Onestream Broadband

Founded in 2018, Onestream is an independent broadband provider that prides itself on providing excellent customer service, coupled with strong and reliable broadband. Let’s take a look.

Overview

Average Download Speeds	16Mbps – 67Mbps
Average Upload Speeds	2Mbps – 17Mbps
Broadband Type	Fibre (FTTC)
Home Phone-line Rental	Yes
TV/Entertainment Bundles	No
Cost	from £18.95 per month

Broadband packages and speeds

Onestream offers three broadband packages: ‘Onestream Fibre 20’, ‘Onsestream Fibre 55’ and ‘Onestream Fibre 80’.

Their entry-level package, ‘Onestream Fibre 20, offers average download speeds of 16Mbps. Like all its offerings, this is a ‘superfast’ or, ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ (FTTC) connection, and, although generally considered a slow speed for fibre, it is still faster than standard (ADSL) broadband. This package would likely be suitable for an individual or couple who only use their internet service for light browsing and checking emails.

The next package, ‘Onestream Fibre 55’, reports average download speeds of 45Mbps. With these speeds, a household of 3-4 accessing the internet simultaneously to browse and stream content in standard definition would find this a comfortable fit.

The final deal, ‘Onestream Fibre 80’, has average download speeds of 67Mbps. This option would likely suit those in a larger-than-average household or shared accommodation where numerous devices are streaming and downloading content simultaneously.

If you’re unsure of which broadband speed is right for you, take a look at our guide on broadband speeds to help you decide.

What is FTTC broadband?

‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ (FTTC), or ‘superfast’ broadband as it is commonly referred, is a partial-fibre broadband connection. For superfast broadband, fibre optic cables are fed from the telephone exchange to the big, green cabinets you often spot dotted around street corners and sidewalks. From these cabinets to your home, the connection then changes from fibre-optic cables to copper telephone wires.

It is because copper telephone cables are used for this part of the journey that a phone line is required. Although generally a lot faster than standard (ADSL) broadband – which uses copper cables from the the entire journey from the telephone exchange to your home – if the copper running from the cabinet to your premises are damaged or have not been upgraded in some time, you may experience speeds that are slower than advertised.

Contract length

Openstream broadband contracts are available over 12, 18 or 24 month periods.

Phone packages

Although all of Onestream’s broadband packages require a phone connection, none will come with line rental as standard. If you don’t already have an active home phone and would like to take out line rental with Onestream, a monthly fee of £22.50 applies.  

Onestream also has a range of call add-ons available:-

Package	Includes	Price per month
Voice 250	Calls anytime to UK landlines and mobiles for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 250 minutes per month.	£5.00
Voice 500	Calls anytime to UK landlines and mobiles for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 500 minutes per month.	£10.00
Voice 1000	Calls anytime to UK landlines and mobiles for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 1000 minutes per month.	£15.00
Voice Unlimited	Calls anytime to UK landlines and mobiles for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 2000 minutes per month.	£25.00
International Plan 1	Calls to 36 international destinations for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 500 minutes per month.	£10.00
International Plan 2	Calls to 72 international destinations for 60 minutes per call. Maximum of 500 minutes per month.	£15.00

Upload speeds

Although upload speeds are generally given less thought when deciding on a broadband package, if you are someone who regularly uploads files, videos or photos, you’ll want to pay attention to the speed at which you’re able to share and send this content online.

Onestream’s base package offers average upload speeds of 2Mbps. Average upload rates for the ‘Fibre 55’ are 8Mbps, and for the ‘Fibre 80’ 17Mbps.

To give you an idea of what these speeds mean, if you are looking to upload 1GB (gigabyte) of content (photos or video) to the internet, this would take around 1 hour and 11 minutes with upload speeds of 2Mbps. Whereas, on Onestream’s fastest package at 17Mbps, it would take approximately 8 minutes and 25 seconds.

Router

All new customers over any of Onestream’s three broadband plans will receive the same, free router – the Onestream Superstream. Although a basic router, it should serve the needs of the average household simply wishing to get online.

Installation

Because Onestream operates on BT’s Openreach network, if you’re switching to them from another provider on the same network (e.g., BT, EE, TalkTalk, Vodafone etc.), Onestream will let them know you’re leaving. Installation and set-up will also be free.

Although Onestream are not explicit with timescales, once you’ve signed up, it is estimated to take around two weeks to get you fully online.

Customer service

Onestream’s customer service team is entirely UK-based. They’re available Monday to Friday 8:30am – 8:00pm. Give them a call on 0333 241 4449. Alternatively, you can drop them an email at hello@onestream.co.uk.

At the time of writing, Onestream has over 7,000 reviews with an average of 4.1/5.00 on Trustpilot.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Affordability:-

With prices starting from £18.95 per month, Onestream is a provider that offers competitive pricing for a superfast, Fibre to the Cabinet broadband connection.

Cons

Lack of extras:-

Onestream truly offers no-frills broadband. Although it does have a range of call plans available, some customers may be left disappointed with no offer of TV and entertainment bundles.