BT Down? BT Network Status in Real Time
Status computed from public network signals (BGP and active probes) on BT's infrastructure, updated every ~10 minutes. This is not an official BT channel.
Is BT down right now? A red indicator below points to a probable fault on the network BT and Openreach run; if it is green but your own line is dead, the problem is much more likely to sit in your Smart Hub, the Openreach ONT or your master socket. To check it in under a minute: read the live status just below, compare it with user reports on Downdetector, and run a speed test on your phone over 4G/5G with Wi-Fi turned off.
Last updated: —
Data source: IODA (Georgia Tech) · updated ~every 10 minutes
Network trend over the last 24 hours
The chart shows the network signal level (BGP reachability and active probes) relative to the median of the last 24 hours: full bars = normal, low bars = possible outage.
What to do if BT is down
Almost every BT fault traces back to the Openreach line into your home, so the first job is to read the badge above. If it shows a network outage, the useful move is to wait: a break in the Openreach network or an exchange fault is fixed by engineers, not by another reboot. If it is green, work through your own kit.
On full fibre (FTTP), the line ends at a small white Openreach ONT on the wall, with the Smart Hub 2 plugged into it. Check the ONT first: a steady green power and optical light is healthy, while a red LOS light means no light is reaching you — a fibre break upstream that no home fix will cure. If the ONT is happy but the Hub is not, restart the Hub for 30 seconds.
On FTTC or ADSL, your line still runs over copper from the green street cabinet, so the Hub's broadband light tells the story: steady blue is in sync, flashing or purple means it cannot train up the line. Plug the Hub into the test socket behind the master faceplate to rule out your own extension wiring before you report it.
If it is the fixed line that is down, tether to a mobile network to stay online while Openreach works.
Why BT goes down: the usual causes
BT's broadband is delivered across the Openreach access layer, and that shared foundation is the key to its outages: when a cabinet card fails, a duct is torn open or an exchange goes in for planned work, the damage lands on Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet and EE lines on the same street just as readily as on BT. Full-fibre drops are typically a spade through a cable, a poor splice or an ONT that has surrendered its session, and they seldom reach beyond an estate or a postcode. On the older FTTC and ADSL lines it is the copper that lets go — a waterlogged joint, corrosion or a failing card in the cabinet. Genuinely national BT incidents are unusual and normally stem from core routing or DNS rather than one cut line, resolving as soon as the change is rolled back.
Is it BT or your own kit?
A measurement clears it up fastest. With Wi-Fi switched off, run a speed test on your phone over 4G or 5G, then run one from a computer joined to the Smart Hub by an Ethernet lead. Mobile working while the wired attempt refuses to connect places the fault on your line or somewhere in Openreach; a whole street with no service is a local outage. Because the cabinet is shared, a quick word with a neighbour on Sky or TalkTalk tells you a great deal.
A crawling line and a dead line are different problems. A wired figure that holds steady but sits well under your package over several checks is a speed matter rather than an outage, and worth writing down. Mind the units first, though: a 900 Mbps Full Fibre plan works out at roughly 113 MB/s in a download, so a reading around 100 MB/s is bang on, not a shortfall.
How to reach BT and confirm the status
BT's support number is 0800 800 150, and the MyBT app will flag a fault on your line, let you log it and book an engineer. To work out whether the problem is shared, set the area reports on Downdetector beside the indicator higher up the page. When a major incident is running, a search for "BT down" on social media usually shows within minutes whether your region is affected or the trouble ends at your own master socket.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if BT is down right now?
Start with the coloured badge higher up the page. It is derived from independent routing and probe measurements across BT's network and updates every ten minutes or so. Red flags a probable network fault; green while your line stays dead usually means the Smart Hub, the ONT or the master socket. Confirm it against Downdetector reports and a 4G test.
My ONT shows a red LOS light — what does that mean?
On full fibre the Openreach ONT has a LOS indicator. A red LOS lamp says no light is coming down the fibre — a break in the run or a fault back at the exchange, and no reboot touches it. Power the ONT and Smart Hub down for half a minute; if LOS stays red, hand it to BT, because clearing it is Openreach's job.
Does a BT fault affect Sky and TalkTalk too?
Frequently it does. BT's broadband is carried on the Openreach access layer, which also underpins Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet and EE. One damaged line or a booked exchange job can silence every brand on the street together, so if a neighbour on a rival provider drops at the same moment, suspect Openreach rather than BT itself.
BT broadband is down but my EE mobile works — why?
They are distinct networks, BT's ownership of EE notwithstanding. Broadband down while the mobile stays up simply means your fixed line or the Openreach layer has failed while the mobile network carries on — which is exactly why hopping onto 4G or 5G is a sound stopgap during a broadband cut.
BT is slow rather than down — what should I do?
Run one test on the wire and one on Wi-Fi. A healthy wired figure blames your Wi-Fi — try a new channel, a better spot for the Smart Hub, or a mesh disc. A wired figure that stays far below plan over several goes is a speed complaint to record. And on units, 900 Mbps is about 113 MB/s, so a 100-plus MB/s download is entirely normal.
How long do BT outages last, and can I claim compensation?
A local fault might be back inside a few hours, but a fibre break or a copper repair needing an Openreach visit can run to a day or beyond. BT is signed up to Ofcom's automatic compensation arrangements, which pay a fixed daily sum when a total loss of service runs past the agreed fix time, so record the moment it began.