When you’re moving house, you’ll have a long checklist of jobs to tackle.
A key item to consider early on is arranging broadband service at your new address. This is especially important if you depend on the internet for work and want it ready to go as soon as possible after you move in.
Broadband transfers usually take a minimum of 14 days to organise, though some providers say they can work more quickly to get you connected, and others need more notice than this.
Whatever the case, it’s a good idea to plan ahead - the earlier you let your provider know about your move, the easier it should be for them to organise your installation when you need it.
First, you need to decide if you want to stay with your current provider, or switch to someone new.
If you’re satisfied with your current internet provider’s service and package, and they operate in the area you’re moving to, you can request to transfer your service to your new home.
Otherwise, you have the option to cancel your current broadband and transfer to a different provider for your new address. If you're out of contract, you can cancel without charge. But if you’re still in contract when you cancel, you might have to pay an early exit fee.
In some cases, a home move means you have access to cheaper deals, or faster speeds. So it’s well worth checking what’s available at your new address.
Planning ahead is key when it comes to ordering broadband for your new home. Internet providers typically need a notice period of at least a few weeks - sometimes as long as four weeks or more - to transfer your service. This time allows them to verify important details at your new address, such as checking if the phone line works with your current plan and determining whether or not an engineer visit is necessary to set up your connection.
Here’s a guide to the sort of notice some providers ask for:
Normally, it takes about two weeks from signing up to a cable broadband service to get connected.
If you want next day broadband installation you’d need to move away from traditional cable broadband and opt for 4G/5G mobile home broadband instead. You can get mobile broadband from suppliers like 3 and 02. You don’t need a landline installed because their routers use their mobile network. When you subscribe to a package, you will be sent a wireless broadband hub, with next day delivery if you request it. You simply plug it into a power source and follow the setup instructions to get started.
Yes, if you are satisfied with your current provider, and would like to stay with them, you should be able to transfer the service to your new home.
You’ll need to confirm they operate at your new address, and what speeds are available in your new area before making a final decision. You can usually do a postcode check online at your provider’s website.
Then, to request a transfer, just inform your provider about when to disconnect your old service and when you’d like your broadband activated at your new address.
If you choose to keep your existing package, and contract, you can often take your existing broadband equipment with you and use it in the new house. This can help avoid any delays in getting your broadband activated.
You might have an option to upgrade your package with the provider. For this, you might have to start a new contract with them, which will tie you in for a period.
The main thing to remember is that you need to let your provider know your moving date well in advance. They’ll then arrange to disconnect your current internet on the date requested, and set up supply for the new house.
In most cases, there’s no charge for a home move, unless a new line needs to be installed.
It really depends on the circumstances. If you’ve given your provider plenty of notice and there’s already a fixed line connection installed at your new address, it might be possible to self-install your router on activation day. So you should be up and running quickly.
But if your home needs a new line installed by an engineer, you might have a longer wait on your hands.
The key is to give your provider plenty of notice about your move and what date you need to be connected in your new property. At least four weeks is ideal.
Yes, you can. And, in fact, moving home could be the perfect opportunity to investigate whether you could get cheaper broadband, better service, or faster speeds with a different provider. You need to check which providers operate at your new address, then browse their packages. They often offer attractive deals for new customers that you could benefit from.
It’s important to know that, if you cancel with your provider before the end of your minimum contract period, you might have to pay an early exit fee. So that’s something to bear in mind when weighing up what to do.
If you do decide to switch, you should contact the provider you wish to switch to. You’ll need to provide them with your address and the name of your current provider, and they will organise the switch for you, to go ahead on the date you choose.
The new ‘One Touch Switch’ process means you don’t need to contact your current provider to cancel your contract. The new provider does it all for you. You will automatically be informed if you have to pay any early exit fee.
If you’ve left things late, or there are any hiccups and delays in getting broadband installed in your new home, there are a few temporary fixes you can consider:
This allows you to use your phone’s internet connection via a setting called ‘mobile hotspot’ or ‘personal hotspot’ to connect other devices, like your laptop, to the internet. The process is sometimes referred to as ‘tethering’.
When other devices connect to your phone’s network, it uses up mobile data from your phone plan, so you’ll need to keep track of usage and charges if you go over your data limit.
This USB device with a SIM card plugs into your laptop and you can connect to the internet via 4G or 5G when you buy data or a data plan.
You can buy, or hire, a home internet router with a SIM card that uses 4G or 5G to create a Wi-Fi network, without the need for a landline. You simply plug it in and it’s ready to use in minutes and you pay for data used.
Cafes and libraries sometimes offer free public Wi-Fi so you can connect to the internet while in the building using your laptop, tablet or smartphone. But be aware that the network is not secure, so it’s best to avoid things like signing into accounts with passwords, and online banking.
In some cases, if there’s a delay to getting connected your provider will send out a temporary solution. For example, when BT knows your services will be delayed for more than two days, they send out an EE 4G mini-hub with unlimited data - it uses a 4G mobile signal to connect you to the internet.