Considering switching to EE Broadband?
This EE Broadband review article will help you get an informed insight into EE broadband, service reliability, their packages and impartial customer satisfaction feedback reviews.
EE offers six speeds of broadband that range from 10Mb – 900Mb. EE broadband is delivered through the Openreach network which is the same broadband infrastructure used by other broadband providers such as Sky, BT, Plusnet, John Lewis, TalkTalk and Vodafone.
EE’s top-end broadband speeds of 145Mb and 900Mb are still being rolled out across the UK so are currently not available to all households. You can use the EE broadband availability checker to see if these speeds are available in your area
All EE broadband packages come with unlimited usage and the monthly line rental is included in the advertised price. You also have the option to add a call package for free evening or weekend calls.
EE will give you a £50 credit if you are charged for leaving your existing broadband provider early. They are also offering an additional 10% off for existing pay monthly customers.
EE will handle the switch from your existing broadband provider and you will not have to notify your provider unless you are with Virgin Media or have a Full fibre (Fibre To The Premises – also known as FTTP) package.
EE Review – Is EE broadband any good?
EE is part of the BT group of companies and was acquired by BT in 2016.
In terms of price, EE’s broadband packages are mid-range.
As with every Internet Service Provider (ISP), you’ll find plenty of positive and negative reviews across the internet. To remain impartial, we have provided the results of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) latest Comparing Customer Service Report.
Ofcom is the UK Telecoms regulator that monitors and conducts research into the levels of customer service and satisfaction across the ‘main’ communications service providers in the UK.
By shining a light on the performance of the UK’s main broadband providers, their report allows people to look beyond price and see what level of service they can expect from different providers. It also acts as an incentive for providers to improve their level of customer service.
Ofcom Report: EE Broadband Review – Performance vs other UK Main Providers
Ofcom comparing customer service report
Average call waiting times
Ofcom Call waiting time and abandonment rate summary
- The industry average call waiting time for broadband and landline providers was 2min 16s in 2021
- Most broadband providers had a decrease in their average call waiting times since 2020, but only Plusnet, Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone reduced them to below pre-pandemic levels.
- NOW Broadband customers had the shortest average call waiting time in 2021, at 31s.
- KCOM had the longest average call waiting time in 2021 and was the only broadband and landline provider which had an increase in its average call waiting time, more than doubling from 3min 19s in 2020 to 8min 53s in 2021.
- In 2021, 5% of calls were abandoned before the customer spoke to a customer service agent.
- NOW Broadband had the lowest rate of call abandonment, while KCOM had the highest.
- TalkTalk and Virgin Media’s abandonment rates improved in 2021.
Broadband complaints per 100,000 subscribers: 2021
Broadband complaints per 100,000 subscribers: 2021
For the second year in a row, EE generated the fewest broadband complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 subscribers.
The average number of broadband complaints per 100,000 subscribers was 49 in 2021, with all providers except Virgin Media generating the same amount, or fewer complaints than in 2020.
Virgin Media generated the most complaints per 100,000 subscribers at 78.
Source: Ofcom, 2021.
Notes: All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number; the industry average relates only to the providers included in the analysis. Providers that had over 1.5% market share for only part of 2021 were not included in the analysis. The year-on-year change uses 2020 figures that were corrected following updated subscriber data submitted by providers. Due to change in the providers included in the analysis (namely the exclusion of Post Office), the industry average is not comparable with the previous year.
Broadband Complaints and complaints handling
Source: Ofcom Complaints Handling Tracker 2021
Broadband Complaints and complaints handling Summary
- One in five broadband customers said they had a reason to complain in 2021, a decline of 6% since 2020.
- Vodafone and Virgin Media customers were more likely than average to have had a reason to complain about their broadband service in 2021.
- SKY customers (16%) were less likely to complain about their broadband service.
- Compared to 2020, broadband customers of BT, EE, Sky and Virgin Media (23% vs 29%) were all less likely to say they had a reason to complain.
- As in 2020, the most common cause for customers to have a reason to complain about their broadband was a service issue, such as slow connection speeds or an intermittent or total loss of service (75%).
- The proportion of broadband customers with a reason to complain about their service decreased in 2021
- Half of the customers who made a complaint to their provider were satisfied with the way it was handled.
- BT and Sky performed better than average on this measure, just over half of their customers were satisfied with the complaints handling process.
- TalkTalk and Virgin Media were below average for this measure.
- BT customers were more likely than average to have a complaint completely resolved on first contact, while
Virgin Media customers were less likely than average to have experienced this.
Broadband Customer Service
Ofcom Broadband Customer Service Summary
- In 2021, 83% of broadband customers were satisfied with their service overall, a 3% increase compared to 2020.
- 88% of BT Customers were more likely than average to be satisfied with their overall service. An 8% improvement compared to 2020.
- Virgin Media customers were less likely than the average to be satisfied with their overall broadband service (78%).
- 8% of broadband customers were dissatisfied with their service overall. The main driver of dissatisfaction among these broadband customers was poor service or a bad connection (cited by 49% of dissatisfied users).
- Just over four in five broadband customers were satisfied with the reliability of their service in 2021
- 86% of BT customers were more likely than average to be satisfied with their broadband reliability
- TalkTalk (75%) and Virgin Media (76%) customers were less likely than average to be satisfied.
- TalkTalk customers were less likely to be satisfied with the speed of their broadband service, compared to the average,(73% vs 80%).
- BT, EE, Plusnet and SKY customers were more likely than average to recommend their broadband provider to a friend.
- TalkTalk and Virgin Media customers were less likely to recommend their provider to a friend.
- EE had an above-average recommend to a friend score, all other providers were in line with the average.
- BT, Plusnet and Sky have improved their relative positions, while TalkTalk’s and Virgin Media’s have worsened since 2020.
Recommend to a friend: broadband providers
Source: Ofcom Customer Satisfaction Tracker 2021
Note: Vodafone was included for the first time in the 2021 wave due to reaching the minimum market share requirement.
Which EE broadband package is best for me?
EE has five tiers of competitively priced broadband packages starting from Standard (10Mb) to Ultrafast – 300Mb. The average download speed is based on the download speed that is available to at least 50% of customers during peak hours (8-10 pm).
- EE Standard broadband – 10Mb Average download speed
This package is a standard ADSL2+ connection.
Ideal for light usage such as browsing the internet, online shopping, banking, social media, skype, video calling, streaming music, etc for two people. This will lag for 4k Netflix viewing. - EE Fibre Broadband – 36Mb Average download speed
This connection is a VDSL2 (fibre-to-the-cabinet) connection.
The ideal speed for households of 3 – 4 people browsing the internet, social media, video calling, and streaming Netflix/Video at 4k. - EE Fibre Broadband – 67Mb Average download speed
This connection is a VDSL2 (fibre-to-the-cabinet) connection.
Great speed for large households using several devices at the same time and accessing all the activities mentioned above. - EE Fibre Max Broadband – 145Mb Average download speed
This connection is a G.fast (hybrid fibre) connection.
More than enough to partake in all the above activities comfortably. - EE Fibre Max Broadband – 300Mb Average download speed
This connection is also a G.fast (hybrid fibre) connection.
Plenty of bandwidth for you and the family to use as you, please! - EE Full Fibre Max Broadband – 900Mb Average download speed
This connection is also an FTTP connection.
The sky is the limit with this speed! #BroadbandUnleashed
EE’s Fibre broadband is available to around 90% of UK households. Fibre Max is still being rolled out and is available to approximately 2.8 million homes. Use the EE broadband availability checker to see what speed is available in your area.
Benefits of switching to EE broadband
- £50 Early Cancellation Credit
If your existing service provider charges you for leaving early, EE will give you a £50 credit to lessen the blow. - Totally Unlimited Broadband
EE broadband plans are totally unlimited. No usage caps or download limits. - Free 5Gb data Boost on your EE mobile package
If you’ve got an EE pay monthly they will give you additional data for free. - Free Apple TV 4K telly with BT Sport included
Broadband without a phone line
If you can’t get decent speed to your household, do not have an existing phone line or do not want to pay for a phone line installation, EE has two options available for you:
- EE Fibre broadband
You do not need a phone line on EE fibre broadband packages. Simply use the EE availability link above to check if you can get EE fibre in your area - 4G and 5G Mobile broadband
EE mobile broadband can reach speeds of up to 90Mb which is faster than most fixed landline broadband. EE Mobile broadband is not unlimited therefore you have to select a monthly data package/cap on ordering.
EE signal booster for remote homes
Remote homes that struggle with weak 4G signals can have an external antenna installed by EE to boost the signal for both the router and your mobile connection.
Credit: EE Mobile Broadband – https://youtu.be/QTrwmy6ABUQ
Summary
EE’s broadband is hard to fault. Their broadband performance is reliable and customer service is excellent. This is a testament to the overhaul of their customer service following the £1 million fine they received for poor complaint handling in 2015. They are now top of the leaderboard in complaint handling and second in overall customer satisfaction.
EE broadband packages are competitively priced and they also offer a number of options for rural properties that have issues receiving broadband over standard phone lines. Although owned by BT, EE does not have the same reliability issues and complaints as its parent company.
Existing EE mobile customers also get a whopping 5Gb mobile data if they switch to EE broadband.
EE Broadband Review Summary Video
EE Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ-EE-broadband-review
EE will refund £50 if you incur an early termination fee from your previous broadband provider after you switch to EE broadband. You will need a copy of your last invoice from your old broadband provider showing the termination charge.
You can then claim your £50 early termination cancellation credit here.
EE Standard broadband is provided through a BT/Openreach landline.
EE Full Fibre Max broadband and other Fibre and Fibre Plus packages are available without a landline.
For help and support, you can contact EE broadband support using these numbers:
- If you are an EE Mobile customer, dial 150
- Existing customers with an EE landline should dial 07953 966 250
- All other can use the free phone number 0800 079 8586
Yes you can keep your existing lanline number but you need to ensure that you provide it to EE when you are planing your broadband order.
No you do not need a phone line for EE broadband. With EE broadband you have the option of fibre broadband or mobile broadband if you do not have a phone.
