Getting connected, up on the hill.

Openreach — the company that builds the network most providers rent — has upgraded Highworth to full fibre. In September 2023 Openreach stopped selling new copper-line services at our Station Road exchange altogether — a "stop sell" that only happens once at least 75% of homes on an exchange can get ultrafast full fibre. In plain English: most addresses in town can now order fibre that runs all the way to your front door, with packages from around 100 Mbps up to about 1 Gbps. You buy it through BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Plusnet, Zen and plenty of smaller firms — they all use the same Openreach cables. Curious about the detail? The Highworth exchange page has the full story.

Before full fibre arrived, Highworth had fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) — fibre to the green box in the street, then copper to your door. It typically gives "superfast" speeds of up to 80 Mbps if you live near the cabinet, less if you're further away. If full fibre hasn't reached your exact address yet, this is what you'll likely be offered — and it's fine for streaming and homeworking for most households. You can see the exchange's full service history on thinkbroadband.

Virgin Media runs its own completely separate network, and it's enabled in Highworth — reports suggest it covers large parts of the town, with speeds up to around 1 Gbps or more. Two networks is genuinely useful: if one provider lets you down, you can switch to a different set of cables entirely. Pop your postcode into Virgin's postcode checker to see if your street is covered.

CityFibre spent £40 million building full fibre across Swindon town from 2020, with providers like TalkTalk, Zen and Vodafone selling on it. But in December 2023 it paused the Swindon project before finishing, and we've found no confirmation that its network reaches Highworth. Don't assume it's here — check your address on CityFibre's website before getting excited.

Gigaclear specialises in rural full fibre, and it has built networks across rural North Wiltshire (under the Wiltshire Online programme) and rural Oxfordshire — both right on Highworth's doorstep. If you live in one of the villages around the town, put your postcode into Gigaclear's checker. It may already be in your lane, or have a build planned.

Project Gigabit is the government scheme that pays to connect homes too remote for companies to reach on their own — think outlying farms and hamlets. Swindon Borough Council has its own Project Gigabit public review page covering our area. If your home has been stuck on slow speeds with no upgrade in sight, this is the scheme that should eventually pick you up. And if you're ever unsure which council does what, our council information page explains.

EE, Vodafone and Three all sell home broadband that works over the mobile network — a router you just plug in, no engineer needed, often with next-day setup. If your house gets a strong 4G or 5G signal, it can be a genuinely good option. The catch: it's only as good as the signal at your address, so check coverage first using Ofcom's mobile checker or the network's own.

For a farm or cottage that nothing else reaches, satellite broadband from Starlink works almost anywhere with a clear view of the sky. It's dearer than fibre and you buy the dish upfront, but it has transformed life for plenty of rural households. Treat it as the last resort once you've checked fibre, Gigaclear and the 4G and 5G options. Current prices are at starlink.com.

If anyone in your home claims Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits, you can get a "social tariff" — the same broadband, just cheaper. Prices run from about £10 to £24 a month, most offer 30 Mbps or faster, and there are no setup fees or exit penalties. BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone, NOW and dozens more offer them. One detail worth knowing: the person claiming the benefit needs to be the account holder. Ofcom keeps the full list — start there.

Since 12 September 2024, switching broadband is genuinely easy. You only contact the new provider — they handle everything, including cancelling your old service. Both companies must send you the key facts (exit fees, new package details, switch date), you can't be charged for the old service after the new one starts, and any loss of service during the switch must not exceed one working day. No more awkward "please don't leave us" phone calls. The detail is in ISPreview's launch coverage.

EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all cover the Highworth area, but how well depends on exactly where you live — and even which room you're in. Before switching network, put your postcode into Ofcom's mobile coverage checker: it shows predicted indoor and outdoor signal for all four networks at once. Better still, borrow a friend's phone on that network and walk round your house.

5G has reached the Swindon area — EE launched the UK's first 5G back in 2019, Vodafone switched Swindon on in 2021, and the other networks have followed since. Whether 5G reaches your particular corner of Highworth is another matter: it tends to arrive in towns first and spread outwards. Check the coverage maps before paying extra for a 5G plan.

Budget mobile brands ("MVNOs") rent space on the big networks — so a cheap SIM can get you the exact same Highworth coverage as a pricey one. Find which network works at your house first, then pick the cheapest brand that rides on it.

Host networks do change hands — see the full list of UK MVNOs for the latest pairings.