ISP BT Sharply Cuts UK Ultrafast Broadband and Phone Prices
UK ISP BT has introduced a significant reduction worth up to £10-£15 off the monthly price of their two fixed line “ultrafast broadband” packages, which are sold via the hybrid fibre G.fast and full fibre FTTP technologies. The catch is that you now have to take out a lengthy 24 month contract term.
The discount was actually introduced on Sunday and so ISPreview accidentally overlooked it until now due to, you know, having better things to do on the day of rest.. like resting (as much as one can do with young children). In short, BT has changed their 18 month contract terms for 24 month ones and slashed the price of ‘Ultrafast Fibre‘ from £54.99 to just £39.99 and ‘Ultrafast Fibre 2‘ from £59.99 to £49.99 per month.
As a result BT are now one of the cheapest ISPs for G.fast and FTTP packages on Openreach’s UK network. The packages all include unlimited data usage, phone line rental (applicable to G.fast), a Smart Hub 2 wireless router, 1000GB cloud storage (online backup), Virus Protect for 15 devices, parental controls, call protect (stops nuisance calls), free access to BT’s national network of public WiFi hotspots and a speed guarantee (i.e. claim £20 back if you suffer slower than the minimum expected speed for your line).
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On top of that both of BT’s ultrafast packages will also give you a “Reward Card” worth £120 (i.e. preloaded Mastercard).
Ultrafast Fibre 1 (FTTP / G.fast)
Average Download of 145Mbps / Upload of 30Mbps
Setup Fee: £9.99Price:
£54.99£39.99 a month for 24 months (£59.99£47.99 thereafter)Ultrafast Fibre 2 (FTTP / G.fast)
Average Download of 300Mbps / Upload of 48Mbps
Setup Fee: £9.99Price:
£59.99£49.99 a month for 24 months (£64.99£52.99 thereafter)
Just a reminder that at the start of this year BT announced that they would “not be increasing prices for BT broadband, home phone and mobile plans in 2019” and from 2020 they’ll instead adopt price increases linked to inflation (here). BT has also recently joined other ISPs in making further commitments to Ofcom around fairness and pricing (here).
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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Interesting move to make shows shows BT is willing to be competitive as it can be
Harder for rivals to adapt too since there isn’t as much price flexibility and control in G.fast/FTTP as there was under the old unbundled era of ADSL and VULA/FTTC lines.
Very true it will be interesting to see what people choose when the CityFibre FTTP/Openreach Builds start to clash with each other.
Matthew
I’m in one of the City Fibre/Openreach FTTP areas and Vodafone aren’t getting my business yet, due to customer service and network service issues.
Ordered Ultrafast Fibre 1 (FTTP) on Sunday and for £39.99pm and I got £120 MasterCard Giftcard and apparently I’m also getting 1yr of prime for free (according to a email I got from them after).
Also I got £105 cashback pending from TCB from this order.
Yeah – always use a cash back site – I got £240 back using Quidco, including the gift card, last time. Not sure how they make money at that rate!
Shameless referral link to Quidco : https://www.quidco.com/raf/556793/
It makes their ADSL prices look silly – special price of £29.99 for 24 months then £37.99pm. No GiftCard, but it does have a Stay Fast Guarantee of 3Mbps though!
I’m currently with Vodafone, and on their highest tier. However, speed checker rarely shows speeds above 19Mb – more often than not, it’s half that. It’s been stated in the past that the copper lines around my streets are poor – even the phone quality isn’t great.
I’m out of contract, so looking at alternatives. According to Openreach, full fibre is enabled – which would explain why there were a dozen Openreach vans on our street for a few weeks a while back. However, beyond business providers (£200pm+), I can’t find any provider able to offer more than 330mbs (Sky/BT), which I assume to be g.fast?
If I were to sign up with, say, BT now – do they allow in contract upgrades should a better offering (from them) become available? They don’t seem very clear on what technology is being used for each offering.
Pretty sure BT will let you upgrade at any point during the contract as you will be going to a better product and it would start a new contract with them anyway.
New speeds expected to launch end of Q1 next year. Should be able to upgrade with BT then and sign a new contract.
And once again, Openreach looking after those that can get it, rather than using the money to get the FTTP debacle sorted.
If i was anywhere near Cityfibre or others, they would be getting my money.
Muppets.
To be fair to BT/OR they are rolling out FTTP faster than anyone else, although as could be expected it is to the profitable areas first (i.e. those that already have superfast broadband available). Altnets such as Gigaclear seem to manage a couple of hundred premises passed a month, while BT are managing thousands.
This has nothing to do with Openreach.
You’ve made yourself look a bit of a muppet.
24 months – no way! Too risky they will push up price in 2020 and again 2021. You have been warned!
Yep.. beginning of the year, typically Feb-March time a nice RPI increase and then another around Nov-December time seems common place with them (or if lucky every nine month). On any “special offer” they have you end up paying the regular out of contract pricing or very close to it well before price your contract is up.
One of the worst offenders for this pricing method in the industry. Glad i got rid of them and the constant price hikes long ago.
Mind you in a way i admire BT, if you can get stupid people to sign up because they see a glossy “special offer” price and get all excited and ignore what it is going to end up costing them, then more power to them.
They changed how they handle price changes a wile back (for landline and Internet anyway). It sounds a lot more reasonable going forward.
Really?
At the bottom of the broadband page it says…
The legal stuff
Δ Each year from March 2020, the price of your SIM Only, Data SIM, Family SIM, tablet, mobile phone, mobile broadband, broadband and landline plan and most of our other prices will increase by the rate of inflation (the Consumer Price Index rate published in January of that year). This includes call charges, features and plans. Other terms, prices and products, like BT TV or BT Sport, might also change during your contract.
Does not sound like its changed to me.
@Lee, beany
In the event of a price increase you can always exit the contract and change supplier without penalty. Why do you think this is a problem?
No you can not, you can only automatically leave if the price rise exceeds RPI. It is at BT’s discretion if they allow you to leave if the price rise is in line with RPI.
That is also in the terms and is also according to Ofcom.
While BT may indeed at their kind discretion let you leave for any price increase within contract, they hike the prices so often, unless you join them at the right time you are unlikely to be with them even 1 year before you get caught with a price increase.
Personally id rather look elsewhere where price rises are unlikely, calculate out what i am likely to spend over any contract period and then compare those prices, on a like for like. Rather than shiny special offer prices designed to attract those that do not think beyond the special offer prices.
IE if one isp is £40 a month for 24 months with no price increase it would cost £960 total
If another ISP which does increase prices (Be it BT, VM or numerous others) each year or more often, ill take the special offer price and the out of special offer price, assume at best there will be no price rise in the first year and the second year assume its going to cost me the outside offer or close to it price, which may look something like…
12 x £35 = £420, 12 x £50 = £600 total thus = £1020 or more in total for 24 months despite the first year being less.
In an instance like that id personally just sooner go with the ISP that cost £960 over 24 months and know i will not have to P155 about with them beging for price reductions or finding another ISP before those 2 years are up.
Of course that is personal preference. If people want to haggle and mess around changing providers every year or more often that is totally up to them. To me i have better things to do than phone up and speak to BT, VM or any of the others that like to hike prices regularly.
Are you thick? CPI is 1.3%. So how do you get 12 months around 35 then 12 months at 50? CPI isn’t RPI its a different rate which is lower. The whole industry is affected as its the basket of goods inflation rate. Wherever you go you will get it, or the RPI which is worse. Barely even 50p. Honestly…..knocking on wood. This is aimed at the price. Plus all called centres back in the UK etc. Crack on if you don’t see a value in service!
You can take out a 18 month contract instead of 24 (and still get the £120 cashback) by using this link https://www.bt.com/campaign/ultrafast3 . The only difference is that you can’t claim cashback on it with TCB/Quidco and it’s a bit more expensive Out of contract.
I’m currently with BT on a 74Mbps FTTP service and had a quick look (anonymously as a new customer) at their new price structure. It appears that they have dropped my data rate and are now offering just 50Mbps and 150Mbps with only a £5 difference – which seems to make sense.
At the same time, Virgin media have just changed their new contract structure for Broadband and Phone packages (but not TV). Contracts now 18 months with only first 12 months discounted. This means that a new customer taking out the M300 package with a phone will pay approximately £354 over the life of the contract than they did yesterday. Surely that’s an epic own goal. I certainly won’t be buying at that price.
Does the length of the contract (broadband) really matter when there is likely to be a price increase which should enable you to leave penalty free before the full term?
Completely agree – a savvy consumer can sign up to a longer-term contract knowing that they can duck any price increase with a penalty free exit if the revised price is not competitive.
Only if its outside the CPI rate. Otherwise you can’t leave.
The pricing has caught my interest. I’m in an FTTP area and on the Plusnet trial and normally no competitor can get close on price. The BT Ultrafast 1 after cashbacks might only be a little more than I currently pay and for higher speed. Though there’s no going back to Plusnet at the end of the term, but Sky might eventually be available by then.
Though still pondering to wait and see what actual FTTP pricing Sky come up with, or how BT then try to compete.
Anyone know if you can persuade BT to switch you across to new pricing if you’re still under an old Ultrafast2 contract? I can’t “upgrade” on their site because it’s already the top package.
I’d also be interested to know about this. I took Ultrafast 2 15 days before they reduced their prices so I’m stuck paying £10 more for exactly the same service and same length of contract. I also can’t “upgrade” on their website.
I might try my luck on Online Chat and see what happens.
tried on the phone alot of the day sunday with no luck, be waiting til they (finally) bring a gig package to ‘upgrade’ in Q1 i guess..
I am so happy with my Ultra fast broadband. I got the extra disc that allows me to get full signals in everyroom. Never had any connectivity issues and prices are stable as well. For me, BT is an elite broadband provider that offers great internet services but of course not everyone can afford that luxury so people opt for cheaper providers. You get what you pay
I agree once you get the Ultrafast 2 Package the service is good. The pain was getting it. Took me a 9- month battle to get signed up even though the telegraph pole outside my house was FTTP enabled. As soon as the 500/1000 service is available next Spring I will plan to upgrade and migrate to that. Hopefully pricing will be little more than the £59.99/month I pay.