Community Fibre Broadband Review | Is Community Fibre Broadband a Good Choice?
Community Fibre Broadband is a London-based broadband provider that offers high-speed full fibre connections of up to 3Gbps. It uses its own fibre network, so does not run on the Openreach network used by the majority of UK providers, meaning it has more control over service and speed. FTTP, also known as full fibre, removes the need to rely on copper phone lines and instead connects fibre cables straight to your home. You can check if Community Fibre broadband is available in your area by using our Fibre Compare postcode checker.
Community Fibre: The positives
- Fully symmetric upload and download speeds
- No need to install a landline or pay line rental
- 3Gbps fibre broadband plans, which are among the fastest in the market
- Linksys Velop Wi-Fi router provided
- Good value deals and no hidden charges
Community Fibre: The negatives
- Only available in selected London boroughs, although they are working to expand in new locations
- Limited TV add-ons, so no premium channels offered
- Not much in the way of extras
- You can't call international or premium numbers
How much does Community Fibre Cost?
Community Fibre offers great value, with prices to suit most budgets. Prices start from £20 and customers can choose between a 12 or 24 month contract. If you are a student in London, you could be eligible for a Community Fibre student discount deal. We have rounded up all of the Community Fibre deals and plans currently available. Like most major broadband providers in the UK, Community Fibre has annual broadband price rises. This price will change every April and is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure. You can read more about mid contract increases on Community Fibre’s Frequently Asked Questions.
Our Community Fibre rating for cost: 8
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How fast is Community Fibre Broadband?
Community Fibre offers much faster broadband speeds than most other UK providers, ranging from 50Mbps right the way up to 3Gbps, although this is only available on a 24 month contract. They offer fully symmetric connection, so your upload and download speeds are the same. This is particularly useful for those who work from home or play games online. However, depending on your usage and whether you have multiple people sharing the broadband, or just need it for single use in a small household, your speed requirements will be very different. Community Fibre offers a range of options to suit every household and business to ensure you are not over paying for unnecessary speed. Many homes will find the 75Mb package will be fast enough, but you can read our handy guide to ensure you get the right option for you.
Our Community Fibre rating for speed & connectivity: 8
Which routers are provided and how reliable is the connection?
Community Fibre provides a free Linksys Velop router with intelligent mesh technology to all new customers. Depending on which speed you sign up for you will receive a dual-band model, or those on the fastest plans will receive the tri-band mesh router. These routers broadcast multiple WiFi signals to help ensure you have access to reliable coverage and speeds across all devices. The Linksys app allows you to monitor and manage your home WiFi remotely. You are also able to set parental controls, provide separate guest access and share the login details at the press of a button, or prioritise devices that will need more speed at different times. Community Fibre’s WiFi in every room service uses mesh technology to provide guaranteed WiFi coverage in up to five bedrooms and 12 rooms in total across three floors.
Our Community Fibre rating for installation & equipment : 8
How easy is it to install?
All of the Community Fibre packages are FTTP (Fibre to premises) so will need an engineer to come and set it up for you. The engineer will advise you on the best route for internal cabling and best position for your mesh WiFi router before drilling a 6-8mm hole in your wall to bring the fibre optic cable into your home. This will usually be located close to a door, balcony or window. Once they’ve mounted the fibre socket, modem and mesh WiFi router, they will also position any additional routers you’ve ordered to maximise coverage. Before they leave, the engineer will test your speeds through a fixed connection and through WiFi and will connect up to two of your devices. The whole process should take around two hours.
What TV options are available?
Community Fibre broadband offers customers the option to bolt on a TV package, but, it is rather limited. The package includes a large range of free channels and provides free apps, including iPlayer and ITV Hub. However, although you can choose to sign up to Amazon Prime and watch it through your TV box, as yet, it does not support NOW TV, Disney+ or Netflix.
How does the Calls service work?
The Community Fibre calls service is a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service delivered over the internet. So you don't use or pay for a traditional phone line based on the old copper network. You get unlimited calls to the UK, including mobiles. However international calls or calls to premium rate numbers are not available. If you frequently phone abroad or call premium numbers from your landline you will need to look into other options. Similarly, if your broadband is down or there is a power cut you will be unable to make calls to emergency services so you will need to keep a mobile phone handy as your calls service will not work.
Our Community Fibre rating for bundle options: 8
Does Community Fibre have good customer service?
Community Fibre offers a responsive Live Chat service or you can get in touch via social media. You can also phone Community Fibre's customer service team on 0800 082 0770, between 8am-9pm on weekdays and 9am-7pm at weekends, 356 days of the year. Although not quite as flexible as some of the larger providers that can offer 24-hour service, customers report a high level of satisfaction. Due to Community Fibre being a relatively small provider Ofcom does not appear to have statistics available for its customer service standards. However, looking at Trust pilot reviews the response is very positive, with 95% of customers giving them a 5-star rating.
Our Community Fibre rating for customer service: 8
Review Score
We’ve added up everything from each category making our overall Community Fibre rating score: 68/100