Beat the shock broadband price hikes and get internet for free instead

It’s a worrying time for UK broadband users with many of Britain’s biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) announcing record-breaking price rises. Most of these massive increases will come into force in the spring with some customers being hit by hikes in excess of 14 percent. That will means a broadband user currently paying £60 per month will see their outgoings rise to more than £68 overnight.

Anyone affected will be warned about their new bills in the coming weeks and that means now could be a very good time to shop around.

As long as you are not tied into a long-term deal you should be able to leave your current ISP without facing any penalties and there are plenty of discounts available including one deal that’s offering totally free access.

Yes, Three Mobile has launched an incentive – that includes its 4G or 5G router – and it won’t cost a penny to use for the first three months. That means you can join today with your first direct debit leaving your account in May/June.

Another great thing about this broadband is there’s no fussy setup with Three simply sending out the mobile-connected router and users then plugging it for instant access to the web.

READ MORE: BT, Sky and Virgin Media RATED! Is your broadband the worst in the UK?

As long as you have a good signal in your street you can also expect to see speeds in excess of 120Mbps which is faster than the current UK average 70Mbps fixed-line speeds.

As we mentioned earlier, the free deal lasts for three months before rising back to the standard fee with prices starting from £20 per month. Considering most ISPs charge around £25 for basic broadband that’s a decent price from Three.

Sound enticing? You can find full details about Three’s free service here.

If Three isn’t available in your area, don’t panic as there are some other deals available including half-price discounts from Virgin Media.

Right now there’s the chance to grab the firm’s M125 services with 132Mbps downloads for just £15 per month or switch things up to M250 with 264Mbps speeds for just £21.

Both of these discounts last for the first six months of the deal before increasing back to the standard rate.

Anyone wanting the ultimate broadband access might also like to check out Vrgin’s Gig1 plan. This package, which usually costs over £60 per month, is just £45 and includes rapid downloads in excess of 1,000Mbps. At that rate, it would take under 40 seconds to download a full HD movie.

Here are all the Virgin Media deals.

VIRGIN MEDIA M125
DEAL: £15 for first six months
INCLUDES: 132Mbps speeds, Virgin Media WiFi Hub and Intelligent WiFi Technology.
CONTRACT: 24-months • £9.99 set-up fee
SEE THE DEAL

VIRGIN MEDIA M250
DEAL: £21 for first six months
INCLUDES: 264Mbps speeds, Virgin Media WiFi Hub and Intelligent WiFi Technology.
CONTRACT: 24-months • £9.99 set-up fee
SEE THE DEAL

VIRGIN MEDIA GIG1
DEAL: £45 – USUALLY £62
INCLUDES: 1130Mbps speeds, Virgin Media WiFi Hub and Intelligent WiFi Technology.
CONTRACT: 18-months • £9.99 set-up fee
SEE THE DEAL

If you’re not aware of how much your broadband bill is going up we have full details below. The only major ISP that is yet to announce its increase is Sky but expect news on that rise to be made public this month.

CONFIRMED BROADBAND & TV RISES

BT • 10.5% CPI + 3.9% = 14.4%

EE • 10.5% CPI + 3.9% = 14.4%

Plusnet • 10.5% CPI + 3.9% = 14.4%

Vodafone • 10.5% CPI + 3.9% = 14.4%

TalkTalk • 10.5% CPI + 3.7% = 14.2%

Shell Energy • 10.5% CPI + 3% = 13.5%

Virgin Media • Average 13.8%