Check your postcode to get started - we'll tell you if options are available already and what to do next
What is the universal service scheme?
It allows eligible addresses to request a ‘decent’ broadband connection. Ofcom defines this as a connection that can deliver:
If your address is eligible, we can explore the cost of upgrading the network in your area so you can order faster broadband.
Who is eligible?
You’ll be able to request a network upgrade for your home or business if:
What’s an affordable connection?
Ofcom defines ‘affordable’ as broadband costing no more than £54.00 a month. Although most people will be able to choose a service costing much less. Please note: ‘affordable’ refers to your monthly broadband charges, not any potential network build costs.
Why was the minimum speed chosen?
It was set by the Government in March 2018. Ofcom research shows that 10Mb is the minimum speed currently needed to meet an average household’s digital needs. It should be fast enough for multiple people in a household to be online at once.
Will I need to pay anything?
Possibly. It depends on how much it will cost to upgrade your local network.
If the total cost is £3,400 or less (exclusive of VAT) per premises in your area, you won't have to pay for the work.
But it could be a lot higher. If the build is more than £3,400 per premises, you'll need to pay excess costs to get a connection.
The way these costs are worked out has changed for some customers. We'll calculate the total excess cost of the build and divide that between the eligible premises. If that amount is below £5,000 per premises (on top of the £3,400), we'll automatically split the costs. So you'll only pay to connect your address.
If the excess cost is above £5,000 per premises (on top of the £3,400), you'll need to raise the full build cost to get a connection.
If the excess cost is above £5,000 per premises (on top of the £3,400), you'll need to raise the full build cost to get a connection.
If you do need to pay anything, we'll give you a quote so you can decide what to do.
Is there a way to share the excess costs?
You can check if you can share costs by calling the USO help desk on 0800 783 0223.
It’s important to get as many eligible premises in your area as possible to register their interest by calling the above number.
If more than 70% of eligible premises register in your network build area, our contribution goes up and the amount you need to raise goes down. You can then crowdfund any extra costs.
Find out more about sharing costs and crowdfundingFrequently asked questions
You can request a network build through our dedicated help desk. Once you request a universal service connection, we’ll confirm whether your address is eligible. This includes letting you know whether the estimated cost of building the necessary network will be less than the £3,400 (exclusive of VAT) threshold. This may take 30 days. After this, we’ll be able to start planning the work.
If the estimated cost is more than £3,400 (exclusive of VAT), we can carry out a full survey and give you a detailed, final quote. This may take 60 days. If you’re happy to pay the quoted costs, then we can start planning the work once we’ve received your payment. You’ll have 30 days to change your mind. After that the payment is non-refundable except in accordance with the broadband universal service terms and conditions.
Lots of factors can increase the cost, so upgrading your connection can prove expensive. If your home or premises is eligible, the USO scheme can cover up to £3,400 (exclusive of VAT) towards the final build cost.
But building or upgrading network infrastructure can be a major civil engineering project. It can involve digging up roads or pavements, running cables overhead and trimming trees. In remote and rural areas, the distance to the nearest telephone exchange can mean more cabling is needed. Any of these, or other factors, can make build costs significantly higher than the amount covered by the scheme.
We’ll let you know if the cost of upgrading your connection will be more than £3,400. If so, you’ll need to pay the excess costs above £3,400 if you still want us to go ahead.
We’ll do what we can to minimise the cost. So when we carry out an assessment, we’ll take into account how some of the new network can also reach other eligible properties nearby.
Yes. After discussions with Ofcom, we’ve updated the scheme to help make costs more affordable.
This involves sharing any excess costs between the eligible premises in your build area.
That means if the excess costs in your area are below £5,000 per premises, you’ll only have to pay to get your address connected. If any other eligible premises in your area want to get connected, they’ll need to pay the same excess costs as you.
However, the costs can be much higher than £5,000 per premises. If this is the case, you’ll need to raise the entire excess build cost yourself. Or you can share the costs by crowdfunding.
Full Fibre is rolling out across the UK, so it’s not available everywhere yet. We're moving quickly though, and thousands of homes are being connected every day.
You can see if it’s available where you live by going to our broadband deals page and entering your postcode. If you can get it, you’ll see Full Fibre packages in your deals.
If you can't get Full Fibre yet, we'll show you your other broadband deals and you can sign up to hear when it's coming to your area.
We aim to deliver every network build as quickly as possible – ideally within 12 months. However, it may take up to 24 months for some, or longer in exceptional cases. Some upgrades will take longer than others, but we’ll let you know how long we expect it to take early in the process.
On rare occasions delays will occur due to circumstances outside of our control. For example, it could take us longer than we thought to get permission to close roads, we might not be able to lay our cables or underground duct routes where we need to due to obstacles, or we might come across archaeology or a protected wildlife species. If this happens we’ll keep you updated.
If the build will take longer than 24 months, or in the exceptional circumstances that we’re unable to complete the network upgrade, we’ll let you know.