Broadband in Southampton
Browse the latest broadband speeds, deals, and providers in Southampton.
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Famous for its maritime legacy and home to the interactive SeaCity Museum and Titanic model, Southampton is charting a strong course in the world of broadband.
As of May 2025, Southampton ranks second nationwide for internet performance, boasting a median download speed of 150Mbps and an impressive average of 272Mbps, according to the Fair Internet Report.
While broadband speed still depends on your exact location and provider, Southampton consistently outpaces many UK cities - leaving even its historic seafaring rival Liverpool in its digital wake. Brighton and Hove may edge ahead on peak speeds, but Southampton’s broadband reliability helps keep it cruising along nicely.
Who are the best internet providers in Southampton?
Like other major UK cities, Southampton has a choice of broadband providers, with some being more popular than others.
Virgin Media Southampton broadband
The Fair Internet Report ranks Virgin Media as Southampton's most popular internet provider. Download speeds for most users are between 132Mbps and 364Mbps.
According to thinkbroadband data for May 2025, Virgin Media's cable network has 82.62% coverage in Southampton. That's much higher than Virgin's average coverage nationally.
Compare Virgin Media broadband deals
TalkTalk Southampton broadband
According to Fair Internet Report data from June 2025, TalkTalk is a popular provider in Southampton but among the slowest.
TalkTalk mainly focuses on its full fibre services, but there are also hybrid fibre deals for those homes in Southampton that don't yet have full fibre.
For TalkTalk hybrid fibre, choose from:
- Fibre 35 with an average download speed of 38Mbps
- Fibre 65 with an average download speed of 67Mbps
A full fibre connection unlocks a broader range of deals at higher speeds, including the ultrafast Full Fibre 900 with an average download speed of 944Mbps.
Compare TalkTalk broadband deals
Hyperoptic Southampton broadband
The altnet Hyperoptic reached Southampton in 2016 after starting life in London. In 2021 they announced they had succeeded in connecting 4,000 council homes in the port city.
Compare Hyperoptic broadband deals
What other broadband providers are there in Southampton?
Other popular broadband providers with a presence in Southampton, including altnet providers, are:
Zen Internet and Truespeed are altnets, which means they develop their own fibre networks rather than using the widely available BT Openreach one. So they don't cover every area of Southampton. To see exactly what's available for your area, use our postcode checker (above).
Fibre broadband in Southampton
According to UK Government data, the availability of fibre broadband in Southampton is as follows:
Constituency
Hybrid Fibre Coverage/Superfast Availability
Full Fibre Coverage/Gigabit Availability
Romsey and Southampton North
94%
68.1%
Southampton Itchen
97.5%
95.4%
Southampton Test
99.5%
98.2%
What’s the fastest broadband available in Southampton?
Virgin Media stands out in the latest Fair Internet Report as the fastest broadband choice in Southampton, delivering internet speeds that can reach up to 1.1Gbps. This is part of a commitment Virgin made in 2019 to bring gigabit speeds to nearly 15 million homes by the end of 2021.
We don't have an exact figure for Virgin's coverage in Southampton but we do know that it had already reached 100,000 potential connections in 2019. We can assume that the number of properties able to access gigabit-capable Virgin broadband is significantly higher now.
Their service is powered by a combination of fibre optic and hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) technology, creating one of the city’s most robust and reliable broadband infrastructures.
In certain areas of Southampton, Virgin Media also provides an optional 2Gbps upgrade, offering equal upload and download speeds for seamless connectivity.
Wondering if your home is within reach of gigabit internet? Use our postcode checker to explore your broadband options in Southampton.
What broadband speed can I expect in Southampton?
According to data from thinkbroadband for the first quarter of 2025, average broadband speeds in Southampton are:
- Download: 272.2Mbps
- Upload: 140.4Mbps
For full fibre broadband, the average speeds in Southampton are:
- Download: 407.3Mbps
- Upload: 297.3Mbps
For part/hybrid fibre broadband, the average speeds in Southampton are:
- Download: 42.8Mbps
- Upload: 9Mbps
What is Southampton broadband coverage like?
The thinkbroadband figures put Southampton’s hybrid broadband coverage at almost 99% (98.8%).
Over 87% of the city can get some form of full fibre broadband, with more than 96% of these connections providing gigabit-capable speeds.
Currently, Virgin Media’s independent cable network covers around 85% of the city.
Is there 5G in Southampton?
Yes, Southampton has 5G coverage. However, 5G is still being rolled out there, so it’s not yet as widespread as 4G in certain areas. Signal quality depends on where you are within the city and your mobile carrier:
EE
The nperf coverage map shows that EE’s 5G coverage in Southampton is best around the Winchester Road and Tebourba Way areas, as well as some dockside locations like:
- West Quay Road
- Platform Road
- Terminus Terrace
Vodafone
While Vodafone boasts extensive 5G coverage throughout Southampton, nperf shows that signal may still be patchy in:
- Royal South Hants Hospital
- Queensway
- Britton Street
Compare Vodafone broadband deals
Three
Aside from main roads like Millbrook Road West and Bitterne Road West, nperf shows that Three’s 5G coverage is restricted to the perimeters of Southampton city centre. This means inner parts of the city might not get signal, including:
- Commercial Road
- West Quay Retail Park
- Bargate Shopping Centre
O2
The nperf data visualisation shows that O2’s current 5G coverage around Southampton is almost like a broken horseshoe shape, with signal concentrated in a few dockside areas like:
- Manne Parade
- Central Bridge
- Northam Road
Check your Southampton broadband speed in under a minute
Wherever you’re based around Southampton - be it near the bustling city centre, by the waterfront in Ocean Village, or among the leafy suburbs of Basset or Bitterne - find out how fast your current internet connection really is with our broadband speed test.
There are lots of reasons why broadband speed can vary, such as:
- Your existing package
- The type of connection you have (e.g., hybrid or full fibre)
- Local network infrastructure
- Nearby physical or environmental interference
For consistently good performance, full fibre broadband generally offers the fastest, most reliable speeds - ideal when it comes to:
- Streaming in 4K
- Online gaming
- Quicker downloads (including large files)
Page last updated 17 June 2025
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.
[1] As of 11th March 2026, there are active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare