Zen Internet UK Finally Launch 1.6Gbps FTTP Broadband via Openreach
Rochdale-based UK ISP Zen Internet appears to have finally started to make their new Openreach powered 1.6Gbps broadband package available to retail customers, which follows some months after they made the new tier available at wholesale to other partners (here). But there’s still no sign of any 2Gbps packages on the CityFibre side of their network.
The new top tier package costs £65 per month (plus a one-off £15 set-up charge) for estimated downloads of 1,600Mbps (115Mbps upload) on an 18-month contract term. Customers who take this package will also receive Amazon’s Wi-Fi 6E eero mesh router, although you can optionally add the eero Max 7 (Wi-Fi 7) router for an extra £10 per month.
However, we’re not huge fans of Amazon’s kit, partly due to the limited port options on their devices. But each to their own. Credits to community member YuGi for the tip.
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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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It might be an idea if ISPs like Zen that tends to have a more techie audience offered a service to ONT only (with a small discount). I’m sure a lot of the more techie customers would prefer to select their own gear anyway.
Aquiss do that. They discount your subscription by 50% for the first six months, partly to reflect that they are not supplying you with a router.
Where I can I always supply my own router but keep the supplied kit to hand, if I have a problem I quickly swap to my ISPs own kit, if still failing service I’m in the clear and not having to justify to the first line support why it’s their service and not my kit that’s the problem.
I think all providers should offer a package with no included router for a monthly discount.
I don’t think that is practical for the majority. How would TalkTalk, for example, support someone who took the cheapest (non router) package but cannot get their old router to connect or they go and buy one from PC World. The sheer number of devices to support would cripple them.
It’s a different story for more business-centric ISPs. I use my own kit on Zen but it is still useful to have the supplied router on the shelf in case I ever need to prove if the problem is with my kit or it is an ISP issue.
Dare I say that IDNet does precisely this?
Also offer monthly contracts and have splendid support.
I switched over to them from Zen some time ago and have regretted not switching sooner.
Mostly just wish that we had an altnet around here. OpenReach is, so far, it.
So I’m rather delighted to see OpenReach’s packages ekeing their way towards 2Gbps.
@Lycaerix, I’m currently with Talktalk Business and was going to change to Zen Business. Do you consider IdNet to be the better choice between IdNet and Zen? If so why?
@Mark I’m sure if the will was there, a scheme could be setup to have a badge on routers that
– meet a minimum spec
– have a common API to allow for remote support
– have a common UI for certain parts
I doubt the will is there though, as most expect a free router, and all the ISPs want to have the best one too
Martin – but do you want to pay for it?
ISPs wouldn’t want it because it would multiply their support headaches – they’d now need to have examples of every compliant router in their test labs, they’d need to write support scripts for all of them, they’d need some relationship (ie ££££) with each vendor to get bugs fixed, etc etc.
Given that everyone offers the same speed and similar performance these days, the supplied router has become the area of differentiation – look at how Zen and BT are separately claiming the “first to WiFi 7” crown.
It is cheaper and easier for them to carry on as they do now, especially the larger ISPs who all have custom-designed routers from preferred suppliers with known characteristics, and leaving any third party router use up to the customer & at their own risk.
This becomes even more problematic when landline-replacement phone services come into the picture. e.g. “digital voice” and “internet calls” from the various ISPs where Ofcom takes an interest in its performance and reliability.
It will be interesting to see if other ISPs adjust their 900Mbps package price to match Zen. I am not a fan of switching but paying £5 a month more for 3 times the speed that I am getting at the moment does make one think about it.
Still no 2GBPS from Zen. via CF.
Theyve been promising for months – I keep asking and still “We dont know”.
Its disappointing and Im thinking of moving somewhere else.
Hopefully now the Openreach product is up and running, which to be fair is where most of their customers are, they’ll be able focus on getting the CityFibre tech sorted. I wonder if it will be 2.5/2.5 as with other CityFibre ISPs?
The problem is backhaul capacity on the Zen side.
They have limited numbers of ports on their equipment. There’s a lot of non resilient leased circuits there too which need upgrading
Time will tell how congested the new higher speed products will be on the Zen infrastructure.
What about Trooli based service?
Is this live on all Zen Openreach FTTP lines? I can only see up to 900 on the Zen availability checker (which I currently have with them).
Same here it hasnt been fully launched yet.
I wonder if it’s just Zen exchanges.
Just to confirm this is Zen exchanges only, if no 1.6Gb the it’s likely BTw and they haven’t launched this package yet
It’s showing available to me , I don’t believe Zen have a presence in the headend exchange .
Wonderful! IDNet when?
iDNet already have 1200/120 and 1600/120 with OR.
I have 1200/120 3 months. 1600 package I don’t need until symmetric speeds.
Hi Mark,
I appreciate your thoughts on the port availability for eero devices. I’d like to offer a different perspective on this.
eero has designed its product line to cater to a wide range of customer needs. For tech enthusiasts and power users who require high-speed connectivity and multiple ports, the eero Max 7 offers an impressive array with two 2.5G and two 10G ports. This configuration can handle demanding setups and future-proof home networks.
On the other hand, for users with more standard requirements, the eero Pro 6E provides a solid option with its port selection.
The key here is optionality. eero understands that different customers have varying needs, and by offering a diverse product line, they’re ensuring that there’s a solution for almost every use case. Whether you’re a tech guru or a casual user, there’s likely an eero device that fits your specific port and performance requirements.
What are your thoughts on this approach to product diversity? I’m curious to hear more about your specific concerns regarding port availability.
IMO the Max 7 is quite alright in terms of ports. However the Pro 6E should have 2x 2.5 GbE ports at minimum. Ideally with 2x 1 GbE on top of that, although for me I can overlook that. Most devices are on WiFi but if you’re paying for a multi-gig connection quite likely you have at least one main computer wired in. I don’t really see the point of a router where you can’t max the connection on any single device.
Eero just doesn’t offer good enough port selection for the price point on the 6E.
I see that they’ve done away with the 300mbps tier which is slightly disappointing. It was a nice “middle ground” in terms of price Vs speed – although I opted for 500mbps on my recent move
Have they lowered the cost of the 900 package or was it always 50? I’d like to see the likes of Aquiss lower their cost to compete or beat that since they don’t offer a router or anything. Their cost seems high in comparison
They have – it was £55 before this update.