Cornwall Focused ISP Wildanet Keeps Broadband Prices Frozen

Rural UK ISP Wildanet, which last year began the £50m rollout of a new gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP) and fixed wireless (FWA) network in Cornwall (here), has today confirmed that they “have no plans to put our prices up” like many of the market’s largest providers (most of those recently hit consumers with huge price hikes).

The move means that Wildanet will join Giganet (here), FibreNest (here), KCOM (here), Fibrus (here) and many other smaller ISPs on the moral high ground by keeping their prices frozen during one of the biggest cost of living crises in recent memory. This has already seen some of the largest broadband ISPs and mobile network operators introducing annual hikes of around 10%.

Wildanet also pointed out that it has a programme of connecting village halls across Cornwall free of charge to their new gigabit broadband network, which they claim can effectively offer up to 80,000 people in the catchment area – including 4,700 people from low-income families – a free broadband service.

Helen Wylde, Chief Executive of Wildanet, said:

“It’s not the time to introduce inflation-busting price increases with household budgets already being massively squeezed, particularly in deprived areas of the country after an incredibly challenging two years for all. At a time when Inflation is running at a 30 year-high, we feel introducing any kind of increase would be unfair to our customers.

We believe it is morally the wrong thing to do and the wrong time to do it. Broadband should be a basic right for everyone regardless of background, particularly given we are now more reliant on digital connectivity in our daily lives than ever before.

Our significant investment is being currently rolled out to connect many areas of Cornwall that are still without access to fast and reliable internet – which we estimate to be some 160,000 homes and businesses. We also serve remote locations where significant numbers of low-income families live and work.

We feel that it is only right that we continue with our current charges because many people are still being challenged by what’s happened over the last two years and digital access is now more critical than ever, as our dependence on it as grown since the pandemic started. Our decision is in keeping with our mission to provide the fastest and most reliable network for everyone, everywhere”.

We have no plans to put our prices up, regardless of what other operators have chosen to do as our main concern is ensuring broadband connectivity and Gig capability is available for all our customers at a price that is fair and affordable for them and for us.”

End.