Community Fibre vs Virgin Media vs Hyperoptic Broadband
Deciding whether to pick Community Fibre, Virgin Media or Hyperoptic requires careful comparison.
Each provider delivers fast broadband, yet their speed offerings, pricing models, contract terms and geographic reach differ.
The right pick depends on your address, whether you upload a lot, want TV or mobile bundles, and whether symmetrical speeds matter. Below is a comprehensive review across all the key factors.
Speed
Community Fibre now offers a 5Gbps full fibre plan in parts of London, along with other options like 150Mb, 500Mb, 1Gb and 3Gb. That 5Gbps plan comes with special installation and is positioned as London’s fastest residential broadband package. It also includes a whole home mesh solution.
Virgin Media offers two peak speeds depending on infrastructure. In streets upgraded to full fibre (XGS PON), its Gig2 2Gb plan is available. Where full fibre is not yet live, the best you’ll get is Gig1 (1.13Gb) via its cable network. Lower plans include M125 (132Mb) and M500 (516Mb) among others.
Hyperoptic concentrates on full fibre deployment in apartments and newer developments. Its top package is 1Gb, and it offers mid range plans like 150Mb and 500Mb in many of its enabled buildings.
| Provider | Download Speed Range |
|---|---|
| Community Fibre | 35Mb up to 5Gb |
| Virgin Media | 132Mb up to 2Gb (Gig2 in fibre zones, otherwise 1.13Gb) |
| Hyperoptic | 150Mb up to 1Gb |
Because broadband technology and rollout continue evolving rapidly, always verify the maximum available speed for your street before signing.
Upload speed
Community Fibre provides symmetrical speeds on all its full fibre plans. So if you pick 500Mb, you’ll get 500Mb up, and the same goes for the 5Gb plan (5Gb up).
Hyperoptic also ensures matched upload and download speeds across its packages in covered buildings. That makes it a strong option when you create content, stream live or back up large files.
Virgin Media’s cable network is asymmetric: Gig1 typically offers about 104Mb upload. The new Gig2 full fibre option raises that to ~200Mb upload. The difference is meaningful if your household often sends large files, uses offsite backups or relies on video conferencing.
| Provider | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| Community Fibre | Symmetrical – up to 5Gb |
| Hyperoptic | Symmetrical – up to 1Gb |
| Virgin Media | Up to 104Mb on Gig1, up to 200Mb on Gig2 (full fibre areas) |
Price
Broadband pricing shifts frequently with promotions. To compare fairly, the social tariff or entry deals are often the most stable reference point.
- Community Fibre’s “Essential 35” offers 35Mb symmetrical for £12.50 per month. It is one of the lowest FTTP broadband prices in the UK.
- Virgin Media’s social offer is £12.50 for 15Mb under its “Essential Broadband.” There is also an “Essential Broadband Plus” version at £20 for 54Mb.
- Hyperoptic’s “Fair Fibre” program gives 50Mb at £15 and 150Mb at £20, with generally flexible contract terms.
For standard (non social) deals, Virgin Media tends to cost more, but it includes TV bundles that others do not. Community Fibre often undercuts it on pure broadband, while Hyperoptic sits in between, offering good value in coverage zones.
Community Fibre also runs periodic special offers. For example, its 500Mb plan was offered at £20/month (24 month contract) as a limited deal.
| Provider | Speed Range | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre | 35Mb up to 5Gb | £12.50 to £56 |
| Virgin Media | 132Mb up to 2Gb (Gig2 in fibre zones, otherwise 1.13Gb) | £25 to ~£70+ |
| Hyperoptic | 50Mb up to 1Gb | £15 to £35 |
WiFi router
Community Fibre provides Linksys WiFi 6 mesh units on most of its faster plans. For the 5Gbps package, they bundle a Vantiva WiFi 6 router plus whole home mesh support.
Hyperoptic supplies its “Hyperhub” hardware, including the ZTE H3600 Wi-Fi 6 model in many properties.
Virgin Media issues Hub 3, Hub 4 and Hub 5 devices across its cable footprint. In full fibre streets (Gig2), the Hub 5x is used and includes a 10Gb Ethernet port to support higher internal network demands.
| Provider | Routers | Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre | Linksys MX20 / MX57 / SPNMX55CF Technicolor FGA5330 Nokia G 2426G A | SPNMX55CF: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), dual band AX5400 3 LAN + 1 WAN gigabit ports Used on most full fibre packages Technicolor FGA5330 used on 5Gb plans Nokia G 2426G A used in Surrey and Sussex installs All models support mesh and gigabit throughput |
| Virgin Media | Hub 3 Hub 4 Hub 5 Hub 5x | Hub 3: WiFi 5, 4 × 1Gb Ethernet ports Hub 4: WiFi 5, improved performance over Hub 3 Hub 5: WiFi 6, 1 × 2.5Gb + 3 × 1Gb Ethernet ports Hub 5x: WiFi 6, 1 × 10Gb + 3 × 1Gb ports (for Gig2 and full fibre) Hub 5x used only on full fibre (XGS-PON) network |
| Hyperoptic | Zyxel EX3301 ZTE H3600 Nokia Hyperhub | WiFi 6 support on newer models Dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) with automatic band steering 4 LAN gigabit ports + 1 WAN port Mesh expansion supported Supplied based on building type and package |
The router choice matters if your home has many rooms, solid walls or many connected devices. A strong mesh or high-end router helps maintain usable speeds throughout.
Landline, TV and mobile SIM
If you want a broadband provider that bundles TV and mobile options, Virgin Media is the only one that does. Their packages include the TV 360 box (hundreds of channels and DVR features), and mobile SIM bundles tied to O2 under the Volt brand.
Community Fibre offers Netgem TV as an optional add-on. It supports Freeview channels and apps, and allows recording via external USB drives.
Hyperoptic does not provide a TV service, focusing purely on broadband. It does, however, offer optional VoIP calling add-ons.
| Provider | TV | Mobile / Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre | Netgem TV (add-on, Freeview + apps) | VoIP only |
| Virgin Media | TV 360 box (HD/UHD, 230+ channels) | O2 SIM bundles (Volt) |
| Hyperoptic | Not available | VoIP (add-on) |
If your household uses a lot of streaming and traditional TV channels, Virgin Media’s integration with content services gives it an edge, but you’ll pay for it.
Short term contract options
Hyperoptic offers monthly rolling plans on certain packages, which is useful for renters, transitions or flexible stays. A setup cost typically applies.
Community Fibre offers 12 and 24 month contracts in most cases. Its offers page does not emphasise a month-to-month option.
Virgin Media allows a 30 day rolling option in some areas, but the cost is much higher compared to standard 18 or 24month deals. Setup or rolling fees may also apply.
| Provider | Contract Lengths | Rolling / ShortTerm Option |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre | 12, 18 or 24 months | No rolling option |
| Virgin Media | 24 months | 30 day rolling available (higher cost) |
| Hyperoptic | 12 or 24 months | One month rolling available (setup fee applies) |
If you do not plan to stay long at a property, Hyperoptic’s flexibility is an attractive feature.
Availability
Community Fibre is confined to London but covers a wide range of boroughs. It has passed many premises and continues to expand within the capital.
Hyperoptic serves properties in major cities, especially flats and new developments. It has passed about 1.9 million premises under its own infrastructure and is now reselling Openreach full fibre to reach more areas.
Virgin Media has the broadest footprint. Its combination of cable and new full fibre (via nexfibre) reaches many urban and suburban areas across the United Kingdom. nexFibre alone has passed more than two million homes.
Outside London or major cities, Virgin Media is most likely to be available; Community Fibre and Hyperoptic are stronger inside dense zones or enabled buildings.
| Provider | Coverage | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fibre | 1.3 million premises in London | London only (active in all 32 boroughs) |
| Virgin Media | 7 million premises 60% of UK | cable + full fibre via nexfibre rollout |
| Hyperoptic | 1.9 million premises | Own network Also using Openreach fibre |
Customer service
Ofcom’s official complaint tables include large providers like Virgin Media but often exclude Community Fibre and Hyperoptic due to their smaller scale. Virgin Media has consistently shown a complaint level above the industry average, particularly around customer support, transitions and fault resolution.
Independent reviews and customer forums tend to rate Community Fibre and Hyperoptic more favourably for responsiveness, clarity of contracts and fewer surprise charges. But those are anecdotal and should be taken as complementary, not conclusive.
Verdict
If you live in London and have access to the service, Community Fibre delivers symmetrical fullfibre, including a 5Gbps option, plus mesh Wi-Fi included. It is among the best ways to get ultra high speed with upload parity inside a city.
Virgin Media is unmatched in reach and in integrating TV and mobile packages. In fibre enabled streets, its Gig2 plan is among the fastest available nationally, and if your needs for upload aren’t extreme, it offers a good balance.
Hyperoptic is an excellent option in buildings where it’s installed. It offers symmetrical fibre speeds, flexible contracts and competitive pricing, especially for households that heavily use upload or cloud services.
