Community Fibre Broadband Review (Updated June 2026)
London's Best Kept Secret?
Community Fibre has genuinely shaken up the London broadband market. By building its own dedicated full fibre network, it offers home speeds up to 5Gbps, symmetrical uploads and downloads on full fibre packages, and stronger hardware than many mainstream rivals. It is still mostly a London story, with selected parts of Surrey and Sussex also covered, so your postcode and order details are still the deciding factors.
Pros and Cons
What It Nails
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Symmetrical Speeds Unlike most ISPs, your upload speed can match your download speed. This is a big deal for cloud backups, video calls, remote work and anyone shifting large files around.
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Strong Hardware Every package includes a router. London residential packages currently use tiered Linksys kit, including WiFi 7 hardware from 1Gbps upwards and a Linksys M62 WiFi 7 tri-band router on 5Gbps Premium. Community Fibre says Surrey and Sussex customers receive a Nokia G-2426G-A WiFi 6 router, so check the hardware listed for your address.
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Fair Pricing They still tend to price aggressively against the big legacy providers, especially when you compare like-for-like full fibre speeds and upload performance. As always, check the live monthly price, any April price change wording and the out-of-contract price before ordering.
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Solid Support Setup They offer phone, chat and online support, plus a public service status page. Trustpilot feedback remains strong, with a 4.7 rating and around 89,000 reviews at the time of this update.
The Drawbacks
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Limited Availability It is still mainly a London provider, though Community Fibre also serves selected parts of Surrey and Sussex. You absolutely need to check by postcode before getting too excited.
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TV Offerings Community Fibre TV is powered by Netgem, with a 4K WiFi-enabled box, 230+ live channels, 40+ apps and more than 250,000 hours of content. It does the job, but it still does not feel as slick or as fully loaded as Sky Q, Sky Stream or Virgin TV 360.
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Public IP Rules Static IPs are still reserved for business accounts. New residential customers get a dynamic Public IP on 2.5Gbps Premium and 5Gbps Premium, while lower tiers can add a Public IP for £4 per month.
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CGNAT Community Fibre still uses CGNAT on packages up to and including 2.5Gbps, excluding 2.5Gbps Premium. If you need port forwarding, choose a package with a Public IP or add the Public IP option where available.
The Infrastructure
True Full Fibre (FTTP)
Community Fibre operates its own dedicated network. It does not use Openreach access lines, whether that is older copper-based broadband or Openreach FTTP. Community Fibre runs its own FTTP network end to end.
This XGS-PON setup is what lets it offer symmetrical speeds. While more traditional connections often crawl on uploads, Community Fibre can send data up to the cloud just as quickly as it pulls it down.
The Hardware Advantage
Better Kit Than the Usual Free Router
One of Community Fibre’s strongest selling points is the hardware, but it is worth separating London from Surrey and Sussex. In London, Community Fibre continues to use tiered Linksys routers, which is a much better starting point than the basic kit many providers still send out.
For London residential packages, Community Fibre currently supplies Linksys routers based on speed tier:
- Under 100Mbps: Linksys WHW01, WiFi 5 dual-band
- 100Mbps to 500Mbps inclusive: Linksys MX20, WiFi 6 dual-band
- 1Gbps to 2.5Gbps Premium inclusive: Linksys M60, WiFi 7 dual-band
- 5Gbps Premium: Linksys M62, WiFi 7 tri-band
- Surrey and Sussex: Community Fibre says customers in these areas receive a Nokia G-2426G-A router with WiFi 6, so confirm the router for your address before ordering.
That is a genuine value add, not just marketing fluff. It gives modern WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 devices a better chance of seeing strong real-world wireless performance, although multi-gigabit packages will still need the right router, device, Ethernet port, cabling and home layout to show their full speed.
The Packages
Community Fibre still keeps things fairly simple, with speed tiers ranging from everyday full fibre right up to properly over-the-top home broadband.
75Mbps to 5Gbps
Community Fibre’s residential range can include 75Mbps, 100Mbps, 150Mbps, 350Mbps, 500Mbps, 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps Premium and 5Gbps Premium options, depending on address, contract length and live promotion. Older or legacy tiers can still exist for existing customers, so treat the postcode checker as the source of truth.
1Gbps: This is the sweet spot for most power users. Big downloads are quick, uploads stop being a pain, and the supplied hardware is finally good enough that your WiFi setup does not feel like the bottleneck straight away.
5Gbps Premium: Still the halo package. It is overkill for most homes, but for serious home offices, creators moving giant files, or anyone who simply wants the fastest residential broadband they can get in a Community Fibre area, it is hard to beat.
Symmetrical Uploads
This is still the standout feature. On many mainstream fibre packages, downloads look fine on paper but uploads are far weaker. On Community Fibre’s full fibre tiers, upload speed can match download speed, which makes cloud backups, live streaming, remote work and large file sharing far smoother.
Performance & Specs
By The Numbers
Community Fibre still pitches itself as one of London’s fastest broadband providers, and that is the core of the appeal. It combines very high top-end speeds, symmetrical performance and a network that does not feel weighed down by legacy infrastructure in the way older broadband products often do.
Top Alternatives
If you cannot get Community Fibre on your street, these are the names worth looking at next.
The Full List of Extras
They still do not have the giant TV and add-on ecosystem of Virgin or Sky, but there are a few genuinely useful extras worth noting.
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Netgem TV: The TV add-on is built around a 4K WiFi-enabled Netgem box with 230+ live channels, 40+ apps and more than 250,000 hours of content. It is more than just a token extra, even if it is not a full Sky replacement.
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30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee: Current deal pages and comparison listings continue to reference a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Treat this as a service guarantee rather than a blanket free trial, and always check the live terms before ordering.
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One Touch Switching: If you opt in, Community Fibre can handle the switching process with your old provider. Their current switching guidance says your old service should only be switched off once the Community Fibre service is live.
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Premium WiFi Guarantee: Premium WiFi packages include a whole-home WiFi coverage promise for up to five bedrooms and 12 rooms across a maximum of three floors. The guarantee is tied to a minimum WiFi speed at the furthest point after installation and terms apply, so check the exact wording before relying on it.
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Refer a Friend: The referral scheme is still active, but the exact reward can change. Check the live terms before quoting any specific gift card amount in the body copy.
The Trade-Offs
It is not flawless. Here are the bits that still deserve a reality check.
Moving Home: This is still the big one. If you move somewhere outside the footprint, which is still most of the UK, you cannot just take the service with you. Depending on your timing, you could face early termination charges and equipment return requirements.
Wayleave Agreements: If you live in a flat, rented building or managed block, Community Fibre may still need a wayleave agreement before installation. If the landlord or building management drags its feet, your order can go nowhere.
Networking Control: The supplied hardware is good for mainstream homes, but advanced users may still prefer their own router, switch and access point setup, especially on multi-gigabit packages. Just remember that using your own kit may affect provider support or WiFi guarantees.
Ownership & Structure
Independent & Focused
Community Fibre remains an independent ISP focused on its own network footprint rather than reselling a national wholesale product. That narrower focus is part of why the service feels more tailored than the usual one-size-fits-all broadband pitch.
FAQs
Do I need a BT phone line for Community Fibre?
No. Community Fibre uses its own dedicated fibre optic cables. It is completely independent of the Openreach and BT phone network, so you do not need a traditional phone line rental just to get broadband.
Can I get Community Fibre outside London?
Mostly London, but Community Fibre is also available in selected parts of Surrey and Sussex. Always check by postcode rather than assuming coverage.
What router do they supply?
For London residential customers, Community Fibre supplies Linksys routers and the exact model depends on speed tier. Current London tiers include WiFi 5, WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 hardware, with the 5Gbps Premium tier getting the Linksys M62 WiFi 7 tri-band router. Community Fibre says Surrey and Sussex customers receive a Nokia G-2426G-A WiFi 6 router, so check the order page for your address.
Does Community Fibre use CGNAT?
Yes. Packages up to and including 2.5Gbps use CGNAT by default, excluding 2.5Gbps Premium. New residential customers on 2.5Gbps Premium and 5Gbps Premium get a dynamic Public IP, and customers on lower tiers can add a Public IP for £4 per month.
How We Rated Community Fibre
To keep things fair, we use a standardised weighting system across all our ISP reviews. Here is exactly how the 8.3/10 score for Community Fibre was calculated:
This approach lets us judge the best deal for each customer without bias. Commission, CPA and margins are not used in the scoring model.
HASNAAT MAHMOOD
Broadband & Technology Expert
"Community Fibre is still one of the easiest recommendations in London if raw broadband performance is what you care about most. The symmetrical speeds are properly useful, the supplied hardware is better than average, and One Touch Switching makes the move less painful than it used to be. The obvious catch is still availability, and customers outside London should check the exact router and package details for their address."
Editorial Updates
What changed for customers?
2 June 2026: Router guidance now makes clear that London residential packages use Community Fibre’s tiered Linksys router lineup, while Surrey and Sussex customers may receive a Nokia G-2426G-A WiFi 6 router. Check the router shown for your address before ordering.
2 June 2026: Public IP and CGNAT guidance has been clarified. New customers get a dynamic Public IP on 2.5Gbps Premium and 5Gbps Premium, lower tiers can add a Public IP for £4 per month, and Static IPs remain business-only.
2 June 2026: Switching, TV and Premium WiFi details have been refreshed. One Touch Switching is designed to keep your old service live until the new one is working, TV is still based around the Netgem 4K box, and Premium WiFi coverage terms should be checked before relying on the guarantee.