Vodafone goes live with 2.2Gbps broadband

Vodafone has connected their very first customer on their new 2.2Gbps broadband package via CityFibre's full fibre to the home network.

The new multi-gigabit broadband plan offers download and upload speeds from 1.8Gbps to 2.2Gbps depending on location, and costs from £70 per month.

However, those in Openreach-enabled areas can also now order a multi-gigabit plan from Vodafone, with average download speeds of 1.6Gbps also for £70 per month.

Credit: Vodafone

Up to 2.2Gb broadband

Vodafone has announced the live launch of their first multi-gigabit broadband packages, with speeds of 1.6Gbps, 1.8Gbps or 2.2Gbps available depending on location, making it one of the UK's fastest broadband plans.

The new packages will be sold as part of Vodafone's Pro II broadband range, which means they include a WiFi 6E router, WiFi 6E booster, automatic 4G broadband back-up and the new Secure Net Home security suite.

All plans are priced at £70 per month, with an annual price rise of £3 per month from April of each year.

The exact speed a customer will receive will depend on location, with the majority of homes passed by Openreach full fibre which offers speeds of 1.6Gbps, while those living in CityFibre enabled areas will receive either the 1.8Gbps or fastest 2.2Gbps connections.

While Openreach now passes over 13.8 million premises, CityFibre's network covers around 3 million premises, with plans to upgrade all their connections to XGS-PON which supports symmetrical speeds up to 10Gbps.

Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director, at Vodafone UK, said, "We're proud to connect the first customer to our fastest ever broadband service of 2.2Gbps. Not only is this a market-leading service, but it is also powering the first customer on CityFibre's new rural network rolled out to support government's Project Gigabit programme. Project Gigabit is a game-changer for rural communities, who can now enjoy the same full fibre benefits of gigabit speeds and improved reliability as those living in cities. Whether it's for work, education, entertainment or socialising, our customers can do more of what they love online, with no limits."

First customer

Initially launched by CityFibre in July 2023, Vodafone has become the first broadband retailer to go live with the network's 2.5Gb broadband plan (or 2.2Gbps on average).

The customer resides in the village of Grantchester in Cambridgeshire, and was connected to CityFibre's network as part of the Project Gigabit Government funding scheme to bring full fibre broadband to more remote and underserved areas.

Josh Newman, from Grantchester, Cambridgeshire said "I'm a filmmaker and a film lecturer, so I deal with quite large files. But my upload speed at the moment tops out at 18Mbps. It just means that uploading cuts, uploading rushes, takes a really long time. And it really throttles the internet for everyone in the house and there's four of us.

"My wife is working for the NHS, doing a lot of video conferences, dealing with research in public health. So her internet connection is vital for what she does. My children obviously are using the Internet for entertainment and also for school work. So we're a fairly high-usage family. It will be really significant for us to have faster internet. I'm looking forward to the benefits it will bring us."

The new 1.6Gbps and 2.2Gbps plans means Vodafone now offers the fastest broadband speeds in more locations than any other major provider in the UK, and also boasts the UK's largest full fibre to the home footprint, with coverage of over 15 million homes.

Read more in our review of Vodafone home broadband, or compare broadband speeds in your area.