According to Statistica, in March 2025, around 13% of workers in Great Britain exclusively work from home, with 28% working hybrid and splitting time between home and office.
Whether you’re an employee who needs to be readily available to your team, you’re freelance, or you run your own business from home, it’s vital to be able to rely on a stable, reliable internet connection.
So, what’s the best broadband for working from home?
In this guide, we’ll explain what to look out for when choosing a new broadband package, and how you can get the most out of your home office internet.
Read on for more tips on how to enjoy a trouble-free workday at home.
What makes broadband suitable for working from home?
In most cases, you don’t need anything apart from a standard home broadband package to be able to work from home. But there are a few things to bear in mind.
Reliability
Above all, make sure your workday isn’t disrupted. Choose a provider with a good track record for reliability. We have a ‘Most Reliable Provider’ category in our Broadband Awards to help you, with results based on real customer experience.
Fast download and upload speeds
Most work tasks don’t need ultrafast broadband. But upgrading to full fibre improves reliability and supports demanding tasks.
Part-fibre superfast deals (average speeds of 35Mb–70Mb) are usually fine. But you may struggle if others at home are streaming or downloading large files.
Low latency
Video call services like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet benefit from low latency, helping avoid awkward delays or freezing.
Find out more about that in our guide: 'what is latency?'
Good Wi-Fi coverage in the home
Make sure your Wi-Fi reaches your home office, especially if you can’t use a wired connection.
Many providers offer Wi-Fi guarantees or boosters. You can also buy Wi-Fi boosters or similar solutions yourself.
Back-up if your internet service goes down
No broadband service is completely immune to outages. For peace of mind, some premium broadband packages offer “unbreakable Wi-Fi” — if your broadband fails, a 4G back-up router kicks in.
But this only works well if you have good 4G mobile network coverage at home. BT and Vodafone Pro II offer these packages.
Learn more: What is hybrid broadband?
What broadband speed do I need to work from home?
Here’s a summary of the speeds you need for common tasks. If others are online at the same time, you’ll need more. You’ll find more help in our ultimate guide to broadband speeds.
| Work Task | Min. Download Speed | Min. Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Emailing & Browsing | 10 Mbps | 1-3 Mbps |
| VoIP / video Calls (Zoom, Teams) | 4 Mbps | 3-5 Mbps |
| Working from home with a small family | 35-64 Mbps | 5-10 Mbps |
| Running a business with multiple users | 50-100 Mbps+ | 10+ Mbps |
If fibre isn’t available, you could install a second phone line or use 4G/5G home broadband connection.
Best broadband types for home offices
Fibre optic broadband
If you want broadband suitable for both work and leisure, go for fibre. Most UK homes can now access superfast broadband (35Mb+). ADSL is being phased out by 2027.
This is a competitive market, and ultrafast broadband doesn’t always cost more. Full fibre deals often start under £25 per month — sometimes with rewards like gift cards or bill credit.
Compare broadband with free gifts
Mobile broadband
Mobile broadband (via dongles or routers) is handy if you like to work in different locations. It’s portable and flexible, often contract-free - but deals may have download limits or upfront costs. On the upside, they are often available with no minimum term. You could use this as a temporary back-up.
If you move between homes or want to connect a garden office, mobile home broadband can be a good alternative. For example, Three 5G Home Broadband offers average download speeds of 150Mb and comes with plug-and-play broadband routers and unlimited data.
For a quick and easy overview of the broadband options available at your home address, type your postcode and address into our deals checker.
Best broadband deals for working from home
Start by checking if your home address has been upgraded to a full fibre broadband network. Use our filters to highlight average speeds over 100Mb.
If you only have part-fibre, filter to 60–100Mb instead. Sort by “Monthly Cost” (low to high) to find the best value.
Popular deals include:
- Virgin Media M125 Fibre Broadband
- Sky Full Fibre 150
- Vodafone Full Fibre 150
- Vodafone Pro (with 4G back-up)
Also consider alternative network providers (altnets) like:
These often offer fast upload speeds and excellent customer support.
Tips to boost your home office broadband performance
Even with a fast deal, things can go wrong. Here’s how to fix common issues:
Router placement
Slow speeds can sometimes easily be fixed with a simple relocation of your router. Although you may be restricted by where you can plug it in. Avoid putting your router on the floor or to close to other electronic devices.
Apps such as WiFi Analyzer can help you find the perfect spot for your broadband hub.
For more help, read our guide: ‘Where’s the best place to put a Wi-Fi router?’.
Mesh Wi-Fi
Installing a mesh Wi-Fi network in your home could be a good way of boosting the performance in your home office. You can buy mesh Wi-Fi network systems yourself. Alternatively, some providers do offer these out as part of their broadband product, or as an add-on. These include:
Read our guide on how to speed up slow broadband for more tips.
Upgrading your hardware
One of the easiest ways to upgrade your hardware and save money at the same time is to switch broadband providers.
New customers will receive new kit, but it’s rare for customers out of contract to be sent upgrades.
You can find out more about the hardware included with deals in these router round-ups:
We also give them a mention, where we can, on our provider deals pages.
If you’re keen to kit yourself up with your own hardware, you can also get more tips in our guide: ‘how to buy your own router’.
FAQs
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What broadband speed do I need for group video calls?
Apps like Zoom or Teams need around 3–4Mb for high-quality group calls. But if others are online or smart devices are connected, you’ll be using more bandwidth and a faster deal will be very useful.
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Are business broadband deals better for home use?
Not usually. Business customers may get better support, a static IP, and service-level agreements - but these won’t benefit most home workers. A good home fibre deal is usually enough.
If you’re still keen, you can compare business broadband packages on Broadband Genie.
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Can I get tax relief on home office broadband?
If you’re self-employed, yes — but only for the portion used for work. Employed? Ask your employer if you can claim expenses.
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How do I test my broadband speed?
Easy! Head over to our Broadband Speed Test. Using this you can check your download speed, upload speed and ping rate. This is also a quick way for you to compare deals against your current provider.
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Do I need a static IP address when working from home?
Most home workers won’t need one. But if you:
* Run servers or host services from home
* Need to connect to a business network without a VPN
* Want to assign domain names to local equipment
...then a static IP might be necessary.
Read more: 'What is a static IP address?'
Final thoughts and next steps
With more people working from home or hybrid, good broadband is essential. For most users, standard fibre packages will do the job - but full fibre gives better reliability and handles multiple devices.
If switching isn’t an option, investing in better Wi-Fi hardware (like boosters or mesh kits) can make a big difference.
Need reliable, fast broadband? Use our postcode checker to check availability and compare the best home office deals available in your area.