Vodafone broadband deals explained
By Phil Wilkinson-Jones | Tuesday, May 7th 2019
In this guide
- Who is Vodafone?
- What does Vodafone offer?
- Broadband and TV bundles
- Landline calling packages
- What are the alternatives?
- Frequently asked questions
Vodafone is best known as one of the UK's biggest mobile network operators – and from the launch of its first digital mobile phone service in 1991 it has grown to operate in 26 countries and work in partnership with other networks in a further 55.
Based in Newbury in Berkshire, Vodafone launched its broadband service in 2015 and quickly established a reputation for undercutting many of its rivals on price, especially for fibre broadband.
Who is Vodafone?
Vodafone keeps its broadband service relatively simple, but that doesn't mean it's not without its share of interesting features. This is what Vodafone broadband is all about.
- Ultimate broadband guarantee – Vodafone will give you money off your bill if your speed dips below a certain level. It guarantees 25Mbps for Superfast 1 and 55Mbps for Superfast 2. Bear in mind that this doesn't guarantee the speed you'll get over wifi though, just the speed from the exchange to your router.
- Unlimited usage – As with most broadband providers, there are no download limits on Vodafone's packages.
- Vodafone broadband app – The Vodafone broadband app lets you manage functions on your Vodafone router from your phone. You can send a wifi 'boost' to a particular device, switch your wifi off and on, manage your guest wifi, control your broadband settings and more.
- Discount for pay monthly mobile customers – If you're already a Vodafone pay monthly mobile customer, you'll pay £2 a month less for Vodafone fibre broadband.
What does Vodafone offer?
So what services can you actually get from Vodafone? Here's a breakdown of exactly what the provider has to offer.
- Broadband – Unlike the majority of providers, Vodafone doesn't offer standard broadband. It has two fibre packages offering advertised average speeds of 35Mbps and 63Mbps.
- Home phone – Vodafone does have a home phone service but it's only available with its fibre broadband plans, so if it's just a landline you're after then you'd be better off elsewhere.
- Mobile – Vodafone is best known for its mobile service so it's no surprise that there's a wide range of pay monthly, pay as you go and SIM-only plans available. Vodafone stocks the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and the rest, as well as its own brand of budget phones.
Broadband, TV and mobile bundles
Vodafone doesn't offer a TV service, despite originally planning the launch one at around the same time as its broadband offering. The upshot is that there are no broadband and TV bundles to speak of and Vodafone mostly keeps its broadband and mobile service separate, other than a monthly broadband discount for pay monthly mobile customers.
Landline calling packages
Vodafone's home phone service is only available as part of its broadband deals, but there are still are number of packages and add-ons available so you can tailor your deal to suit your landline usage, such as voicemail plus, call management features and caller display.
- Anytime landline and mobile calls – Unlimited calls to standard UK landlines and mobiles
- Evening and weekend calls – Unlimited calls to standard UK landlines from 7pm to 7am weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday (from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday).
What are the alternatives?
- BT – The UK's biggest broadband provider offers speeds of 10, 36, 50 and 67Mbps, usually with a BT reward card and now with the stay fast guarantee, which promises cash back if your speeds dip.
- EE Broadband – Like Vodafone, EE rewards its pay monthly mobile customers for signing up to its broadband. Not with a discount, but with extra mobile data.
- Direct Save Telecom – Direct Save lets you pay for your line rental upfront and save some money over the course of the year. Customers also have the option to join a rewards club.
- Hyperoptic – Specialising in apartment blocks and new developments in city centres, Hyperoptic only offers fibre to the premises broadband capable of speeds of more than 1Gbps.
- John Lewis Broadband – With a service provided by Plusnet, John Lewis entered the broadband market in 2012. Its broadband deals always include evening and weekend calls, and they often come with gift cards.
- NOW Broadband – NOW TV launched its broadband service in 2016. You can get standard or fibre broadband on a 12-month contract or on a monthly rolling deal that can be cancelled at any time, like a NOW TV pass.
- Plusnet – Plusnet, which is owned by BT, is known for its UK-based, award-winning customer service. It offers standard and fibre broadband with a choice of contract length and occasionally a reward card.
- Post Office Broadband – The Post Office regularly offers one of the cheapest ADSL broadband packages anywhere in the UK and also has a couple of fibre deals available.
- Shell Energy Broadband – The energy provider formerly known as First Utility offers pretty cheap broadband with no upfront fee, on 18-month contracts, and with membership of Shell's own rewards scheme thrown in.
- Sky – Sky has two broadband plans – offering speeds of 10Mbps and 63Mbps – available on their own or bundled with its basic TV plan, Sky Entertainment.
- SSE – One of the UK's big six energy providers, SSE also offers broadband. Its plans are relatively cheap, there are no upfront charges and you leave in the first 60 days if you're not happy.
- TalkTalk – TalkTalk promises to fix the price of your broadband for the length of your contract and its 30-day Great Connection Guarantee means you're free to leave in the first month if you're not happy.
- Virgin Media – Virgin has the UK's fastest widely available broadband, with a top speed of 500Mbps included with its top broadband and TV bundle.
Frequently asked questions
Does Vodafone use Openreach?
Yes, Vodafone uses the Openreach broadband network – the biggest in the UK – to deliver its services.
Do I need to tell my old provider if I'm switching to Vodafone?
Most of the time, Vodafone will do this for you as it uses the same network (operated by Openreach) as the majority of its rivals. Virgin Media uses its own network, though, so if you're switching from Virgin you'll need to let them know you're leaving.
How can I download the Vodafone broadband app?
The Vodafone broadband app is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play on Android devices.
When will my broadband speed and connection stabilise?
It can take up to 10 days for your speed and wifi connection to stabilise. During this time, Vodafone will be monitoring your speed and making adjustments to improve your connection.
Want to learn more about broadband?
Our broadband guides contain a wealth of information on just about every aspect of current broadband packages.
