Plusnet Broadband Review

Plusnet broadband offers a budget friendly alternative to the big broadband providers, with high levels of customer satisfaction and good reliability metrics.

Customers can access either superfast part-fibre or full fibre connections, with average download speeds now available up to 900Mbps.

While there is no longer an optional TV service, all packages come with the Plusnet Hub Two, a rebranded version of the latest BT Smart Hub 2 router.

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At a glance

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Plusnet broadband customer reviews

Our independent survey of broadband customers found Plusnet was rated 4.5 out of 5 overall, with an excellent rating for Customer Service.

Plusnet was also rated above average (4 out of 5) for Speed, Reliability, Customer Satisfaction, Value for Money and likelihood for customers to recommend the provider to a friend.

Very few of our survey respondents voted Plusnet Poor or Bad in any category, with the majority of Plusnet's customers rating them Average, Good, or Excellent.

Here are the results of our survey of Plusnet's performance:

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Our review of Plusnet broadband

Verdict: Is Plusnet broadband any good?

Plusnet broadband is a good choice for households looking for a simple, but reliable, broadband connection.

Prices are low, and generally highly competitive, and customers can choose from the same range of download speeds available with bigger providers including BT, Sky and Virgin Media.

Considering their budget-provider position, Plusnet also perform well for reliability and service metrics, with the lowest fault levels and highest levels of satisfaction amongst all major providers.

The downsides to Plusnet however is parent company BT's decision to slim the service down, removing the Plusnet TV and mobile services as well as any discounts for customers bundling these with broadband.

It could be said this leaves Plusnet to focus on offering a better broadband service, however, alternative options like TalkTalk or Sky now offer customers a broader choice of home entertainment and telecoms plans.

Overall, Plusnet remain a solid choice for anyone looking 'just for broadband', and are one of our top choices, claiming our runner-up best overall award for 2023.

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Plusnet broadband packages

Summary: Plusnet offer both part-fibre and full fibre broadband packages, with speeds available across the spectrum including up to 900Mbps.

Plusnet offer a good range of full fibre broadband packages, with a part-fibre deal available to those who haven't yet been passed by the Openreach FTTP network.

Customers can choose between download speeds from 66Mbps to 900Mbps, with competitive pricing for a no-frills service.

Current pricing on Plusnet broadband is:

While the full fibre rollout is progressing rapidly, at the time of writing, the majority of households will only be able to sign up to Plusnet's part-fibre Fibre plan, which offers average download speeds of 66Mbps for a low cost of just £24.99 per month.

Plusnet first launched full fibre deals in August 2022, and now provide connections over the Openreach FTTP network wherever it's available, which so far covers 12.5 million premises, or around 40% of the UK.

Full fibre customers have a wider choice of broadband speed, with packages available from 74Mbps up to the fastest 900Mbps connection.

As of August 2023, Plusnet no longer offer customers a home phone line, even those still in part-fibre areas, and there's no option to add one.

Setup is free however, and customers will be provided with the Plusnet Hub Two, a rebranded BT Smart Hub 2, which is still BT's latest router.

Lastly, Plusnet increase prices on an annual basis using the same Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 3.9% policy as parent company BT. Prices last went up by 14.4% in April 2023, although will vary depending on the level of inflation each year.

Overall, Plusnet offer basic broadband deals, but the competitive pricing, and good performance in service metrics, which we look at more below, makes them a strong option.

Basic broadband

Plusnet still offer a basic ADSL copper broadband package for the very few who still don't have access to any kind of fibre line.

We've seen other providers, such as Sky, remove their basic copper plans, so it's welcoming to see an option being made available by a budget-friendly provider.

Yet, Plusnet's Unlimited deal isn't the cheapest broadband available, and those on a very tight budget should compare prices in their area, as well as consider a social tariff if they're eligible for one.

Plusnet don't offer a social tariff themselves, but existing Plusnet broadband customers who are eligible for a social tariff can move to BT Home Essentials without incurring any early cancellation fees for leaving a contract early.

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How does Plusnet broadband compare?

Summary: Plusnet broadband is often one of the cheapest options, but they bundle a better quality router and boast better service metrics than other ultra-cheap providers.

Low-cost broadband has been one of Plusnet's main selling points for several years now, and they maintain their place as one of the cheapest broadband providers in the UK.

Looking at entry-level full fibre plans, here's how Plusnet Full Fibre 145 compares against equivalent packages on the Openreach network:

Plusnet Full Fibre 145 is priced around the same as rivals, coming in slightly less than equivalent speed deals from Sky and TalkTalk, and is also cheaper than BT.

Full Fibre 145 is currently Plusnet's cheapest deal, with their slower Full Fibre 74 option currently priced the same.

In comparison to rivals, TalkTalk Full Fibre 65 costs more at £29, and BT Fibre 2 costs £35.99 per month for 67Mbps average speeds. Sky are priced in line with Plusnet here though, with their Superfast Broadband plan available on a full fibre basis for just £27 per month.

Looking at faster packages, Plusnet Full Fibre 500 is also competitively priced, coming in as one of the cheapest 500Mbps plans available.

Plusnet Full Fibre 500 is cheaper than equivalents from TalkTalk, Vodafone, Sky, BT, and even budget-provider Shell Energy Broadband.

Plusnet are even cheaper than Virgin Media's M500 Fibre Broadband, which currently costs £38.50 per month.

Overall, Plusnet offer good prices for new customers, although with slight variations it's always best to compare prices for the speed tier wanted.

Superfast part-fibre

Plusnet have recently consolidated their superfast part-fibre plans to just one package, Fibre, which offers an average download speed of 66Mbps for £24.99 per month.

However, it's worth noting that actual speeds will vary based on location, with many customers able to get speeds up to 70Mbps.

In other words, customers will get the fastest part-fibre speeds available to their home, although G.Fast isn't supported like it is with Sky and TalkTalk.

Plusnet Fibre is cheaper than equivalent part-fibre deals from TalkTalk, Sky and BT, but more expensive than ultra-low-cost options from NOW Broadband.

It's worth being aware where prices vary so too can the package and service delivered. For example, Plusnet provide a better router than NOW Broadband, with the Plusnet Hub Two offering stronger wireless signal than NOW's rebranded Sky hub.

In addition, Plusnet has lower complaints and better customer service metrics in comparison to budget provider Shell Energy Broadband. Ultimately, these additional areas can also be worth considering alongside price.

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How fast is Plusnet broadband?

Summary: Plusnet offer a range of broadband speeds, including average downloads up to 900Mbps on their Full Fibre 900 plan.

After launching their full fibre deals without a gigabit-capable plan back in August 2022, Plusnet now offer a full array of speed choices.

Plusnet offer one superfast part-fibre deal, with average download speeds of 66Mbps, and for those in full fibre enabled areas, they offer a choice of speeds including 74Mbps, 145Mbps, 300Mbps, 500Mbps and 900Mbps.

Broadband providers can only advertise average download speeds experienced by at least 50% of their customers during the peak hours of 8pm to 10pm, so the speeds advertised are now a good indication of what's being delivered.

However, Plusnet's recent move to amalgamate their Unlimited Fibre and Unlimited Fibre Extra plans, means the part-fibre deal now covers a wider array of possible speeds.

Part-fibre customers will get the fastest speed available on their line, however this can now range from an average of 36Mbps to 70Mbps.

In an independent survey carried out by Choose, we found 60% of Plusnet broadband customers were satisfied with the speed of their service, rating the provider 4 out of 5.

Minimum guaranteed speeds

Plusnet provide customers with personalised speed estimates as well as a guaranteed minimum download speed when they sign up.

These speeds help form a service guarantee, and is in line with Ofcom's code of practice on broadband speeds, and what the regulator wants providers to do.

If a customer doesn't receive the minimum guaranteed download speed for at least 3 days or more, and Plusnet can't resolve the issue within 30 days of being notified, the customer should have the right to then leave their contract early and without penalty.

We tested two locations with part-fibre and full fibre, and were offered the below speeds.

Estimated speed ranges and minimum guaranteed download speeds are often personalised to a property or address, so they can vary, particularly in the case of part-fibre.

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Reliability

Summary: Plusnet have good metrics for reliability with the lowest fault levels amongst major providers.

In terms of reliability, including how stable a service is, our independent survey of Plusnet broadband customers found 62% rated them 4 out of 5 or above for offering a reliable service, and an additional 21% rated them 3 out of 5.

Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service report, last published in May 2023, also found Plusnet had the fewest number of faults, recording just 20 faults for every 1000 customers each month.

The provider also had a very low number of customers - just 1% - who had to contact them more than once about the same fault.

While Plusnet did take 3 days on average to repair a total loss of service, which was above the industry average, the providers that performed well here tended to operate their own networks and so weren't reliant on Openreach as a third party to repair faults.

For example, Virgin Media took just 1 day on average to repair a total loss of service.

Overall, Plusnet seem to be offering a reliable broadband service in comparison to other major providers including EE, Vodafone, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Sky.

However, one drawback to Plusnet's broadband reliability is because they're a budget 'no-frills' provider they don't offer a WiFi guarantee like BT and Virgin Media.

WiFi guarantees promise to boost WiFi signal to a minimum level in all rooms of a customer's home, and while the service does cost more per month it can be useful for larger households.

Plusnet customers can supply their own mesh systems, but the Plusnet Hub Two router needs to be put into modem-only mode and therefore can't provide an additional WiFi signal.

As a result, people looking to Plusnet broadband with a large home, or multiple users, may want to consider upgrading the free router to a modern mesh device that can more easily extended to offer greater WiFi coverage and speeds.

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Router

Summary: Plusnet provide all customers with the Plusnet Hub Two, a rebranded version of BT's latest Smart Hub 2.

All of Plusnet's fibre and full fibre packages now come with the Plusnet Hub Two. It's a rebranded version of BT's Smart Hub 2, although Plusnet say the firmware differs so performance may not be exactly comparable.

The Plusnet Hub Two offers dual-band wireless channels over the WiFi 5 protocol, with 7 internal antennae. It offers a stronger signal than routers from other budget providers, such as the NOW Broadband hub, but is missing out on the latest WiFi 6 technology.

BT still offer their customers the Smart Hub 2, which is a good indication the router is meeting its performance targets, especially as BT promote themselves as a more premium broadband provider.

Here are the specifications of the Plusnet Hub Two router, and how they compare to Plusnet's previous Hub One:

The Plusnet Hub Two is certainly a step up from the previous Hub One model, and it received strong praise at the time BT launched it.

However, as that was back in 2018 it's no longer offering the latest WiFi technology, missing out on both WiFi 6 and WPA3 security, as well as not supporting mesh in the same way the BT Smart Hub 2 does.

While the Plusnet Hub Two will be adequate for most homes, customers with larger homes or multiple users, may want to consider upgrading to a mesh router if they aren't getting the speeds they expect.

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Customer service

Summary: Plusnet customer service reports have improved over the past year, with complaints now in line with the industry average.

Our independent survey of Plusnet broadband customers found the majority of customers rated them 5 out of 5 for customer service (33%), with 65% rating them at least 4 out of 5.

Most customers were also largely satisfied with their service (68%), and 62% said they would be likely to recommend Plusnet.

Ofcom research into customer satisfaction, last updated in May 2023, also shows Plusnet customers are largely satisfied with their service with a higher than average level of satisfaction, and an average number of customers with a reason to complain.

Plusnet's complaint levels have fluctuated in the past, but since 2021 they've been showing steady signs of improvement, with the Q4 2021 report recognising this with a sub-industry average number of complaints for the first time since early 2020.

While their complaint figures had previously reduced by over two thirds in time for the Q2 2020 update, their complaints rebounded alongside other providers in Q3 2020 as the industry began to recover after the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Complaints were high for Plusnet prior to 2020, due in part from a botched billing system update in 2018 that led to high levels of complaints throughout 2019 thanks to associated problems.

However, as the chart below shows, since early 2021 complaints have been on a downward trajectory for Plusnet, and are now better than four of their major rivals. They also now seem to be steadying out around the industry average.

The most recent complaint figures published by Ofcom for Q1 2023 reveal Plusnet are now in line with the industry average for complaints. Plusnet received 12 complaints per 100,000 customers, compared to the industry average of 12.

Only Sky, EE, and NOW Broadband had lower complaint figures than Plusnet in the latest quarter, with Virgin Media, Vodafone, Shell Energy Broadband and TalkTalk all receiving more complaints.

Overall, Plusnet are slightly ahead on some satisfaction metrics as we looked at above, and they're definitely ahead of their budget rivals TalkTalk, Vodafone and Shell Energy Broadband who all scored poorly across many measures.

Plusnet remain one of the UK's top broadband providers for customer service, as well as achieving high levels of satisfaction among existing customers.

Find out more about customer service across the broadband sector.

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Summary: Is Plusnet broadband worth it?

Plusnet offer some of the cheapest broadband plans in the UK. However, they also manage to combine low prices with a reliable service, low complaint levels, and high levels of customer satisfaction.

That makes them a fairly stand out provider, despite offering a fairly no-frills service without the extras of the bigger providers.

Plusnet were recognised in three categories in the 2023 Choose Broadband Awards; including most reliable, best customer service, and best overall provider.

While they now offer a wide-range of package choices for customers living in Openreach full fibre enabled areas, they are reducing their part-fibre offerings, combining their Unlimited Fibre and Fibre Extra plans into one, and removing all home phone options.

However, in a way, this makes the provider more straightforward, with customers clearly knowing they're getting a simple broadband-only service.

Reasons to choose Plusnet as a provider include:

• Some of the cheapest prices in the UK
• Strong performance in reliability metrics, with low faults
• Low complaint levels, in line with the average or lower
• High levels of satisfaction among existing customers
• UK-based customer support
• Reasonably good router

However, drawbacks and reasons to look elsewhere include:

• There's no WiFi guarantee to improve wireless signal, although this can be achieved with third-party devices
• Extras like Plusnet TV and Plusnet mobile have now been removed, including discounts on TNT Sports (was BT Sport) and mobile plans
• No home phone line option on any plan, including part-fibre deals

Ultimately, Plusnet is a great option for customers who just want broadband. However, for those who also want to bundle TV, or a home phone, they'll need to look at providers including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, or Virgin Media if its available in their area.

See our Plusnet deals page for the latest prices and to see which packages are available in your area.