Can I get Zen Broadband?

Zen Broadband runs on the Openreach network, so their superfast fibre plans are available to over 95% of the UK population. If you can get the internet from providers like BT and Sky, then you'll be able to get Zen.

Use our postcode checker to make sure Zen is available where you are. You'll need a working phone line to sign up, and Zen are quite unusual in that they'll allow you to keep your line with a different provider (although this is likely to be more expensive). Should you only have basic internet needs, Zen also still offer a slower and cheaper standard broadband package.

For their ultrafast services, Zen use a combination of full fibre (also known as fibre-to-the-home or fibre-to-the-premises) and G.fast, both of which go up to a top speed of 300Mb on average. G.fast is available in upgraded street cabinets, while full fibre requires an extra installation step as the fibre cables need to run right up to the outside of your house.

Both are only available in select areas, although the latter is the focus of the Government's planned infrastructure investment - and should mean Zen will be able to offer much faster speeds in future.

What packages are available?

Zen Broadband offer one standard broadband plan, two superfast plans and two ultrafast plans. Your options may be limited depending on where you live.

For most users, the main packages to choose from will deliver superfast internet. These are:

• Unlimited Fibre 1 - unlimited internet with average download speeds of 35Mb and average upload speeds of 6Mb. Includes a £19.99 set up fee.
• Unlimited Fibre 2 - unlimited internet with average download speeds of 66Mb and average upload speeds of 17Mb. Comes with a £19.99 set up fee.

The two ultrafast packages are:

• Unlimited Fibre 3 - average download speeds of 145Mb and uploads of 30Mb, with fully unlimited usage. The setup fee is £55. There's a 10-day cooling off period.
• Unlimited Fibre 4 - the average speed is 300Mb for downloads and 50Mb for uploads, and includes a £55 set up fee. There's a 10-day cooling off period.

All four of these plans are fully unlimited and come on a 12 month contract. You can choose to take the plans with or without a phone line from Zen. If you choose to go without, you'll still need a phone line from another provider and the combined price is likely to work out more than getting it all from the same company.

You get a free router when you sign up, as well as a free static IP address. If Wi-Fi coverage is a problem in your house you can add the EveryRoom plan for an extra £7.99 a month, which includes a Wi-Fi extender to help make your signal reach further.

If you're happy to go with something more basic you can opt for the standard broadband package instead:

• Unlimited Broadband - an average download speed of 10Mb and upload speed of 1Mb.

This plan is fully unlimited and, as with the other deals, you can get it without or without a phone line from Zen. You can get the package on a 12 month deal, with a £19.99 set up fee and a free router, or on a rolling one month contract. This has a £78 set up fee, and you have to supply your own Wi-Fi router.

Which package should I choose?

Zen have a range of broadband packages catering to their users' different needs. Given that all the plans come with the same length contracts and benefits, speed, price and availability will be the main factors in your decision.

The Unlimited Fibre 3 and 4 plans are ideal for more demanding households, with lots of people streaming 4K video, downloading large files, and maybe uploading large files, too. If you work from home, especially, this may be what you're looking for, although the speeds don't reach the lightning fast rates you can get from the likes of Virgin Media or the full fibre providers. Availability is also limited, so use our postcode checker to see what speeds you can get where you live.

Away from that, you've got a choice of which fibre speed you prefer. Larger, busier households (especially with kids) are likely to benefit more from the faster service, while those with only one or two people might be happy with the slower plan.

If you aren't a heavy internet user and only need a basic service, then you might be tempted to consider the slower Unlimited Broadband plan. However, it's hard to recommend over the Unlimited Fibre 1 deal given that the price difference between the two is so low.

Unlimited Broadband does come with the added option of a one month rolling contract if you aren't able to commit for a longer spell. Just make sure you factor in the high set up fee when you're deciding if it will actually save you any money.

On the question of whether to take Zen with or without a phone line, the only issue is whether you've got a phone deal elsewhere that's still mid-contract. If you haven't, you will almost certainly save money by switching your phone line to Zen when you sign up.

Points to consider

• Do you need speeds beyond what you can get with a normal fibre deal?
• Do live in a Zen ultrafast area?
• How many internet users are there in your house, and what do they use it for?
• Do you need a short term contract?

What do I get when I sign up?

Zen offer a range of interesting features when you choose one of their broadband packages.

• FRITZ!Box 7530 router - a wireless AC-rated router worth £130, and comes as standard with all 12 and 18 month contracts. It includes Guest Access, parental controls, and even telephony features.
• Static IP address - all Zen deals include a free static IP address. This won't mean much to most people, but for those who work from home and need to remotely access their computer or host a website it's a welcome extra that you'd normally have to pay for.
• Award winning customer service - available over the phone or online between 8am and 8pm on weekdays, and 9am to 5pm on weekends.
• Auto compensation - if you have faults that aren't fixed within two days you receive £8 a day in compensation; you'll get £25 if an engineer misses an appointment or cancels less than 24 hours before its scheduled time; and if your service doesn't go live on the agreed date you'll get £5 a day for each day it's late.

Benefits

The benefits offered by an ISP may be what seals the deal in your decision to buy a package from them.

• Ultrafast packages available in some areas - you can get speeds up to an average of 300Mb in some postcode areas.
• High level of satisfaction - Zen sit at the top of our customer satisfaction charts.
• UK-based customer service - if you need help you can get it over the phone or via the website seven days a week. It's based in the UK, too.
• Free static IP address - Need a static IP address for your home business? You get one included for free with Zen Broadband.
• Truly unlimited service - there are no limits to how much data you can download, so it's ideal to keep the whole family up online.

Drawbacks

Let's face it, not everything can be perfect, and even the best deals may have a downside.

• Not the cheapest - Zen prioritise things like stability, performance and support over cheap prices. If cost is your main consideration you might want to look elsewhere.
• Short contracts only on slowest plan - all deals require a 12 month contract. The only short contract available is on their 10Mb standard broadband package.
• Some deals only available over the phone - if you want one of the full fibre options you might have to give them a call instead of signing up online.