Broadband Guide

BE broadband coverage and availability

Updated: Tuesday 1 May, 2012

By Helen Thomas

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Since launch in 2005, BE Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) has grown to cover at least 70% of UK households...

To find out if your house falls within BE’s own broadband network, use our free online postcode checker.

BE Broadband network

BE uses a process known as local loop unbundling (LLU) to install its own equipment in local telephone exchanges, bypassing BT’s wholesale network to potentially save you money with a similar, cheaper service.

There are 5,600 telephone exchanges in the UK connecting your home phone line and the internet. BE Broadband has so far unbundled more than 1,000 exchanges and shares this network with sister company O2.

Using this technology, BE Broadband offers a range of packages, with top speeds of either 10Mb or up to 16Mb. It's also worth remembering that all BE connections offer unlimited broadband with no set usage limit. This could make Be Broadband a good choice for heavy downloaders.

Customers living outside of BE’s own network

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BE does not offer broadband outside of its own network, so if you if your property falls into this category, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Search for the best alternatives using our free online postcode checker.

Speed

BE offers two speeds on its packages - up to 10Mb and up to 16Mb. But like all copper wire phone customers, you won’t necessarily get your advertised speed. Factors including the distance from your exchange and your home’s internal wiring can all slow you down.

When telecom regulator Ofcom tested broadband speeds in November 2011, BE topped the ADSL copper wire category with average download speeds of between 8.8Mb and 10.7Mb.

Superfast broadband availability

In 2011, Be Broadband's managing director, Chris Stening, announced plans to develop a "superfast" fibre broadband service. However, the company has since said: "We're afraid we're not making very good progress on fibre. There are lots of reasons for this, but the bottom line is we're unlikely to launch a service across the BE network in 2012."

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