£29.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract
Overview
Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find in an EE broadband deal.
| Average download speed | 10Mbps-1.6Gbps |
|---|---|
| Average upload speed | 1Mbps-115Mbps |
| Broadband | Fibre, Full Fibre |
| Home Phone | Optional |
| Prices from | £21.50 per month |
EE Broadband speeds
EE has a very, very wide range of speeds which can be quite hard to get to grips with if you're just trying to list them all out. The easiest way to understand EE Broadband's offering is to know first that the broadband packages you will be shown will depend on the type of broadband you can get. There are three types of broadband widely available in the UK: ADSL (10-11Mbps), Superfast Fibre (36-67Mbps), and Full Fibre (37-1600Mbps).
If you can get Full Fibre where you live (about one in three households), you will be offered seven Full Fibre packages ranging from 37Mbps to 1.6Gbps, but importantly you won't be shown any Superfast Fibre or ADSL packages. If you can get Superfast Fibre but can't get Full Fibre, you will only be shown Superfast Fibre packages (36Mbps or 67Mbps), but won't be shown any Full Fibre packages you can't have, and you won't be shown ADSL packages unless you can get literally nothing else (about 2% of UK households can still only get ADSL).
This makes much more sense when you consider that EE Broadband wants you on the latest technology, whatever that might be, and will only allow you to use an older technology if you can't get anything else.
| Package | Download speed | Upload speed |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Broadband | 10Mbps | 1Mbps |
| Fibre 36 Essentials | 36Mbps | 9.5Mbps |
| Fibre 67 Essentials | 67Mbps | 19Mbps |
| Full Fibre 36 Essentials | 36Mbps | 9.5Mbps |
| Full Fibre 50 Essentials | 67Mbps | 19Mbps |
| Full Fibre 150 Essentials | 149Mbps | 28Mbps |
| Full Fibre 300 Essentials | 308Mbps | 49Mbps |
| Fibre Max 500 Essentials | 500Mbps | 73Mbps |
| Full Fibre Gigabit Essentials | 900Mbps | 110Mbps |
| Busiest Home Bundle | 1.6Gbps | 115Mbps |
EE landlines are on their way out
While we don't believe there will be a time anytime in the near future where you can't get a landline from any broadband provider, EE Broadband is one of the handful of major providers which is, right now, ceasing to advertise (or 'push') landlines on or to its customers. You can add a landline or calling package during the checkout process, but for the most part, EE Broadband is putting its focus on offering broadband either without a landline, or with pay-as-you-go calls.
-
Full Fibre 500 Essentials
- 500Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£34.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Full Fibre 150 Essentials
- 149Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£29.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
Full Fibre 50 Essentials
- 51Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£29.99 per month(increases on the 31st March 2025 by CPI +3.9%)£0 one-off cost24 month contract
Routers and installation
EE Broadband updated its router offering last year. It now provides the same excellent router for all of its packages, the EE Smart Hub Plus.
EE Smart Hub Plus specifications
Here are the basic specifications for the EE Smart Hub Plus:
Here are the specs for the EE Smart Hub:
- Wi-Fi Spec – Wi-Fi 6, 802.11ax, 2.4GHz 3×3, 5GHz 4×4
- Smart Wireless – Yes
- Complete Wi-Fi Support – Yes (Smart WiFi Plus)
- Wired Connections – 1 x 2.5GigE WAN, 4 x 1GigE LAN
- USB port – Yes (USB 3)
- On/off light control – Yes
- Integrated password card – Yes
- Digital Voice Support – Yes (DECT/FXS)
- DSL Technology – ADSL2+ / VDSL / FTTC / FTTP
- Hybrid Connect Support – Yes
Installation
You can sign up to EE broadband online, over the phone or in-store. There is no more waiting for letters in the post from your supplier – EE will email and text you, letting you know the date of your broadband activation day.
You can also track your order online in your My EE account, once you’ve set it up. The router will be delivered by post and should fit through your letterbox, so there’s no sitting around waiting for an engineer to visit.
Your router will come with setup instructions but there are also guides on the EE website detailing how to do it and the best places to keep it, such as away from thick carpets, windows or other electrical devices. Plug your router in and turn the power on and you will see the light on the front run through several colours. Once it goes a steady aqua-blue your Hub will be ready.
EE says it will fine-tune your line when it is activated to make sure you’re getting the fastest and most reliable connection possible. You may notice your connection drops or your speed goes up and down during the first ten days while this is being done.
Check out our guide for more information on how to switch broadband providers.
Reliability
EE may be owned by BT, but it doesn’t seem to have the same reliability issues as its parent company, possibly on account of its much smaller user base. It is worth checking its online forums though, as some customers do report times when the network seems to be slow.
In recent years, EE has been one of the most complained about broadband providers, but the latest Ofcom figures shows another annual improvement (the latest in a series), with a 17% drop in customer complaints in Ofcom's latest report, indicating its problems are either a thing of the past or certainly being addressed.
EE is streets ahead of many of its competitors when it comes to answering its calls though, should you need to get in touch directly, with a call waiting time of just 53 seconds. Impressive when you consider waiting times with competitors like Virgin Media and Sky are four times and twice as long respectively.
Customer service
There are several options for speaking to EE customer service. You can visit one of its branches or phone them at their UK or Ireland-based call centres. You can also contact EE support through social media using Twitter or Facebook if you prefer.
EE also offers a sporadic live chat service on its website, or you can find self-help solutions in EE’s free mobile app or a range of ‘how to’ videos on their YouTube channel. Alternatively you can visit the EE online community to find answers to questions you may have.
There is a big window to get through on the phone though and EE does at least have one of the industry’s shortest waiting times. Phone lines are open from 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm on weekends.
Calls from EE mobiles on pay monthly or EE landlines are free at any time. PAYG customers are charged 25p per calls, and calls from non-EE landlines or mobiles will be subject to varying charges.
One helpful option for technical support with your home broadband is to text ‘HELP’ to 60071 from your mobile phone (charges may apply at your standard rate). EE will then run tests on your connection and book you an engineer appointment or have their support team contact you, depending on the outcome. EE broadband support by SMS is available ​​Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm.
Benefits and extras
If you are also an EE Mobile customer or even better, thinking of becoming one, at the time of writing (check date at top of this page) EE was offering £20 off new unlimited SIM deals if you take out EE Broadband.
Our verdict: Excellent
EE Broadband has changed a lot in the past 12 months. It now has a rather good TV option available where previously there was none. It's the fastest widely available provider and its router, the EE Smart Hub Plus, is up there among the best 'free' routers offered with a broadband deal. And instead of giving EE Mobile customers a bit of extra data they probably don't need, you can get £20 per month off an EE unlimited SIM when you take out EE Broadband.
What’s our overall verdict? EE broadband is the best there is if you are looking for fast Full Fibre broadband, and especially if you are already or considering becoming an EE Mobile customer. The 24 month contracts are too long, that's a downside and there's no getting round that. But on balance it comes highly recommended.
