Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Social Tariff (42 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Social Tariff

Community Fibre Joins UK Gov Charter to Stop Unexpected Bill Increases

15th March, 2026 (1 Comment)

UK ISP CommunityFibre, which has invested c.£1bn to build a 5Gbps speed full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across 1.342 million homes (inc. 185k businesses within 200 metres of their network) – mostly in London, has just become the latest internet provider to sign-up to the Government’s new Telecoms Consumer Charter (TCC).

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Ofcom Find 532,000 UK Consumers Taking Social Broadband and Mobile Tariffs

26th February, 2026 (13 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today published their annual Pricing Trends Report for 2026, which among other things confirms that the take-up of cheaper social broadband ISP and mobile tariffs for those on state benefits has jumped to 532,000 customers in June 2025 (up from 506,000 last year). But that’s still just 8.6% of eligible households (e.g. those on Universal Credit) and awareness remains low.

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Major UK Broadband ISPs Sign Gov Charter to Stop Unexpected Bill Increases

11th February, 2026 (24 Comments)

The Government has managed to get some of the UK’s biggest broadband and phone providers, including BT, Virgin Media (O2), VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK), Sky (Sky Broadband) and TalkTalk, to sign-up to a new Telecoms Consumer Charter that pledges to “stop unexpected bill increases“. But sadly, it’s not an end to mid-contract prices hikes.

Full Fibre ISP Hyperoptic Add Faster and Cheaper UK Broadband Social Tariffs UPDATE

11th February, 2026 (4 Comments)

City-focused full fibre (FTTP/B) broadband ISP Hyperoptic, which claims to have deployed their gigabit speed network to cover 1.9 million UK homes, has recently and quietly added two new options to their existing social tariffs for those on state benefits (Fair Fibre Plans). The new options add symmetric speeds of 500Mbps and 1Gbps, making them among the fastest such tariffs on the whole market.

Poverty Alliance Warns UK Social Broadband ISP Tariffs Suffer Critical Flaws

29th August, 2025 (13 Comments)

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has published a new briefing that warns how Social Tariffs from UK broadband and mobile providers, which offer significant cost savings to those on state benefits (e.g. Pension Credit, Universal Credit etc.), continue to suffer from three “critical flaws” – minimal awareness, inconsistent quality and affordability.

Virgin Media and O2 Warn UK Pensioners Unaware of Cheap Social Tariffs

12th June, 2025 (10 Comments)

Broadband and mobile provider Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) has this morning claimed, as part of a new online survey conducted by Strand Partners, that 48% of UK pensioners are still unaware of the social tariffs that can offer “significant cost savings” to those on state benefits, such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit and others.

EE and BT to Raise Price of UK Social Broadband Tariffs After Earlier Denial

16th April, 2025 (19 Comments)

Broadband ISP BT (EE) has this morning caused a degree of surprise by appearing to reverse last week’s denial (here) and announcing a price increase of £1 per month across their low-cost home broadband social tariffs for those on state benefits (Home Essentials). The provider had previously indicated to ISPreview that no such price increases would be introduced in 2025.

BT Corrects Embarrassing Error on UK Social Broadband Tariffs Page UPDATE3

10th April, 2025 (7 Comments)

This morning we reported on how ISP BT (EE) had updated their website to change their low-cost home broadband social tariffs for those on state benefits (Home Essentials). The changes saw the removal of their £15 per month 36Mbps “fibre” plan for those with “no income” on 1st May 2025 and some price rises. But BT has now reversed this, saying they were “changed in error“.

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Ofcom Report 506,000 UK Homes Now Take Social Broadband Tariffs

12th December, 2024 (0 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today published their annual 2024 Pricing Trends Report, which among other things confirms that the take-up of cheaper social broadband ISP and mobile tariffs for those on state benefits has jumped to 506,000 customers in June 2024 (up from 380,000 in Sept 2023). But that’s still just 9.6% of eligible households (e.g. those on Universal Credit).

Connect Fibre Cuts Price of 150Mbps Social Broadband Tariff

1st October, 2024 (1 Comment)

Alternative network builder and UK ISP Connect Fibre, which aims to cover 100,000 premises across the East of England with their gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband network, has today updated their social tariff by reducing the price of their 150Mbps package and also making it available to all those born before 1958 (aged 66+, state pension age).

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Lightning Fibre Trial 50Mbps UK Broadband Plan for People Aged 66+

30th September, 2024 (1 Comment)

Eastbourne-based alternative UK broadband ISP Lightning Fibre, which has built a new full fibre (FTTP) network across parts of Sussex and Kent in England, have today begun to “trial” a new 50Mbps (symmetric) package that costs just £15 per month for 24-months. But it’s only available to people born before 23rd September 1958.

O2 UK Launch Cheaper Mobile Social Tariff for People on State Benefits

19th August, 2024 (18 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today launched a new 4G and 5G mobile plan to support UK people on low incomes, which is a low-cost data (mobile broadband), calls and texts (SMS) plan that is only available to those on eligible state benefits and costs just £10 per month.

London ISP Community Fibre Expand Availability of Free FTTP Broadband

30th July, 2024 (2 Comments)

Network operator and broadband ISP CommunityFibre, which has built a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across 1.4 million UK premises – mostly in London, has today announced an expansion of their initiative offering “free access to 100% full fibre broadband to eligible Londoners struggling to get online“.

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Full Fibre UK Broadband ISP Toob Launch Cheaper Social Tariff

16th July, 2024 (4 Comments)

Alternative network operator and gigabit broadband provider toob, which is deploying a full fibre (FTTP) network across parts of Southern England (they also share some of CityFibre’s infrastructure), has today become the latest ISP to launch a cheaper social tariff for those on certain state benefits.

SNP 2024 Manifesto Preps Statutory Broadband and Mobile Social Tariffs

19th June, 2024 (4 Comments)

The Scottish National Party (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) has today published details of their 2024 Manifesto for the 4th July UK General Election, which sets out plans for a seemingly cheaper “statutory” social tariff for broadband and mobile services.

Confusion as SNP Promotes Social Tariff for Broadband and Mobile

18th June, 2024 (7 Comments)

The Scottish National Party (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) yesterday offered a preview of their forthcoming 2024 Manifesto for the UK General Election, which among other things promised to extend their idea of a social tariff for energy providers to also include broadband and mobile services. But the latter already exists.

Scotland Tenders for £106m Gigabit Broadband Rollout in North East

31st May, 2024 (11 Comments)

The Scottish Government has issued a contract notice for the North East of Scotland (Lot 5) under the UK’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme, which is expected to expand related connectivity to an estimated 68,342 premises in hard-to-reach (rural) parts of Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Moray, Highland and Perth and Kinross.