Community Fibre 300 Mbps

Community Fibre 300Mbps delivers an average download speed of 350Mbps and an average upload speed of 350Mbps. It suits a busy family or shared home where streaming, video meetings and file transfers happen together. The upload speed is a particular advantage for home workers: sending a 20GB project takes about eight minutes, compared with more than 53 minutes on a 50Mbps upload connection.

There is less reason to choose it for a home mainly browsing and watching one or two screens. At the other end, 500Mbps cuts a 100GB game download from about 38 minutes to 27 minutes, which matters if large downloads are a daily habit.

Plan details

The speeds describe the broadband connection. A wireless device’s result also depends on its hardware, reception and other traffic.

Pros and cons

What you can do with 300Mbps speeds

The package gives you 350Mbps to share in each direction. Eight 4K streams, allowing 25Mbps per screen, use 200Mbps of download bandwidth. There is still 150Mbps available for other traffic.

Its upload performance is particularly useful when several people work from home. Six separate HD calls, allowing 4Mbps each way per person, leave 326Mbps of upload bandwidth for other tasks.

These are separate examples based on bandwidth allowances, rather than maximum device counts. Calculated transfer times assume decimal file sizes and the full package speed; other traffic, Wi-Fi and server limits can make them longer.

A large backup can still fill the upload connection. If calls start breaking up while it runs, limit the backup’s upload speed or schedule it outside meetings.

Community Fibre Router

The supplied Linksys MX20 supports Wi-Fi 6 and has Gigabit Ethernet connections. These are sufficient for the full 350Mbps package speed; you do not need a 2.5Gbps network adapter or a more expensive router for a wired computer.

Wireless performance needs a separate assessment. A laptop near the router and an older phone behind two walls will not necessarily receive the same speed. Check reception where you normally work or watch TV.

For rooms with poor reception, compatible Intelligent Mesh units can extend the network. Additional equipment costs extra. Our guide to Community Fibre routers covers the MX20 and compatible upgrades.

Home phone and TV

You can add a home phone without changing the 350Mbps broadband speed. Calls use little bandwidth, so they are not a reason to choose a faster package. The service uses a telephone adapter and needs working broadband and electricity.

Community Fibre TV can also be added. Its PLEIO box streams over broadband, including 4K content where available. Even four separate 4K streams budgeted at 25Mbps each leave 250Mbps for downloads and other devices. The programmes and subscriptions you choose matter more than upgrading beyond this speed for ordinary TV viewing.

Community Fibre 300Mbps for gaming

The clearest gaming benefit is shorter downloads. At 350Mbps, a 50GB game takes about 19 minutes and a 100GB installation takes about 38 minutes. Installation, unpacking and updates after the transfer can add to the total wait.

For multiplayer games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty and GTA Online, download speed alone does not determine responsiveness. Ping depends on the route to the game server and traffic on your connection. Use Ethernet for a fixed console or PC, and pause downloads that are affecting a match.

Cloud gaming needs more download bandwidth than ordinary multiplayer gameplay. GeForce NOW lists 45Mbps for supported 4K streaming at 120 frames per second and requires latency below 80ms to its data centre. The package has sufficient download bandwidth, but that does not establish your ping to NVIDIA.

If you host a game server using incoming IPv4 port forwarding, check the public IP option before ordering. The default CGNAT connection prevents ordinary incoming IPv4 port forwarding.

Community Fibre 300Mbps for streaming

Community Fibre 300Mbps has a 350Mbps average download speed, enough for several people watching in 4K while others work or play online. You do not need to upgrade to 500Mbps simply to watch films or live sport on a few screens.

For example, two Netflix 4K streams, one Disney+ 4K stream and one NOW UHD stream need a combined allowance of 85Mbps. That leaves around 265Mbps of download bandwidth for other devices when the connection is delivering 350Mbps.

These examples use the services’ published connection recommendations; the video bitrate varies with the programme and settings. Your subscription must support the picture quality and number of simultaneous streams. More broadband speed does not unlock 4K on a subscription limited to HD.

The 350Mbps average upload speed also suits people broadcasting their own content. Twitch recommends a 6Mbps video bitrate for 1080p at 60 frames per second, which uses about 1.7% of this package’s upload bandwidth, before audio and overheads. Your computer or console still needs to encode the broadcast reliably.

If one television buffers while other devices work normally, check the connection at that TV or streaming box. Ethernet or better Wi-Fi reception is more useful than a faster broadband package when the problem is a weak signal in that room.

Is Community Fibre 300Mbps any good?

It is a useful package for households that regularly combine viewing, home working and large uploads. Its 350Mbps average upload speed makes a much bigger difference to sending videos and cloud backups than the modest download increase over competing 300Mbps plans.

There is no need to move to gigabit broadband simply to support several TVs and work calls. The reasons to choose a faster package are shorter waits for large transfers or a better current deal. For lighter use, check whether a slower plan offers a worthwhile saving.

Alternatives to consider

These five plans from four providers cover the 300–500Mbps range.

Check the upload speed as well as the download speed at your address. An Openreach 500Mbps package can download faster than Community Fibre 300Mbps while taking considerably longer to upload the same file.

Community Fibre 300Mbps FAQs

Why does the 300Mbps package show a speed of 350Mbps?

300Mbps is the package name. The quoted average download speed and average upload speed are both 350Mbps, so those are the figures to use when comparing performance and calculating transfer times.

Is this package enough for five people?

Yes, for shared streaming, calls and gaming. Five separate 4K streams budgeted at 25Mbps each use 125Mbps, leaving 225Mbps of download bandwidth. Frequent large downloads are more demanding than the number of people alone suggests.

Does Community Fibre 300Mbps include a Wi-Fi 7 router?

No. The current supplied router is the Wi-Fi 6 Linksys MX20. The 1Gbps package comes with Wi-Fi 7 equipment. Wi-Fi 7 is not required to receive 350Mbps.

Why does my wired speed test stop at around 100Mbps?

Check your computer’s Ethernet port, USB adapter, cable and any network switch. A connection negotiated at 100Mbps cannot deliver the full 350Mbps package speed. Use Gigabit Ethernet throughout the wired connection.

Can I take Community Fibre 300Mbps without a two-year contract?

Yes. The package has a 12-month contract option as well as 24-month terms. Compare the full cost of the shorter contract with the available longer deals before ordering.