If you are fed up with your current broadband provider and have been thinking of making a switch, now could be the perfect time as a major new brand has entered the UK market looking to take the fight to BT, Sky Broadband and other incumbents – and it’s offering £100 to people willing to give its new service a try.
Giffgaff, the service provider known for its affordable mobile plans that don’t rise in price annually, is launching a UK broadband service for the first time, and it’s looking for 500 people to trial it.
You can apply to be a trialist here by registering your interest. The service may not be available for trial in your area.
If you are chosen, Giffgaff will offer you 12 months of its new 500Mbps fibre broadband service for £10 per month, totalling £120. If you provide the firm with feedback on the service as per its terms and conditions, you’ll receive £100 back, meaning you could net yourself a year of fibre broadband for £20.
The fibre broadband service will use Nexfibre’s national network and later Virgin Media O2’s, according to Giffgaff. These networks provide alternative connections to the BT-owned Openreach network, which is used by BT, EE, Sky, Vodafone and several other big name brands.
“The roll out of Giffgaff broadband will add to the ambition of Nexfibre and Virgin Media O2’s combined national scale offering; being part of the biggest full fibre challenger to BT,” Giffgaff said.
“Much like the approach with its mobile offering, launching Giffgaff broadband will introduce more choice to more people in the market through the Virgin Media O2 portfolio.”
Research undertaken by the firm found one in six people believe broadband is more important than a holiday, while 38 percent were frustrated by slow broadband speeds.
“Problem solving with our customers is in our DNA,” said Ash Schofield, CEO of Giffgaff. It helped us shake up the mobile market — now we’re doing the same with broadband.”
Giffgaff’s mobile plans use the O2 network owned by parent company Virgin Media O2, so it makes sense that Giffgaff’s foray into fibre broadband should continue this partnership.
“Giffgaff’s entry into the broadband market could be exciting news for consumers looking for an alternative to the bigger players,” said Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com. “The new product will run off the established network, Nexfibre’s, infrastructure, which is currently only used by Virgin Media O2.
“The real test will be what kind of pricing that giffgaff – long known as a value player and winner of Uswitch’s ‘Network of the Year’ in 2025 – will be offering to consumers as this product becomes more widely available.”
Successful applicants to Giffgaff’s broadband trial will still be able to take advantage of the £10 per month for 12 months broadband offer even if they opt out of the feedback programme that would net them £100 cashback. Giffgaff said those who opt in will receive “£50 after installation and £50 one month after, via a third party”.