Broadband in Scotland
Browse the latest broadband speeds, deals, and providers in Scotland.
How to compare
Switching to a better deal? We’ve got you covered. Follow these simple steps to find a package that suits your needs....
1: Enter your details
Add your address and we’ll instantly show you the deals available in your area.
2: Choose the deal for you
Filter your results by speed, price, provider and contract length to find the right deal.
3: Complete your switch
Follow the link to the broadband provider’s site and sign up. Thanks to One Touch Switch, there’s no need to tell your current provider you’re leaving.
Reviewed by Catherine Hiley
Information on this page was reviewed by our fact-checkers before it was published. Learn more about our fact checking process and our editorial guidelines.
Page last updated 17 April 2025
The vast majority of people living in Scotland have access to a wide range of broadband deals, allowing you to compare your options.
Yet, Scotland is “the least connected of the UK’s four nations”, according to regulator Ofcom. Delivering fast broadband is particularly challenging in the remote and island parts of Scotland.[2]
The Scottish government is working to change that with one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in Europe.
‘Reaching 100’ (R100) aims to give around 113,000 homes and businesses a faster broadband connection.[3] Almost all the connections being created or upgraded through R100 will be full fibre, which is currently the best technology available for delivering the fastest broadband speeds.
There’s already been a lot of progress. 2024 saw a significant increase in full fibre broadband availability and takeup across Scotland. As for rural broadband, Scotland saw the fastest increase in superfast coverage of any part of the UK.[2]
Use our broadband checker for Scotland
62% of homes in Scotland have access to a full fibre network, compared to the UK average of 69%[2].
Living in a city means you’re more likely to have the best type of connection. The Go.Compare address checker lets you see exactly what deals are available for your home, wherever you live in Scotland.
You can also read specific guides to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow broadband.
Who are the top internet providers in Scotland?
Commercial operators either cover, or plan to cover, around 94% of Scotland with superfast broadband services. The Scottish government’s infrastructure work is mainly aimed at reaching the remaining 6%.[4]
Most commercial broadband providers in Scotland use the network developed and maintained by BT Openreach. So there’s no difference in the technology they use to deliver their service. The exceptions are Virgin Media and a few altnets.
Virgin Media Broadband
Virgin Media has 26 Points of Presence (POPs) in Scotland. These are basically the access points that telecommunications providers set up to allow connection. The Virgin Media infrastructure in Scotland is heavily concentrated in the south and there are no POPs north of Dundee.[5]
If your part of Scotland has access to Virgin’s cable network, you can expect speeds of up to 2,000Mbps (that’s 2Gbps, well into the gigabit broadband category). The top speeds available to you will depend on where you live, so use our postcode checker to see the options.
City Fibre (network provider)
City Fibre is the UK’s largest independent full fibre provider, so it’s not surprising that it has an extensive network in Scotland. It has laid over 1,672km of cables in Glasgow alone.[6]
CityFibre is focused on building infrastructure and doesn’t deliver a broadband service directly to customers. In Scotland they partner with big names like TalkTalk and Vodafone as well as less-known providers such as Cuckoo and Zen Internet.
BT Broadband
BT is Scotland’s biggest developer of broadband infrastructure. It’s a key partner of the Scottish government project to bring full fibre everywhere. Most broadband providers in Scotland use BT Openreach cables to deliver their service.
BT’s own broadband service is one of them. After acquiring the EE brand, BT is gradually moving towards using this as the badge for its home broadband packages.
What are the best Scotland broadband deals?
Finding the best broadband deal for you is the same process whether you live in Scotland or not.
- Work out what broadband speed you need
- Decide how long you want to commit for - you’ll often pay more per month for a short-term broadband contract, but it may be worth it for the extra flexibility
- Find out what deals are available for your home - use the Go.Compare address search for this
- Compare based on the factors that matter to you - price and speed are usually the main considerations, but the provider’s reputation matters too
Superfast Fibre Broadband In Scotland
Most homes and businesses in Scotland have access to superfast broadband, which is a pretty broad category. Ofcom currently defines it as anything above 30Mbps, so a broadband speed can be much slower than average and still count as “superfast”.
The good news for Scotland is that half of homes and businesses have access to internet connections capable of delivering ultrafast broadband - that’s 300Mbps and above.[7]
Put your postcode into our address search to see what speeds are available for your address.
How to find the cheapest broadband in Scotland?
We suggest you start by using our address checker to see which providers cover your address and what deals they’re offering. Then it’s easy to sort the available deals by price.
Use our bandwidth calculator to see what speed you realistically need.
If you’re struggling to afford broadband, you might be eligible for a social tariff. Many broadband providers offer these basic packages at a reduced rate to help people with money worries stay online. You usually have to be in receipt of certain means-tested benefits.
How to switch broadband
Thanks to Ofcom, every provider of fixed-line broadband now has an obligation to make switching as straightforward as possible.
Our useful guide to One Touch Switch explains more.
Can I leave my broadband contract early?
Yes, but your provider will probably charge you a fee for leaving before the minimum term is up. Read more in our handy guide to your broadband cancellation rights.
What broadband speed can I expect in Scotland?
Almost every home or business in Scotland has access to a superfast connection, so you’ll usually get at least 30Mbps.
77% of homes in Scotland have gigabit-capable broadband.[2] That means that the network has the capacity to deliver speeds of over 1,000Mbps, although you won’t necessarily actually get those speeds from any broadband provider.
In Scotland the fastest rural broadband tends to be delivered through fibre only. Urban areas are more likely to be served by both fibre and HFC (the hybrid fibre-coaxial broadband used by Virgin).[2]
There’s lots of variation in broadband speeds across Scotland, even at the level of individual streets. The street with the slowest speeds is in a suburb of Aberdeen and the one with the fastest is in Elgin.[8]
What is broadband coverage like?
96% of homes and businesses in Scotland have access to superfast broadband (over 30Mbps).[2]
0.5% are without access to what the UK government terms “decent” broadband (a minimum of 10Mbps). This is around 16,000 homes and businesses, down from 18,000 in 2023.
4G coverage is good. Scotland has the highest levels of indoor coverage from all four mobile network operators in the UK.
In the really hard-to-reach areas of Scotland, some people are turning to satellite internet as an alternative to fixed lines. Users of the commercial Starlink service doubled between August 2023 and June 2024, although they’re still a tiny minority of Scotland’s broadband users.
Check your broadband speed today
Use our broadband speed checker to see what speed you’re currently getting.
How to compare broadband deals in Scotland
Even canny Scots can benefit from our help when it comes to comparing deals. Your options will depend heavily on what part of Scotland you’re in. So we suggest you:
- Put your postcode into our address checker to see what’s available for your home
- Sort the results by price and speed - The fastest broadband isn’t necessarily the best if you’re paying for speeds you don’t need. So use our bandwidth calculator to get a clearer idea of what your household needs before you commit
- Sign up with your new provider - that’s it
Once you’ve chosen a deal, switching to your new broadband provider is easy. A simple system called One Touch Switch applies to fixed-line broadband services throughout Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.
If you opt for a mobile broadband service or satellite broadband (like increasing numbers of people in rural Scotland) then One Touch Switch won’t apply, but you still have the right to compare and choose without unnecessary hassle.
[1] As of 11th March 2026, there are active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare
[2] Ofcom, Connected Nations: Scotland Report 2024
[3] Scottish government, About Reaching 100%
[4] Scottish government, About broadband
[5] Virgin Media Business network map,
[6] CityFibre, CityFibre lays enough full fibre to stretch ten times the length of the River Clyde
[7] BT Openreach, New broadband network reaches half of Scotland
[8] Daily Record, Scotland's slowest and fastest areas for internet named - see the full list