Vodafone is taking aim at its rivals by offering customers some of the cheapest broadband on the market. The telecoms firm has just announced the launch of a new cut-priced social broadband tariff which will be available for anyone claiming benefits such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
Prices start from just £12 per month and will include speeds of around 38Mbps. Although that will not break any records, it is fast enough for basic movie streaming, web access and emails.
Vodafone’s deal is very competitive with this new package now beating Virgin Media who recently lowered its Essentials plan to just £12.50 per month. Along with being 50p more, Virgin’s basic internet also offers slightly slower downloads.
Vodafone says that customers can join its service without a set-up fee. They can also leave for free at any time and won’t be subject to any in-contract price changes. That means the price you see now is what you’ll get for the next 12 months.
If it sounds enticing you simply need to head to Vodafone’s dedicated webpage – see details here – register your details and wait for an eligibility check. Vodafone will then confirm it’s connecting you to its £12 plan.
Speaking about the changes, Ahmed Essam, CEO at Vodafone UK, said: “The rising cost of living is putting a million families at risk of falling on the wrong side of the digital divide. We must not allow this to happen. So as part of our everyone.connected programme, today we are launching Vodafone Essentials Broadband at just £12 a month, the cheapest on the market.”
This plan launches as recent stats from Ofcom suggest that people who could claim cheaper broadband are not doing so.
In fact, it’s thought that despite four million homes being eligible for so-called socail tariffs, only around 150,000 have signed up.
It’s thought that customers who ditch their current plans could save up to £15 per month or over £140 per year.
All the major UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are now offering very cheap broadband plans to help families through the cost of living crisis.
Prices and download speeds vary so it’s worth shopping around to see which plans suit your needs.
Here’s how all the plans compare.
• Vodafone social broadband tariff • £12 a month – 38Mbps speeds
• BT Home Essentials • £15 a month – 36Mbps speeds
• Virgin Media Essentials • £12.50 a month – 15Mbps speeds
• Sky Basics • £20 a month – 36Mbps speeds
• NOW Basics • £20 a month – 36Mbps speeds
• Hyperoptic Fair Fibre • £15 a month – 50Mbps speeds