Openreach Cuts UK Price of 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps FTTP Broadband Tiers
Network operator Openreach (BT) has today informed ISPs about a “realignment of prices” on their top two fastest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband tiers – 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps (both 120Mbps upstream), which in practice appears to mark a further price reduction. Rivals will perhaps remark that we’ve seen quite a few special offers from the incumbent of late.
The changes apply to internet service providers that have joined the network operator’s Equinox contract, which is the name of their sometimes divisive volume focused discount scheme that also provided pricing certainty over a 10-year period (here and here).
According to the latest briefing, as of 1st February 2026, the Equinox prices in the Openreach price list will be changed as follows (Openreach is giving 90 days notice of this, as required by Ofcom):
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1. GEA-FTTP 1200Mbit/s / 120Mbit/s from £23.28 per month to £22.24 per month +vat
2. GEA-FTTP 1800Mbit/s / 120Mbit/s from £30.59 per month to £23.28 per month +vat
“Price changes will be effective from 1 February 2026 until 30 September 2031 (inclusive), which is the end of the Equinox contract period. Prices will be subject to annual increases of CPI – 1.25% or 0%, whichever is highest. There are no changes to any other Equinox terms,” added the briefing.
As usual, it’s important to point out that these are wholesale prices, and they thus do not directly reflect the prices consumers pay at retail for the same service, which is because ISPs still have to add all sorts of extra network features, 20% VAT, the need for a profit margin and more before it becomes the product you purchase.
The move will no doubt be welcomed by most ISPs that use Openreach’s broadband network, as well as consumers who might have been eyeing an upgrade to one of the top tiers (assuming providers do choose to pass any related reductions on to their customers, which seems likely); particularly 1.8Gbps, as the change for 1.2Gbps is fairly small.
Meanwhile, we suspect that some rival networks might well lobby Ofcom against approving the measure, perhaps viewing it as another competitive threat to their existence. But thus far Ofcom has been fairly happy to approve such promotions, and we suspect this one will be much the same.
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Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Openreach really are going out with all guns blazing. With their already high FTTP uptake and increasingly cheaper/competitive wholesale pricing, the odds of Altnets being able to turn a profit and repay their investors is getting lower and lower with each offer being presented.
The question is when will the camel’s back so to speak and all we are left with is Openreach and a LOT of failed Altnets and little to no consumer choice.
Someone will buy the assets of the failed companies – just as with the cable companies in the 90s. The people who build telecoms networks are rarely the ones who end up making money from them.
Five of the altnets are showing an operating profit- Community Fibre, CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Fibrus and B4RN. A few of the others are near break-even but a lot of the smaller ones are burning cash. I imagine we’ll see a wave of consolidation in the industry.
Damn, it’s a shame I won’t see any discount that on 65/mo EE 1.8gbps contract for a long time until renewal, would be a nice saving :/
Ofcom will approve this, they were happy before alt nets to have one wholesale and retail level competition, so now OR have been forced to build, and are on track for good coverage, they wont care about protecting alt nets moving forward. There will be a gradual removal of any restrictions that were placed.
Let’s assume you are an ISP selling the gigabit package for, say, £30 a month. That £30 is £25 ex-VAT, and you pay £22.24 of that to Openreach.
That leaves £2.76 a month.
£2.76 to cover back end (eg BT Wholesale), the cost of the router, and tech support/customer service. Even with a couple of £4/month annual price rises in the 24 month deal taking the £2.76 to an average of £6.76 over the length of the deal, the profit margins are wafer thin at best.
No wonder TalkTalk is a dead man walking.
This is also a sign they are getting ready to bring out the 2.5 and 3.3gbit symmetrical services next year.