UK ISP Vfast Pledges NO Mid-Contract Broadband Prices Hikes, EVER
Kent-based independent UK ISP Vfast (Orbital Net), which sells packages to homes via a mix of wireless (FWA) and full fibre (CityFibre and OFNL) broadband networks, has today committed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by “[locking] in prices for all contracts, indefinitely” (i.e. no mid-contract inflation-linked increases, ever).
“These increases are just too much for people to handle,” says Vfast Internet MD, Rebecca Brown. “For most people the internet is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Children use it for learning and discovery. And for some people it’s their only contact with family or to home deliveries for ecommerce. Which is why we’ve let our subscribers know that Vfast Internet will not be hiking its prices – full stop.”
We should add that Vfast are also building their own gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network in rural parts of Kent and Sussex in England, which is being supported by a “multi-million pound investment” from Mobeus (here). But we haven’t had a solid update on that since 2021.
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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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If only they’d all take that approach. Mid contract price rises should be criminal. Especially since we don’t get any mid contract freedoms to leave penalty free. It’s all geared in their favour
Excatly, there should be a penalty fee they have to pay to customers in the same way.
Except you don’t have to use them. They publish their service and the price and you make a choice to take it or not.
We have no choice of water provider, and are forced to pay the BBC, but for broadbad we have huge choice in the UK and at generally very good prices.
Interesting. They are dependent on OFNL and CF, OFNL is going to hike their prices in this year as per email from their another reseller MTH.
That’s unfortunate, but all the ISP has to do is factor that into their pricing, today. It’s not rocket science: it’s maths or accounting.
Charge everyone a fair and sustainable price in the first place and it’s perfectly possible.
AA are a shining example. Never had a price rise – always had a price reduction OR allowance increase for all.
My TV with Sky this month went up mid-contract from £32 to £37
My FTTP didn’t increase
It really hacks me off and is one of the reasons why I left my 16 year EE/Orange contract in 2021 because they would just put up the price. I then decided to buy my iPhone from Apple, direct and hoy a PAYG sim card in and port my number into it
I hated the RPI increase. If I am in a contract, then that’s what I expect to pay
Who lost out
Not me
VMO2 should be penalised for uprating prices mid-way through contracts on consumers (especially consumers) that have been with them for a long time.
“Ever” is an awfully long time…
You’re thinking on it wrong. It’s a perpetually rolling commitment, but each fixed price needs to only last the length of the contract, which is no more than 24 months.
If Vfast got into serious financial trouble and needed to raise prices then it will do so, better than going bankrupt.