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What speeds does 5G home broadband actually give?

Honest expectations: what decides the speed, what different speeds let you do, and the one thing that improves it more than anything else.

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Last updated 6 September 2026

Ask the networks and you get a headline number measured on a good day in the open. Ask a customer and you get whatever their living room delivered. Both are true. Here is how to think about it so the router is not a disappointment.

What decides the speed

  • Signal strength where the router sits. This is most of it. The same router by an upstairs window and in a downstairs cupboard can differ by a factor of ten.
  • 5G or 4G. The router uses 5G where your address has it and drops to 4G automatically where it does not. 5G in good coverage is typically several times faster than 4G.
  • How busy the mast is. Evenings in dense areas are slower than mornings. Fixed broadband has the same problem, just less visibly.
  • Which network. They differ street by street, which is why we check your postcode and fit the strongest predicted network rather than the same SIM for everyone.

What the numbers mean in practice

Roughly this speedComfortably handles
Under 10 MbpsEmail, browsing, music, a single HD stream. Video calls work but can stutter if something else is downloading.
10 to 30 MbpsTwo or three HD streams, video calls, normal family use. This is what a lot of 4G delivers indoors.
30 to 100 Mbps4K streaming, several people working and streaming at once, large downloads in minutes. Typical of 5G indoors in decent coverage.
Over 100 MbpsEverything, all at once. Common on 5G near a window in a well-covered area.

Two things fibre does better: uploads, which are slower on mobile networks than downloads, and latency, which is a little higher. For work, streaming and gaming it rarely matters; for competitive online gaming it can.

The one fix that beats all the others

Move the router. Near a window, upstairs, facing open ground rather than a hill or the neighbouring building. Away from foil-backed insulation, metal cabinets and fish tanks. People email us about slow speeds and the answer, more often than not, is a different window. Try that before anything else.

If it still disappoints, the 48-hour money-back guarantee applies: tell us within 48 hours of delivery, post it back free, and the rental is refunded in full. We would rather you tried it than guessed.

Questions people ask

Is 5G faster than my old broadband?

In good coverage, often yes for downloads. Fibre usually wins on uploads and latency. Most people notice no difference for streaming, working and calls.

Why is it slower in the evening?

Mobile masts are shared. Busy evenings in dense areas slow everyone down a little, the same way fixed broadband does at peak times.

Does the router choose 5G or 4G automatically?

Yes. It uses 5G where your address has it and falls back to 4G where it does not, with no setting to change.

Try it by a window. Refund if it disappoints.

Unlimited 5G WiFi from £49 a week, coverage-checked before dispatch, 48-hour money-back guarantee, free return.

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