EE, Plusnet and Community Fibre win the best broadband awards

Uswitch has released the winners of its annual Telecoms Awards for 2026. The comparison site splits the awards across broadband and TV, mobile, and a small group of joint telecoms categories.

A headline for home broadband is EE taking the national prize, while YouFibre kept hold of the regional award for the second year running. On the mobile side, VOXI collected the main “Network of the Year” award and several category wins tied to value and data.

Winner selection method

Uswitch says most of its 2026 awards were decided using a large UK consumer survey. The poll covered 27,188 people and ran between 28 November and 17 December 2025.

A smaller number of categories were decided by a panel of 11 expert judges, drawn from consumer affairs, personal finance and technology. For some performance-led awards, Uswitch references Opensignal data, including measures tied to broadband reliability and mobile network performance such as coverage and speed.

The factors driving broadband and mobile choices

Alongside the awards, Uswitch shared a snapshot of what telecoms customers say they care about when choosing a service.

For mobile customers, affordability came through strongly. The survey findings reported that value for money and low monthly costs were the most important factor for 44% of mobile users when picking a service. The same survey summary also flagged spring price rises as a major reason people consider switching, cited by 46% of mobile users.

Broadband customers leaned towards performance. Reliability was the leading priority for 52% of people choosing home broadband, while 50% highlighted fast speeds. That combination points to a familiar theme for UK homes: stable, consistent day-to-day connectivity often matters as much as top-end speeds, especially in multi-device homes using streaming, video calls and online gaming.

Broadband award winners at a glance

In the broadband and TV section, the top national award went to EE. The regional award went to YouFibre, with Community Fibre listed as highly commended.

Other broadband category winners included:

• Plusnet for best customer service
• Vodafone for value for money broadband provider
• Virgin Media for most reliable broadband provider (a category supported by Opensignal)
• Vodafone for most popular broadband provider, with Sky Broadband highly commended

Taken together, the results split into two broad themes:

• Customer experience recognition, where Plusnet’s service win stands out
• Value and popularity signals, where Vodafone collected wins
• Network reliability recognition, where Virgin Media took the reliability award

Mobile winners: VOXI, O2 and EE

The mobile awards leaned heavily towards VOXI, which won Mobile Network of the Year and also picked up several category awards linked to data and value. Tesco Mobile won best mobile network for customer service, while Lebara won best mobile network for roaming.

Uswitch’s list also included two performance awards linked to Opensignal data:

• O2 won best mobile network coverage
• EE won fastest mobile network overall

Other notable mobile category winners included giffgaff for best mobile handset contract network, Three for best mobile network for perks, and Lebara for most popular mobile network.

Bundle and innovation winners

Uswitch also published joint telecoms winners that cut across broadband and mobile.

EE won best telecoms bundle provider, with Virgin Media O2 listed as highly commended. EE also won best telecoms innovation for “Safer SIMs”, with Vodafone highly commended. Netflix was listed as best TV content. Separately, Fonehouse won best mobiles reseller, with Mobiles.co.uk highly commended.

Broadband buying tips from these results

Awards are never a substitute for checking what is available at your address, the contract terms, and the total cost over the full minimum term. Still, the results underline three practical points for anyone comparing services:

First, broadband decisions often come down to reliable day-to-day performance and consistent speeds, not just the fastest package on paper.

Second, mobile customers keep a close eye on price. In a market where annual price changes can move the goalposts, it is easy to see why cost and spring price rises remain key reasons to review a contract.

Third, independent network data can add context for performance-related categories, but it won’t tell you everything about service quality, installation experience, router performance, or how Wi-Fi behaves in your home.

Broadband providers: what they offer in brief

EE
EE home broadband is available in both part-fibre and full-fibre options. depending on what is available at your address. Part-fibre uses fibre to the local cabinet and then copper into the home, while full-fibre uses fibre all the way to your property.

Prices vary by speed and availability, but entry deals are often in the high-£20s per month. It is worth checking the contract length, any set-up charges, and whether the package includes an upgraded router or add-ons.

Plusnet
Plusnet offers part-fibre and full-fibre broadband in many parts of the UK, with availability driven by local network rollout. In most cases, you will see full-fibre options where fibre has reached your street and part-fibre where it has not.

Plusnet broadband deals usually start from £23.99 per month for new customers during promotional periods, then rise to the standard monthly price once the offer ends. Always check the monthly price after any offer ends, plus any annual price-change terms listed in the contract details.

Vodafone
Vodafone offers both part-fibre and full-fibre broadband across the UK. Its full-fibre range goes up to 910Mbps average speed on standard packages, and Vodafone Pro 3 offers speeds up to 2.2Gbps in areas where that service is available.

On Vodafone’s broadband deals page, full-fibre pricing starts from £24.50 per month on a 24 month contract, with the plan details stating the monthly price increases to £28 on 1 April 2026 and £31.50 on 1 April 2027. Standard broadband includes the Power Hub (WiFi 6), while Pro 3 includes the Ultra Hub 7 (WiFi 7), mesh Wi-Fi Boosters and 4G broadband back-up.

Its entry full-fibre pricing commonly starts from £23 per month on a 24 month contract. Vodafone’s plan pages usually set out how the monthly price can change during the contract, so it is important to read those terms before switching.

Virgin Media
Virgin Media offers broadband mainly over its own network, which differs from providers using Openreach-based lines. This can mean very fast packages in covered areas, but availability is strictly postcode-based.

Virgin Media broadband packages often start from £23 per month and increases as you move to faster packages. Before signing up, check for any up-front costs, how long the introductory price lasts, and what the monthly price becomes later in the contract.

Sky Broadband
Sky broadband options that can include part-fibre and full-fibre and TV, depending on local availability. In many areas, full-fibre packages appear only where fibre has been installed in the street and can be connected to your home.

Prices commonly fall in the £25s to £40s per month, depending on the package and any new-customer offers. It is worth checking the minimum term, any set-up fees, and whether the router included is the same across all packages.

YouFibre
YouFibre offers full-fibre broadband in selected towns and cities, so availability varies significantly by area. If it is available at your address, you typically get fibre all the way to the home, which can deliver strong performance for streaming and multi-device use.

Pricing often starts in the mid-£20s per month for its entry-level full-fibre plan and rises as speeds increase, including higher-priced multi-gig packages. The key step is to check your postcode, because YouFibre is not a nationwide network.

Community Fibre
Community Fibre mainly focuses on London and nearby areas, offering full-fibre broadband where its network has been installed. Like other regional networks, it can be excellent value if it is available at your property, but you must confirm coverage first.

Community Fibre broadband prices are often in the low-to-mid £20s per month for mid-range speeds, with gigabit options usually a little higher depending on the deal at the time. Check the minimum term, any up-front costs, and what happens to the price after any introductory period.

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