Can I get Plusnet?

Plusnet is owned by BT and benefits from BT’s network covering most of the UK. With a good 95% of homes covered, you should be able to get Plusnet broadband

However, while coverage is not an issue, it's important to know that Plusnet do charge different rates depending on where you are in the country. If you're in what Plusnet classify as a 'low cost area', where other providers have also installed their equipment at your local telephone exchange and there's lots of competition, you will get your broadband at a cheaper price. If, however, you're in a non-low cost area you'll pay in the region of 50% more each month. Plusnet's price areas are not arbitrary, they're based on market classifications provided by Ofcom.

The good news is that you're unlikely to be affected by this unless you're in a remote rural area. Plusnet say that 99% of the homes they cover are in low cost areas. You can find out if this applies to where you live by using our postcode checker.

What packages are available?

Plusnet offer three core broadband packages in a variety of configurations. You can choose your length of contract, and also get them with or without a phone line.

These are the three basic Plusnet broadband deals:

• Plusnet Unlimited - unlimited standard broadband with an average speed of 10Mb
• Plusnet Unlimited Fibre- average download speeds 36Mb, average upload speeds 9Mb, unlimited usage
• Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Extra - average download speeds 66Mb, average upload speeds 18Mb, unlimited usage

All three deals are unlimited, with no traffic prioritisation. For each one you can choose between a contract of 12 months or 18 months, and you can get the Unlimited deal on a 30-day rolling deal with no contract. While you might expect the longer deal to work out cheaper, this isn't always the case. Offers that Plusnet run regularly may actually make the 12 month contract cheaper. If you go for the no-contract option, that is more expensive, and comes with a much higher activation fee of £50.

All the deals have a fixed price guarantee, so the price of either your broadband or line rental will stay the same for the length of your contract.

Plusnet Broadband comes with a phone line and line rental as standard. But if you've got a phone line from a different company and would like to stick with that, you can choose to take Plusnet without line rental. This works out cheaper each month, although is subject to a higher £35 activation fee. The important thing to note here is that you do need to get a phone line from someone. Even if you don't use your landline phone you still need a line, since that's how the broadband connection enters your home (even on fibre).

Plusnet offer the option to add a phone service to any of these packages. All Plusnet Broadband Calls packages come with Plusnet's basic line rental only package, where you only pay for the calls you make, but you do get free calls to other Plusnet customers and Plusnet support. For an extra £4/month you can upgrade to Evening, Weekend and Mobile calls, and for £8 a month you can upgrade to Unlimited UK and Mobile calls. Finally, you can upgrade to Plusnet International Anytime 300 for an extra £8/month, which comes with free inclusive anytime calls to UK landlines and 300 inclusive anytime minutes to 35 international destinations as well as 25% off top international call destinations outside of your 300 minutes. Mobile calls aren't included in this.

You need to pay line rental to Plusnet with all packages with a calling plan. This cost is included in the advertised price, not charged separately, although you can save on line rental fees by paying for a year up front. Plusnet's broadband-only packages still require a phone line, but you have the choice of staying with your current phone provider or choosing another supplier that suits your needs or beats Plusnet's prices.

Lastly, you can add a subscription to BT Sport for a price starting at £5 a month, depending on whether you want to watch it through an app, a YouView TV box, or have it added to your Sky satellite service.

Which package should I choose?

An important first question to ask yourself is whether you need the speed of fibre if you can get by with standard broadband speeds.

The extra speed is indeed much faster and thus a tempting prospect, but there is no point paying for it if you’re not going to use it. Plusnet’s ADSL speeds averaging 10Mb are easily sufficient for most online activities including Skype calls and downloading music. However, this is not the case if you live far enough from a telephone exchange that your ADSL speed would be very low.

It would also be worth getting fibre if you are a heavy downloader, or regular gamer, as these are both activities that would benefit from the extra speed, reducing download times and preventing lag in games. Fibre packages will help also prevent slowdown in households with many heavy internet users, such as student flats or homes with large families, where one connection has to be divided between several people.

If you're a heavy uploader, perhaps because you share your own YouTube videos or use cloud backup and sync services, or if you're in a busy household where several people may be streaming HD video at once, then you may benefit from the upgrade to Unlimited Fibre Extra offering up to double the download speed and almost 10 times the upload speed.

Points to consider before you choose

• How far do you live from a BT telephone exchange, and will this be a problem for your ADSL speeds?
• How many people will be using your broadband connection at any one time, especially for heavy downloading or online games?
• Are you a heavy uploader, or someone who uses cloud backup and sync services?
• Is fibre optic broadband available in your area?
• Is the extra expense of fibre broadband really worth it for you?

Compare all Plusnet deals

What do I get when I sign-up?

It's always good to know upfront what you'll get when signing up with an ISP so you know what you can enjoy for free, or to budget for any extras you may want.

• Wireless router - All new customers signing up to Plusnet will receive a free wireless router. On the Unlimited deal you get an N-rated Hub Zero, and on the fibre plans you get the more up-to-date Hub One. This is AC-rated, giving it a stronger signal over a greater range. If you wish to use your own router instead, Plusnet will allow that provided you check with them that it is compatible.
• UK-based customer service - Unlike most other providers, Plusnet’s customer service is entirely based in the UK, and is available between 7:30am and 10pm, 365-days a year to help with any queries you may have. All Plusnet phone customers get free calls to Plusnet's customer service.
• Plusnet Protect - Powered by McAfee, Plusnet Protect is Plusnet’s internet security package free to Unlimited Fibre and Fibre Extra customers, available for an extra £2 per month for standard Fibre after a three month trial. Up to 7 PCs can be protected through its anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and firewall tools. It also allows you to set parental controls to filter what children using the internet can access.
• Static IP available - Customers on Unlimited Broadband and Unlimited Fibre Extra can add a static IP address for a one off payment of £5.

What are the benefits of Plusnet?

The benefits offered by an ISP may be what seals the deal in your decision to buy a package from them.

• Cost - Plusnet is among the cheapest of the large providers, making it a good choice for those on a tight budget or those who just like to save money. If you want standalone broadband without bundled line rental and calls, Plusnet tends to be the cheapest available.
• One month contracts - Unlike many other providers, Plusnet offer one-month rolling contracts. Once you have paid a free to activate the service, you only need to give 14 days notice to cancel, meaning you are not committed to long contracts lasting a year or more. This is ideal for those with short tenancy agreements, students, or those who may need to move with minimal notice.
• Standalone broadband - Plusnet are one of the few large providers to offer standalone broadband packages, meaning you don’t need to take your line rental or calls from Plusnet in order to use their broadband service. Plusnet's phone bundles are good value and you can keep your existing phone number, but if you'd prefer not to switch phone supplier or have found cheaper options elsewhere, you have the flexibility to do this with Plusnet broadband.
• Unlimited usage on all deals - There's no reason to choose between price and usage allowance when Plusnet's entire range of broadband products come with no limits on the amount you're allowed to download or upload each month.
• Value line rental - If you take a package including line rental, you can cut the cost of this by paying a reduced price for a year of Plusnet line rental up front, producing a significant saving over the monthly rate.

What are the drawbacks of Plusnet?

Let's face it, not everything can be perfect, and even the best deals may have a downside.

• Few extras - Unlike many of the larger providers, Plusnet does not offer much in the way of extras like wi-fi hotspot access, online TV (apart from a BT Sport subscription) or a home move service. However this is reflected in the cheaper cost, and it does not affect the core broadband service.
• No contract option is more expensive and not available with Fibre - 1 month contracts cost £2.50 per month extra, have a £25 installation charge and don't qualify for most Plusnet special offers. Only available on Standard (ADSL) products, not Fibre.
• Higher rural prices- Although Plusnet is owned by BT, their packages are still cheaper in some areas than others. The cheapest prices tend not to be available in rural and remote areas - although due to the Ofcom market classification mechanism this is tied to, Plusnet are still likely to be the cheapest or among the cheapest stand alone broadband on any exchange.
• Complaint levels - Ofcom figures show that Plusnet are in the middle of the complaints table covering the eight main broadband providers. However, the actual number of complaints is above average.