Quickline Launch Free Broadband Offer for Contract Tied UK Customers

Network builder and broadband ISP Quickline, which is deploying gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) infrastructure to 96 rural locations (55,000 premises) across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England (deployment plan), has launched a new “free until you’re free” offer that gives people the chance to join them for free until their existing contract runs out.

The provider, fuelled by £500m from Northleaf Capital Partners (acquired Quickline in 2021), has previously stated that they hold an aspiration to cover 500,000 premises in UK rural and semi-rural areas with “ultrafast broadband” via both Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and 5G based fixed wireless infrastructure “by 2025” (here).

So far they already claim to have covered 300,000 premises via their wireless network, while their much more recent full fibre deployment has covered 10,000 premises across over 20 rural communities (Dec 2022). But sometimes customers want to move to the network, yet find that they’re trapped by an existing contract with another ISP that would be costly to exit (i.e. early termination charges).

In response, Quickline are now giving new customers the chance to join them for free “until their existing contract runs out“. The terms for this deal state that the “maximum value of this offer is in line with the maximum residential contract term allowed by OFCOM, which is 24 months.” In a separate offer, new customers can alternatively choose to join Quickline for 90 days for free, with no hidden costs and no contract.

Sean Royce, Quickline’s CEO, said:

“We don’t believe any customer should suffer with a poor broadband service. Broadband is so important to daily life, from work to socialising, and choosing to live in a rural area shouldn’t be at the expense of having great internet access.

That’s why we’ve launched this new initiative, which we believe is unique in the industry.

For too long, many rural customers have been locked into lengthy contracts while receiving an unreliable, slow service. We think our new offer will change that and give customers a high-quality alternative.”

We should point out that other ISPs have launched similar incentives to switch in the past, although they usually amount of limited account credits. But the terms of this offer suggest that Quickline may be going a step further by offering a much bigger degree of cost protection for those willing to switch to them.