Check Internet availability at an address in Switzerland: how to use the OFCOM broadband atlas correctly
Are you moving, looking to change Internet provider or wondering whether fibre is available at your home address? The broadband atlas provided by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) is a useful first step. The interactive map shows which speeds, connection technologies and providers are generally available in the surrounding area.
However, it is important to interpret it correctly: the atlas does not provide a binding confirmation for an individual flat. Its data is geographically aggregated. Before signing a contract, you must therefore check the exact Internet availability directly with the provider you want to use.
What the OFCOM broadband atlas shows
The OFCOM broadband atlas visualises broadband coverage in Switzerland. You can search for an address or location and display various types of information as map layers. These include in particular:
- Download speed: possible data rate when downloading, for example for streaming, video calls or large files
- Upload speed: possible data rate when uploading, relevant for cloud backups, working from home, videoconferences and sharing large files
- Connection technology: such as fibre, coaxial cable or copper line
- Providers: providers reporting broadband services in the relevant map area
The data is based on information supplied by telecommunications companies. OFCOM prepares this data for the map. The atlas is therefore particularly useful for assessing the coverage situation in a neighbourhood and comparing different home addresses before moving.
You can find the current map and information about the data basis directly in the OFCOM broadband atlas.
How to check Internet availability at your address
1. Enter the address in the search field
Open the broadband atlas and enter your home address as completely as possible: town, street and house number. Then zoom in on the map until you can clearly see the building’s surroundings.
If an address cannot be found unambiguously, these steps may help:
- Check the spelling of the street and house number.
- Search for the town and street first, then navigate manually to the building.
- For new builds or very recent addresses, use the plot or the immediate surroundings as a reference.
The atlas does not confirm availability for an individual flat. Nevertheless, a precise position on the map is important so that you do not accidentally interpret data from another neighbourhood or an adjacent municipality.
2. Display and interpret download speed correctly
Select the download speed map layer. The map uses speed categories. It therefore does not necessarily show the exact speed you will later receive under your contract, but rather the coverage reported for the relevant area.
For interpretation:
- Low download speeds are often sufficient for emails, browsing and individual video streams.
- Higher speeds are useful when several people are streaming, gaming or working from home at the same time.
- Very high speeds are mainly useful when many devices are active in parallel, large amounts of data are transferred or a household wants to remain flexible in the long term.
Do not focus only on the highest visible category. If the map shows different values in neighbouring areas, the building’s exact location may be decisive. A house on the edge of a neighbourhood may be connected differently from a building on the opposite side of the street.
3. Check upload speed separately
Upload is often underestimated when choosing an Internet connection. With cable and copper connections in particular, it can be significantly lower than the download speed. Always check the upload speed as a separate map layer.
A good upload speed is especially relevant if you:
- regularly take part in videoconferences,
- back up photos, videos or work files to the cloud,
- upload content from home,
- use your own server, smart-home cameras or remote access,
- work online with several people at the same time.
For a single evening of streaming, upload is usually less important. In a household with home working, however, it can determine whether the connection is stable or frustrating. Do not therefore compare Internet offers solely on the advertised download speed. On our Internet comparison overview, you can compare offers according to your requirements.
4. Select the connection technology
The technology layer explains which network the coverage is fundamentally based on. It is often more informative than a single speed figure because it provides indications about upload, stability and future expansion options.
| Connection technology | Typical characteristics | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre | Very high data rates, usually low latency, often high upload speeds | The key question is whether the fibre actually reaches the flat or only the building. |
| Coaxial cable | High download speeds over the cable-TV network, widespread in many places | Upload may be lower than with fibre. Performance may vary depending on network expansion. |
| Copper line | Uses the existing telephone line, often DSL-based connections | Possible speed depends heavily on line length and the condition of the infrastructure. |
| Mobile-based solutions | Internet via the mobile network, sometimes available as a fixed-line replacement | Reception, network load and data conditions must be checked for the exact location. |
The terms are often used in simplified ways in everyday life. “Fibre available”, for example, may mean that fibre is present in the neighbourhood or building. The provider must confirm during the order check whether it reaches your flat.
5. Use provider information as a guide
Depending on how the atlas is displayed, you can view the providers reported for a map area. This information helps you narrow down the local market. It is not, however, a complete list of offers or a guarantee that all providers shown can supply your specific flat.
There are several reasons for this:
- A provider may use a network within a 250-metre area without every house being connected to it.
- In apartment buildings, owners, property managers or existing internal installations may influence the technical situation.
- A provider may report infrastructure but currently not sell a suitable product at the address.
- Expansion projects, network changes and data updates can lead to timing differences.
Use the provider display for initial research. For a specific comparison, then check the available offers and pay attention to technology, minimum contract term, activation costs, hardware and actual upload speed. You can find an initial overview under Internet.
Why 250-metre data does not replace a house-number check
The key point about the broadband atlas is its geographical resolution: information is displayed in 250-metre grid cells. Put simply, a visible area combines the coverage of several buildings. This helps protect sensitive information and makes the data comparable across Switzerland.
For your address, this means that a positive map entry shows that a particular type of coverage exists somewhere within that grid cell. It does not prove that it is available in every flat.
This can result in the following situations:
- The same grid cell contains a new building with fibre and an older house with a copper connection.
- The fibre ends in the neighbouring building or on the other side of a railway line, without your house being connected.
- The building is connected, but the internal cabling to the flat is missing or has not yet been activated.
- High bandwidth is available in the cell, but your preferred provider uses a different network or offers a different product there.
Conversely, the atlas may also appear more conservative than the actual situation. If an expansion was completed recently, the map may not yet show the latest status. The atlas is therefore a tool for preliminary checking, not for placing an order.
The second step: check availability directly with the provider
After consulting the broadband atlas, you should always carry out the binding address check with the provider. Enter the complete address, including the house number. If possible, also select the flat or the correct part of the building.
The provider check answers questions that the atlas cannot conclusively clarify:
- Is the connection active in this exact building?
- Which technology is actually used?
- Which download and upload speeds can be ordered at the address?
- Is installation by a technician required?
- Are one-off costs or technical requirements involved?
- Can the connection be activated immediately or only after an expansion?
When moving, do not rely on statements such as “there is fibre in the building”. Ask the property manager or previous tenants, but also check with the provider yourself. Ideally, check with at least two providers if the atlas shows several providers or technologies in the surrounding area.
Compare technology and contracts correctly
Once you have concrete results from the provider checks, you can compare offers objectively. The highest download figure is not the only decisive factor.
The points that matter
- Available rather than advertised speed: what matters is what the provider actually offers at your address.
- Upload speed: check it particularly for working from home, cloud backups and video calls.
- Technology: fibre, coaxial cable and copper can perform differently in everyday use even with similar download speeds.
- Contract duration: check the minimum term, notice period and possible consequences of moving.
- One-off costs: check activation, installation and required hardware before signing up.
- TV and mobile: if you want to bundle services, compare the total cost rather than just the Internet price. You can also find information under Bundle offers.
If you rent, it is also worth checking the existing connection socket. A fibre socket in the flat is a good indication, but it does not replace the provider check either. If you own the property, you may also need to consider whether the building’s internal installation requires modernisation.
Checklist before changing Internet provider
Follow these steps in order so that you do not draw incorrect conclusions from the map:
- Search for your address in the OFCOM broadband atlas.
- Check download speed, upload speed and technology separately.
- Look at the provider information for the affected map area.
- Remember that the display is based on 250-metre grid cells.
- Carry out a separate availability check with the full address at suitable providers.
- Compare only offers that can actually be ordered at your address.
- Before signing, check the term, costs, installation and cancellation conditions with your current provider.
Conclusion: the atlas points the way, the provider confirms the address
The OFCOM broadband atlas is a practical, independent tool if you want to assess Internet availability at an address in Switzerland in advance. It helps you understand the technical coverage in the surrounding area, classify possible speeds and identify potential providers.
However, its 250-metre aggregation has clear limits. You will only find out whether fibre, coaxial cable or copper actually reaches your flat, and which service you can order, through the relevant provider’s address check. Use both steps: the atlas first for an overview, then the provider check for a binding decision.
