There’s lots of buzz around full fibre these days and rightly so, it is our information highway hitting its peak. Fully Fibre-Optic means fully lightspeed, and there’s nothing faster than that unless you want to go back in time.
Brsk is one of the newer broadband providers doing exactly that – laying down their own Full Fibre network and selling it direct to homes under the name BetterNet. They also throw in a few useful extras like BetterIP for a static IP address, BetterPhone if you still like having a home phone, BetterWiFi for those pesky Wi-Fi dead zones, and BetterTV if you want telly included.
Anyway, before we get ahead of ourselves, not everyone can get Brsk to their house just yet. Coverage is being built out across bits of West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester (some bits of Cheshire too), and the West Midlands. Brsk say they’ve already passed more than 200,000 homes with their network, and they’ve got big plans to pass even more. But as with all broadband providers – always check your exact address on their checker. One side of the street might be ready, the other side still waiting for someone to turn up with a drill.
Part-Fibre (Standard Fibre) VS Full-Fibre
Let’s quickly cover what the difference is between standard Fibre and Full Fibre. Standard Fibre usually means FTTC – Fibre to the Cabinet – where the fibre runs to those green boxes you see dotted around the streets, then switches to old copper telephone wires for the final stretch into your house.
Full Fibre means the fibre doesn’t stop, it runs all the way into your home – that’s FTTP – Fibre to the Premises. This is what Brsk are building, and it means uploads and downloads can go at the same speed, and you don’t have to worry about bottlenecks or slowdowns in the evenings. And since Brsk are merging with Netomnia, who are already rolling out faster PON tech like XGS-PON and even trialling 50G-PON, they’ve got a very strong backbone in place already.
Brsk Speeds and Prices
Brsk have four broadband packages and they’re easy to get your head around. All of them are Full Fibre and all of them are symmetrical, which means you get the same speed on the way up as you do on the way down. The entry level is BetterNet150 – 150Mbps download and 150Mbps upload – for £24 a month. Next is BetterNet500 at £30 a month for 500/500. BetterNet1000 gives you 900/900 for £35 a month. And finally, BetterNet2000 gives you a monster 2Gbps download and upload for £55 a month.
All of Brsk’s prices are fixed for the length of your contract, and they’ve promised no mid-contract price rises. Installation is also free, which they say is worth £150. That’s a proper saving compared to other providers who love to charge setup fees. You can take any plan on an 18-month contract, or on a rolling monthly deal if you want the freedom to cancel – though rolling deals are a bit more expensive. If you go digging in their Price Book, you’ll find the full list of prices for both contract types, along with the small print for things like static IPs, TV, phone and call-out charges.
Brsk say their speeds are “average” at peak times – meaning at least half of customers get those speeds even when everyone’s online – and that you’ll get the best results by plugging your device in with a cable. So for testing, always go wired if you can. Wi-Fi speeds can vary depending on where you are in the house and what kind of router you’ve got.
Routers and BetterWiFi
Brsk install a fibre box (called an ONT) in your house and then connect it to one of their routers. The router you get depends on what plan you’re on and what’s in stock, but the two main ones in use are the Icotera i4850 and the Technicolor DGA0122. These are solid routers with decent Wi-Fi coverage and built-in phone ports if you’re taking their VoIP service.
If you go for the 2Gbps plan, Brsk upgrade you to a faster TP-Link router – the EX820v – which has Wi-Fi 6 and supports AX6000 speeds, so you’re not wasting any of that 2Gbps connection.
If your Wi-Fi isn’t reaching every room, you can add BetterWiFi – a mesh Wi-Fi service with engineer installed pods that are placed around your house to fill in the gaps. Brsk say they’ll guarantee at least 10Mbps in every room with this, or you can go and buy your own mesh system if you prefer. But if you want something that’s set up properly by someone who knows what they’re doing, BetterWiFi is a good shout.
BetterIP, BetterPhone, BetterTV
BetterIP is a static IP for a fiver a month. It’s handy if you want to host your own games, set up security cameras, or run services at home that need port forwarding. By default Brsk use CGNAT which blocks inbound IPv4 connections, so you’ll need this if you want a proper public IP address.
BetterPhone is Brsk’s VoIP service and it starts from £4 a month. You can bring your old number with you, and the porting process usually takes a couple of weeks. It runs through the phone ports on the Brsk router, so you can keep using your normal handset without buying extra gear. If you want to ditch the copper line but still have a home phone, BetterPhone makes it simple.
BetterTV is their television add-on powered by Netgem. It costs £10 a month on contract, with a one-off £25 activation. You get a 4K TV box for your living room plus access to a mobile app, and the box is loaded with live channels as well as the usual apps. It’s not trying to be Sky Q or Virgin’s big packages, but it’s a neat way to get broadband and telly together in one deal without extra hassle.
IPv6 and Bring Your Own Router
IPv6 is fully supported and turned on by default. This is great news if you’ve got newer devices or want to access things on your home network while you’re out and about. If you want to use your own router, Brsk make that easy too. You don’t need PPPoE – it’s just plain DHCP – so most third-party routers will work straight away.
If you want IPv6 to work properly, you’ll need to make sure your router supports SLAAC and DHCPv6-PD, which most of them do these days. You get a nice big /48 IPv6 prefix so you can hand out addresses to all your devices without any fuss.
Switching and Support
Brsk support One Touch Switching which means you can move over without having to speak to your old provider. You just type in your details, get a quote, and if you like it – you switch. That’s a massive help if you hate being put on hold or being offered discounts you didn’t ask for.
Support is available 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, which is great if you need help outside of office hours. If you’ve got a complaint, Brsk are part of the Ombudsman Services so there’s a proper process for getting things sorted if you need it.
Automatic Compensation
Unlike some of the big providers like Sky and BT, Brsk don’t mention anything about being part of Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme. That means you won’t automatically get money back for things like missed appointments or delayed installs, but you can still raise it as a complaint.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing if that kind of thing matters to you.
Performance and Speed
All Brsk plans come with symmetrical speeds – the same download and upload. That means your Zoom calls, video uploads and cloud backups will run just as fast as your Netflix or YouTube. And if you’re doing big uploads, like sharing videos, sending large files, or livestreaming – symmetrical speeds make all the difference.
150Mbps is perfect for smaller homes with a few devices. 500Mbps can handle families with lots of gadgets. 900Mbps is a beast and will let you stream in 4K across multiple rooms. And the 2Gbps plan is ridiculously fast – great for professionals, shared houses, or anyone who just wants the best.
For the best results, always do a speed test on a wired connection first – Wi-Fi results will vary depending on where you are in the house, how many walls are in the way, and what router you’re using.
Known Issues and Things to Watch
One thing to keep in mind is that Brsk use CGNAT by default. That’s fine for most people, but if you need to access your devices remotely, or run services that need port forwarding, you’ll need to pay £5 a month for BetterIP.
Also, the router you get depends on what plan you’re on and what’s available in your area, so it’s not guaranteed you’ll get the latest and greatest. If you want more control, bring your own router and set it up how you like.
Brsk also charge a £40 engineer call-out fee if they find no fault, so it’s worth checking your kit properly before booking a visit.
TV Compatibility
If you’re not taking BetterTV, Brsk have a help page listing what works and what doesn’t. Sky Q is supported but might need a few tweaks. BT TV and Virgin TV won’t work unless you have their broadband too. So if you’re mixing and matching providers, make sure your setup is compatible.
Is Brsk any good?
Brsk are doing what a lot of people wish the big providers would do – simple, fast, reliable broadband at fair prices without any silly contract tricks. Their speeds are symmetrical, their pricing is clear, and they give you the extras you want without forcing them on you.
The BetterNet plans are fast, the BetterIP option is there if you need it, the Wi-Fi mesh is sorted with BetterWiFi, and there’s even a decent TV option if you want to bundle. Support is available every day, and switching is easy with One Touch Switching.
If Brsk is live at your address, and you want proper Full Fibre broadband without the usual faff, it’s well worth checking out. Just remember to check the address on their coverage map, and if you’re planning to run anything that needs inbound access, add BetterIP from the start.
If you’ve got the right router and know how to get the most out of your connection, Brsk is a brilliant option for 2025.