What are fixed price broadband deals and who offers them?

Author: Mark Billen

Last updated: 12 August 2024

A fixed price broadband deal is a broadband package that promises to remain at a static price.

With a fixed price promise, the broadband provider is giving you a guarantee that there will be no mid-contract price rises during your contract’s minimum term.

The monthly tariff you agree to pay at sign-up will stay the same for the entire duration of your 12, 18 or 24-month contract. After the contract ends, like all broadband packages, this price is likely to rise. This is when we recommend you should shop around for new broadband deals.

Can they really do that?

The freedom to increase tariffs, typically above the rate of inflation, is usually added into a provider’s contract. While this practice is subject to Ofcom regulator review, it’s 100% legal, with standard notice of 30-days given.

Fixed price broadband guards against this and lets you budget accurately for what the broadband contract will actually cost in real terms:

• A fixed price broadband deal fixes the price for the minimum contract term.
• No price rises mid-contract is given as a guarantee to new customers.

Our guide to price increases in 2024 offers extra advice on how mid-contract hikes work.

Which internet provider doesn’t increase its price?

There’s a select group of providers committed to delivering fixed price broadband deals. They use this guarantee as a way to gain a competitive edge. These could be a great choice for broadband customers concerned by rising costs:

• Hyperoptic
• BeFibre
• Cuckoo Broadband
• YouFibre
• TalkTalk (full fibre deals or paying for a 'Fixed Price Plus')
• BRSK
• Lit Fibre
• Rebel Internet (12 and 24 month packages)
• Fibrely (subject to postcode - Openreach network addresses only)
• V4 Consumer
• Quickline
• Trooli

Let's give you some background on some of these providers and detail the broadband services on offer.

Hyperoptic Broadband

All of Hyperoptic’s broadband plans are full fibre with unlimited data. Broadband only package prices range from around £18 for a 30Mb 'Light Fibre' plan to £39 for its 1Gb Hyperfast Broadband deal on a 24-month contract. 

Hyperoptic makes a big play on guaranteeing no mid-contract increases. It even offers a ‘Switch Now’ scheme, giving up to 9 months free service while your existing minimum contract expires.

The only downside is that Hyperoptic broadband’s coverage is limited. It’s only available in London and a few other locations, including Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Nottingham.

BeFibre

BeFibre offers three full fibre packages ranging across 150, 500 and 900Mb broadband speeds (‘Be150’, ‘Be500’ and ‘Be900’), all of which have symmetrical upload and download speeds. Contract lengths are 12 and 24-months and that includes unlimited access and free installation with a bundled Linksys Wi-Fi 6 router.

A 30-day Be Guarantee is offered to all new customers. This means you'll be able to leave without any cancellation fees if you're unhappy with your broadband's performance.

Cuckoo Broadband

Cuckoo’s full fibre broadband packages boast download speeds of 150Mb, 150Mb and a superfast 900Mb connection. Priced between £38-£47 respectively, all contracts are 12-months minimum. 

Cuckoo also boasts very fast switching times, offering an optional “Eggspress Wi-Fi” add-on (£40) that gives your router 4G access before your official activation date.

• What is Openreach?

  Openreach is the company that maintains the former British Telecom Network used for the majority of broadband and phone services. If a repair or installation is required, it’s Openreach who will send an engineer, not your provider.

  More than 650 service providers using the Openreach network. That’s the majority of the UK’s broadband providers. This includes Sky, TalkTalk and BT. The exception to this is Virgin Media - it uses its own, separate cable network.

• What does ADSL mean?

  ADSL stands for ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’. It’s broadband technology that allows the transfer data across regular telephone lines. You can make calls at the same time as being connected to the internet.

  An ADSL line will, at minimum, allow for a broadband connection of up to 8Mb. These days, that’s pretty slow and won’t allow you to do much other than emailing or basic web searches.

  ADSL2+ is now available at nearly all exchanges across the UK with slightly faster data transfer rates of around 10-11Mb.

• What’s the difference between ‘fibre’ and ‘full-fibre’ broadband?

  Full Fibre broadband is also known as ‘Fibre To The Premises’, ‘Fibre To The Home’. This is often shortened to FTTP or FTTH. They’re all the same thing!

  Instead of copper telephone wire making up the final part of the journey from that green cabinet on the street, fibre optic cables are installed right up to your home.

  It’s amazing the difference in speed this small data journey can have. With full-fibre broadband you can expect to receive speeds of 1Gb+.

  The downside is full-fibre is only available to a small percentage of homes in the UK, and it’s taking a good while to get everyone up to speed.

YouFibre

Despite having limited coverage for UK postcodes, YouFibre is a small independent provider with competitive pricing. Its terms of service commits to no mid-contract price rises on packages of at least 18-months minimum term. What’s more, they also offer an existing contract buy-out scheme to alleviate cancellation costs when switching from an existing provider.

Deal highlights range a YouFibre 150Mb deal for £24 per month, to the considerably quicker YouFibre 1000 package, still under £30 per month, on an 18-month contract.

• How are providers calculating their price increases?

  In 2023 and 2024 providers typically used the Consumer Price Index rate (CPI) plus an additional percentage.

  However, from January 2025, new ruling from Ofcom that bans mid-contract price rises linked to inflation means that providers must be more upfront about price increases and state rises in pounds and pence for new contracts.
  
  Existing customers may still be charged price increases using the CPI+% calculation.

Which broadband providers carry out mid-contract or annual price rises?

Sadly, the main offenders are the UK’s most popular providers. These include big names such as Virgin Media, Vodafone, BT, Plusnet and NOW broadband.

For a more definitive list and more info on the cost in real terms, check out our guide to 2024 price rises.

What can I do to avoid a price hike?

Choosing or switching to a provider that promises fixed price broadband is the best option. Just be sure to check the contract terms carefully, and only pick deals you genuinely want, for a price you can afford.

Some providers, like TalkTalk offer an add-on, that protects against future price rises. This ‘Fixed Price Plus’ option can be added for £3.95 per month on all fibre and full fibre packages.

Otherwise, the very best way is to switch regularly. Check your contract period for expiry or terms of exit, while also keeping close eye on bundled service increases like landline line rental, call charges entertainment add-ons. Watch those bills like a hawk!

To help you along, you can always check the most current new broadband offers available to you, using our deals checker.

I don’t have a fixed price broadband deal and can no longer afford my bill

The best first move is always to speak with your provider. Talk to them, explain the issues you face – because every case is different. Ultimately, the best providers should want to help customers rather than have them default on a bill!

If you receive benefits, ask about the availability of a social tariff. These are reduced price plans that offer discounted rate for low income customers claiming benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Income Support. For those who qualify, switching to a social tariff is free and can happen anytime and are exempt from mid-contract price rises.

We have more information about this in our guide to ‘social tariffs and cheaper broadband deals if you’re on benefits’.

Otherwise, check your contract terms and ideally switch to a cheaper deal. If you’re beyond your minimum term, then you’re free to leave without any early termination charges. Some providers, such as Sky Broadband, offer switching credit – effectively money back on your new account to compensate paid leaving fees.

See also: 'How to get a credit for switching your broadband early'.

Expert Summary

The freedom for a broadband provider to raise the price of a contract before the end of your minimum term is sadly legal. Many popular broadband providers including BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin Media raise their prices every spring.

There are broadband providers out there who offer specifically offer fixed price broadband deals to give assurance to their customers this won’t happen. These tend to be smaller, independent providers and include Zen Internet, italk, Hyperoptic and Cuckoo Broadband.

Alternatively, if it’s important to you to know you won’t fall victim to a mid-contract price hike, TalkTalk also offers an extra ‘insurance’ or bolt-on. For an extra £3.95 per month, this 'Fixed Price Plus' extra means your bill will never rise above the rate of inflation.