Broadband in Hull

Page last updated 8 May 2025

Hull is unique among UK cities when it comes to telecoms infrastructure - but not everybody thinks that's a good thing. While every other city and town in the UK is served by the BT Openreach network, a quirk of history means that Hull is the exception.

The main builder of broadband infrastructure in Hull is a company called KCOM. (The ‘K’ comes from the city's full name of Kingston-upon-Hull.)

This state of affairs dates back to the early days of the telephone, before BT got its near-monopoly on cables and wires.

At the start of the 20th century, there were a number of private and council-run telephone networks. Hull was one of six local authorities to get a licence and actually operate a phone service. The others got taken over by the Post Office or the National Telephone Company (which itself then got taken over by the Post Office).

But Hull kept going. Hull Corporation became Hull City Council, which became Kingston Communications and most recently KCOM.

Almost every home and business in Hull gets its broadband via the network that KCOM builds and maintains. The same goes for the nearby town of Beverley and the village of Cottingham.

Who are the top internet providers in Hull?

Hull's singular telecoms setup means that the number of broadband providers serving the Yorkshire city is low.

KCOM

KCOM is by far the biggest and most important internet provider in Hull. They offer a range of broadband packages, from 30Mbps to a super-speedy 900Mbps.

Three

Although KCOM dominates fixed-line broadband in Hull, mobile broadband offers an alternative. Three is the provider with the best 5G coverage in Hull.

If Three's 5G network covers your home, you could get mobile broadband speeds of around 150Mbps on your mobile home broadband.

BeeBu

New provider BeeBu seems to be growing rapidly, especially in the Humber region. It delivers broadband on the BT Openreach network and on networks built by various altnets. In Hull it partners with network builder MS3 to offer a range of broadband packages.

Why aren’t there many broadband options in Hull?

The sight of white rather than red phone boxes should give you a clue that this city does telecoms differently. The cream-coloured boxes, some now with historic building status, were put up by the phone department of Hull Corporation. That's the public body which eventually morphed into provider KCOM.

KCOM in its various incarnations has been responsible for almost all Hull's telecoms infrastructure, and BT never got a look-in. Most UK broadband providers use the BT Openreach network to deliver their services, so they find it hard to operate in Hull. That means fewer broadband options for customers.

Hull broadband alternative providers

The only alternatives to KCOM in Hull are mobile broadband providers (because you don't need a fixed line for that) and a couple of altnets.

Put your postcode into our address checker to see what's available in your part of Hull.

What are the best Hull broadband deals available?

Although the number of providers is limited, there's still competition on price and a variety of deals. Check your options by putting your postcode into our address finder (above). We'll only show you the results that are relevant to you.

Can I get 5G and 4G Home broadband in Hull?

Hull has excellent 4G coverage, so you can feel confident that your home mobile broadband setup will work. The speeds you'll get will be pretty slow compared to fixed broadband - probably below 20Mbps.

5G broadband is faster (see our guide to mobile broadband for more info) but coverage in Hull is patchy. You've read that Three has the best coverage. EE and Vodafone also serve the city.

Use our postcode checker to see the mobile broadband options for your part of Hull.

Is fibre broadband good in Hull?

Hull was the UK's' first full-fibre city’, according to KCOM. The infrastructure provider upgraded its entire network to full fibre in 2019, at a time when just 8% of UK homes and businesses had full fibre access.

A glance at thinkbroadband's Hull data in April 2025 shows that 99.91% of connections in the city are full fibre.

What broadband speed can I expect in Hull?

Hull's full fibre coverage is above average for the UK. So you can expect excellent speeds from fixed broadband in almost every part of the city, and gigabit-capable broadband in some areas. An April 2025 search of the KCOM site showed that their fastest broadband package is Full Fibre 900, offering 900Mbps.

Mobile broadband speeds will depend on whether your part of Hull can get 5G coverage. 5G mobile broadband will deliver over 100Mbps. If you have to fall back on 4G, the speeds will be very slow by today's standards: around 10Mbps.

Check your broadband speed today

Use our broadband speed checker to get an idea of what speeds you're currently getting. This will help when you're comparing your options.

How to find the cheapest broadband package in Hull?

Use our search to see the broadband packages available to you. Then you can sort the results by price.

The monthly price you see is the starting price and will probably go up during the course of your broadband contract. So it's useful to also look at the full contract price. It's quick to compare both on our site.

How to switch broadband

Thanks to an Ofcom measure called One Touch Switch, you don't have to worry about managing the switch to a new provider. Just sign up with your new one and let them handle the rest.

If you're still within the minimum term of your contract with your existing provider, there will probably be fees to pay. So, you might want to wait until the end date is approaching before you compare your choices for a new contract.

Can I leave my broadband contract early?

You can, but your existing provider will probably charge you a fee for leaving before the end date of your contract. Our guide to your broadband cancellation rights explains more.

How to get a better broadband package than what I currently have?

Broadband technology is improving rapidly. So if it's been a while since you last got a new deal, the chances are that you can get much faster speeds. Check your current contract to make sure the minimum term is up, or you'll have to budget for exit fees as well as the payments to your new provider.

Use our address checker to see what you can get where you live. Some tips:

• Don't overpay for speeds you don't need - use our bandwidth calculator to get a rough idea
• If your current provider has shifted you to an expensive rolling contract, try haggling with them for something better - you can always leave if they say no
• Read customer service reviews for your chosen provider before you sign on the dotted line

Can I get broadband without a line?

Yes, you can get broadband without a phone line. Indeed, our research shows that increasing numbers of people in the UK are ditching the landline in their broadband packages.

In most of the UK, BT Openreach is retiring the old copper network of phone lines and replacing it with fibre broadband cables. In Hull, that work is being done by KCOM.

FAQs

Why is there no BT in Hull?

As you've read, Hull has an unusual telecoms setup for historical reasons. While the local phone networks in other UK cities and towns ended up rolled into the General Post Office, Hull held out.

The GPO morphed into Post Office Telecommunications, which eventually brought in the British Telecom brand…which is now the BT Group, with Openreach as a subsidiary. But it didn't have a toehold in Hull.

Meanwhile, the Yorkshire city was going through its own organisational changes: Hull Corporation > Hull City Council > Kingston Communications > KCOM.

This means that while BT Openreach is the body building and maintaining almost all of the UK's telecoms network, it has no coverage in Hull.

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[1] As of 11th March 2026, there are active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare