Independent · nothing for sale · not connected to any network Guidance line 020 3896 5248 — information only
teesrition
Independent United Kingdom network guidance
Guidance line020 3896 5248 This number is for guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network. Ring it if anything on these pages is unclear.
Guide

Broadband

Two completely different products sold in almost identical language — and the week of testing that tells you which one you have bought.

Written July 2026 · no prices published · nothing for sale

Jump to
Telling the three apartFixed wireless, honestlyMobile and broadband together
Broadband — at a glanceOur summary. Confirm current terms with the provider.
Product one
Fixed-wireless router — a 4G/5G box by post
Product two
Openreach fixed line
Product three
Cable or full fibre
Router speed decided by
The nearest mast and how loaded it is
Fixed-line speed decided by
Your street's wiring and the exchange
Engineer visit
Fixed lines only
Landline
Not included with a router product
How to judge a router product
A full week of real evenings inside the returns window
Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.
01

Telling the three apart

Products
ProductWhat sets the speedInstallation
Fixed-wireless routerThe nearest mast and how busy it isNone — plug it in
Openreach fixed lineYour street's wiring and the exchangeEngineer or self-install
Cable or full fibreWhether your street is wired for itEngineer, usually

Whether your street is cabled has nothing whatever to do with whether your bedroom gets bars.

Do this
  • Establish which of the three is being sold before comparing a single price.
  • Check fixed-line availability at your exact address, separately from mobile coverage.
02

Fixed wireless, honestly

Assessment

A box arrives in the post and you have broadband the same day. No engineer, no digging, no line rental. Also no landline, which matters if somebody in the house still relies on one.

The trade-off is unavoidable: your speed is whatever the nearest mast can spare. Beside a strong, quiet mast it competes with mid-priced fibre. Behind a busy one, evenings sag and nothing indoors will fix it.

Do this
  • Order inside the returns window so you can send it back for nothing.
  • Put the router at the window facing the mast.
  • Use it for a full week of real evenings.
  • Keep it or return it on the evidence, before the window closes.
03

Mobile and broadband together

Bundles

Household bundles do save money, particularly where several mobile lines sit alongside broadband. The trap is emotional rather than financial: one account carrying everything makes leaving feel like a bigger operation than it legally is.

WarningNever accept weak mobile coverage at home in exchange for a broadband discount. Check the two separately and price the household as a whole.
Do this
  • Choose the mobile network on coverage first.
  • Price the household as a whole against buying the two separately.
  • Remember the switching code works identically whether you hold one product or five.

Still unsure after reading this?

Ring us and we will go through it with you. Nothing is offered for sale at any point.

020 3896 5248This number is for guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network. Ring it if anything on these pages is unclear.
Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.

Ring us if these pages do not cover it

We hold no arrangement with any network, take no commission and sell nothing at all. If your question is not answered here, telephone and ask.

020 3896 5248 Guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network.
Network guides
ThreeO2EESky MobileVodafoneTesco MobileSmall networks
Guides A–H
SIM plansPhone plansPrepaideSIMBroadbandCoverageRoamingData limits
Guides I–O
Costs and feesPrice risesNetwork appsSwitchingFaultsScamsUK market
This site
HomeNetworksGuidesAbout usContact
Legal
DisclaimerPrivacy policyTerms and conditionsCookie policy

Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.

© teesrition. Network names belong to their owners and appear only to identify the services described.

One essential cookie plus anonymous visit counting — see the cookie policy.