Author: Emma Davenport

Last updated: 14 November 2024

Plusnet Broadband Packages

As well as having an excellent reputation for customer support, we think one of the biggest selling points for signing up to Plusnet is the simplicity of its broadband only deals. That’s perfect if you just want a reliable, fast service without having to navigate through a complicated checkout process.

Read on to get advice about signing up to Plusnet and find out if it's the right internet provider for you.

Plusnet broadband only packages

On Broadband Genie, you'll find Plusnet's broadband offers for new customers, which all include unlimited usage.

Plusnet uses the BT Openreach network to provide its services. This means the majority of homes should have access to its superfast ‘Plusnet Fibre’ deal. However, to get connected to its full fibre service, you’ll need to be connected to an FTTP network.

Unfortunately, only around 46% of homes in the UK can get access to full fibre optic broadband on the Openreach network currently, although more and more homes are getting connected every day. You can use our postcode checker to find out if it’s an option in your area.

• What is FTTP?

  Full Fibre broadband is also known as ‘Fibre To The Premises’, ‘Fibre To The Home’. This is often shortened to FTTP or FTTH. They’re all the same thing!

  Instead of copper telephone wire making up the final part of the journey from that green cabinet on the street, fibre optic cables are installed right up to your home.

  It’s amazing the difference in speed this small data journey can have. With full-fibre broadband you can expect to receive speeds of 1Gb+.

  The downside is full-fibre is only available to a small percentage of homes in the UK, and it’s taking a good while to get everyone up to speed.

How fast is Plusnet broadband?

Plusnet offers a choice of speeds across its range, though, as we’ve mentioned, the availability of these will depend on whether you have access to Openreach’s full fibre network.

Wondering which Plusnet package is the best broadband option for you? Here’s a summary of the current options:

Plusnet Fibre

Download speed: 50Mb

Upload speed: 9Mb

What’s this broadband speed good for? A household of 2-4 people, average online users who are happy to stream in standard HD, rather than Ultra HD.

Plusnet has one standard fibre broadband package, offering customers download speeds of up to 50Mb. This is simply known as 'Plusnet Fibre Broadband'. New customers will be able to sign up for this deal on a 24-month contract. Expect to pay a monthly cost of around £28.

Plusnet Full Fibre (FTTP)

What are these broadband speeds good for? Homes of 3+ people or heavy users and streamers who play online games, stream music or download large amounts of files. If you regularly have more than five devices online at once, aim for Plusnet Full Fibre 300 or faster.

If your local network has been upgraded to full fibre (FTTP), there are several faster deals to pick from with Plusnet: 

• Plusnet Full Fibre 74
• Plusnet Full Fibre 145
• Plusnet Full Fibre 300
• Plusnet Full Fibre 500
• Plusnet Full Fibre 900

If you can't decide which is the best for your requirements, you should find more helpful tips in our guide, 'what broadband speed do I need? Do I need fast broadband?'

To help you understand how fast the different Plusnet broadband packages are, here are some examples of approximately how long it would take to download the feature film 'Barbie' in 1080p (HD).

How well does Plusnet perform when it comes to speeds?

Users that participated in our home broadband survey said they were fairly happy with the performance of their Plusnet broadband service. In our 2024 Broadband Awards, survey respondents gave it a speed satisfaction score of 77%, which is higher than the average and also an improvement on 2023.

Plusnet’s advertised download speeds are typical for providers on the Openreach network.

In the latest Ofcom speedtest data, it delivered an impressive 97%+ of its advertised download rate.

Can I get Plusnet full fibre broadband?

Plusnet is owned by BT and benefits from BT’s network covering most of the UK. With a good 98% of homes covered, you should be able to get Plusnet broadband. However, less than half of UK homes have access to a full fibre service with an Openreach provider.

If you don’t see any Plusnet full fibre deals when you enter your address in our deals checker, but you’re keen to sign up as soon as you can, we recommend using the Openreach fibre checker. Once you get your results, you can select ‘Keep me updated’ and enter your details to receive announcements on new full fibre developments in your immediate area.

Does Plusnet offer a social tariff?

Plusnet doesn't offer its own social tariff. However, if you're receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseekers' Allowance or Income Support, you may be able to move over to BT Home Essentials for no extra charge.

To check your eligibility, you can speak to an advisor on 0800 432 0200

You can find more information and contact details in our ‘guide to social tariffs and cheaper broadband deals if you’re on benefits’.

Does Plusnet offer good value for money?

Last year, Plusnet was awarded the top prize for 'Best Value for Money'. However, in 2024, it fell to 8th place with a satisfaction level of 74%. 

In general, its packages are reasonably priced, especially now there’s no line rental fee to pay, even on a part-fibre product (FTTC).

Will my Plusnet broadband package get a mid-contract price hike?

In 2025, Plusnet customers will see their package costs rise by +£3, even if they're in contract. Unfortunately, this is common among many UK broadband providers.

For more information, you can visit our guide to broadband price rises.

Plusnet Rewards

It can be tricky to get gift vouchers for new Plusnet customer sign-ups. Although, when this is available, it’s normally in the form of a Plusnet Reward Card.

How to claim Plusnet Cashback

If you’ve chosen a Plusnet deal with a cashback offer, you should receive an email with instructions around ten days after your Plusnet broadband service. You’ll need to complete the form in the email and your cheque will be sent in the post.

For further information about free gifts, read our guide to claiming broadband rewards.

What are ‘Plusnet Perks’?

When you sign up to Plusnet, you’ll have access to Plusnet Perks. This is a loyalty reward programme you can access by logging into your account. Perks change all the time. Previous Plusnet rewards have included 30% off Pooch and Mutt, 65% off Gousto, 10% off Go Ape and 20% off Wild natural deodorant.

Plusnet Protect

Plusnet Protect comes as standard on most Plusnet packages. To add it to your service, you’ll need to sign in to your account and check your ‘add ons’. The features of Plusnet Protect include:

Device security for Windows, PC, Mac, iOS, Android and tables against ransomwhere, viruses, spyware, malware, and other online threats.

• Firewall for PC and Mac
• Wi-Fi Security alerts for when you join an unsafe network
• Web-based management
• A 30-day summary of the security activities run on your device.

Plusnet Safeguard

Available with all deals, Plusnet SafeGuard is a parental control feature that allows you to block adult content, gambling, social media and violent images. You can also use it to set browsing time limits, or create a safe list of sites you're happy for your whole family to see.

For more tips on online safety, read our guide to parental controls.

How reliable is Plusnet?

Plusnet is signed up to Ofcom's voluntary Broadband Speed Code of Conduct. This means if report you're having problems with your internet, but it can't be fixed within 30 days, you must be able to leave your contract without paying an early exit fee. 

It’s worth noting, unlike some broadband providers, there’s no service status on the Plusnet website.

In Ofcom's latest report on complaints about broadband, landline, mobile and pay-TV services (published in November 2024), Plusnet showed a lower than average level of complaints compared to the industry average. It's one of the least complained about providers in the UK.

Plusnet broadband and phone deals

As Plusnet fibre and full fibre packages no longer use a phone line and services are 'broadband only'.

If you want to use your home phone, you'll need to arrange this separately with another company. You're invited to call Plusnet on 0330 1239 123 to chat about other digital phone options.

Can you get mobile deals with Plusnet Broadband?

Plusnet Mobile customers have exclusive access to EE SIM only deals.

Plusnet deals with bundled TV packages

Plusnet withdrew YouView TV, including BT Sport, from its broadband services back in 2021. Since then, Plusnet longer offers broadband and TV bundles.

What Wi-Fi router do you get with Plusnet?

Plusnet offers the Plusnet Hub Two to new fibre broadband customers. For a more detailed look at this advice, you can read our Plusnet router round-up.

The Plusnet Hub Two is identical to the BT Smart Hub 2. However, unlike BT, Plusnet doesn’t advertise a Wi-Fi guarantee.

Is Plusnet an eco-friendly broadband provider?

Plusnet has been using 100% renewable energy since 2021.

Currently, Plusnet doesn’t meet the ethical standards set by The Good Shopping Guide. However, it’s received a high ethical rating for fossil fuels and political donations.

Plusnet asks customers to return old routers back. It supplies a prepaid postage label for this.

Any working parts are taken from old devices and reused. The remaining components are disposed of in an ‘environmentally friendly way’.

For more tips on disposing electronic goods, visit our guide: ‘how to recycle a Wi-Fi router’.

Pros and cons of Plusnet Broadband

Is Plusnet broadband any good? To find out more, read our full Plusnet broadband review.

Switching to Plusnet

Interesting in signing up to Plusnet? Don't forget to use our filters, so you can sort by price, speed or contract length. Our tables will also show you if there are any great reward offers available, too. You'll be able to see how much money these can save you in the long-run with our clear 'Effective Monthly Price' summary.

Switching to Plusnet couldn’t be simpler thanks to 'One-Touch Switch'. All you’ll need to do is click on the green ‘Get deal’ button to start the process. You won’t have to get in touch to explain why you’re leaving, and Plusnet will sort all the admin for you, including arranging a convenient switchover date.

For more tips on changing broadband providers, visit our guide ‘how to switch broadband and get a better deal’.

Expert Advice: is Plusnet worth signing up to?

Plusnet offers excellent value for money. Despite being at the budget end of the broadband market, its service is well-regarded. It offers decent customer support, good performance and cheap installation.

It also provides features for more technical users, such as optional static IP and the ability to use your own Wi-Fi broadband router.

There aren’t too many downsides. It does now offer ultrafast FTTP broadband, though upload speeds aren't great in comparison to download performance. We'd also like to see a better router made available to Full Fibre customers. 

The defunct Plusnet TV service might also be missed by some, but there are so many options for TV now that we don't consider this a major drawback.

Plusnet Broadband FAQs

• How do I contact Plusnet?

  Plusnet broadband customers can call customer service on 0800 432 0200. For other contact methods and information on opening times, visit our Plusnet customer service guide.

• How do I cancel Plusnet Broadband?

  The first step to cancelling is to check that you’re outside the minimum contract length, or you’ll have to pay an early termination fee.

  If you’re switching broadband to another provider, and that provider is on the BT Openreach network, then you only have to sign up for the new deal. The new provider will handle the rest, including notifying Plusnet that you’re leaving.

  If you’re not moving providers, or you are switching to another network, such as Virgin Media, then you’ll need to contact Plusnet customer services to notify them that you wish to cancel.

• How long are Plusnet contracts?

  Plusnet deals come with a standard 24-month contract term.

• Are there upfront costs with Plusnet?

  Most Plusnet broadband and phone deals have free setup.

• How long will it take to install?

  The typical installation time for most broadband services is 14 working days. When you join Plusnet you’ll be given an estimated installation date and should always be notified if that changes.