When you surf the internet, your currently location changes the type of internet you see. The country you're in can influence Google search results, YouTube recommended videos, the language of websites, and of course advertisements. It also influences what websites you can and can't see. Sometimes this is due to internet censorship, but many times its also because of firewalls place on web servers to block foreign access. To access these geo-restricted sites, you need to use a VPN service. To access UK websites, you need a UK VPN service.

A UK VPN service doesn't have to have their headquarters in The UK, at least not by my definition. So lets clear this up. A UK VPN service may mean two things.

1. A VPN service that does business according to UK law. This business will be requested in The UK. They will probably have VPN servers around the world, and be able to provide you access to IP addresses from at least a couple countries, including The UK of course.

2. A VPN service that has VPN servers in The UK. This VPN service could be potentially located in any other country in the world, but have VPN servers in Great Britain. Accessing these servers would of course get you a British IP address on your internet device. Even though this type of VPN service is not a UK registered business, you can still use it to access British websites.

For accessing UK websites, either one of these services will do. I know of a service that operates from Hong Kong, one that operates from The USA, and one that operates from France. They all have servers that will unblock iPlayer, LoveFilm, and other British streaming sites. In my opinion, because The UK is not well known for internet privacy, and is changing their laws frequently to reduce the amount of privacy UK citizens have on the internet.

In my opinion, this type of service is great. You can unblock UK sites overseas, but are not subject to UK law because the VPN company you joined is not a UK resisted business. Don't take this as an invitation to do cyber crime with the VPN, but take it as advice on how to maintain your privacy on the internet. The British government has been in the new a lot lately for unfavorable internet privacy regulations.

But some users may feel better joining a VPN network from a western, developed country. Especially for British citizens, it may be favorable to join a familiar service that has experience with British VPN users. For others, it doesn't matter so long as it's cheap.

Because British websites are well known and British TV is popular around the world, UK VPN services are in demand, and most VPN networks will offer more than one option for UK access. Some may allow you to choose a specific city, but most of the time this isn't an important option. More important is unlimited server switching, unlimited bandwidth, and good customer service ratings. You can use a VPN connection on smartphones and computers or use a VPN router to change the IP of your home internet connection.