Vodafone Broadband Review

Vodafone is best known as a mobile provider, but it has also been offering broadband deals since 2015. It has pushed its way into a crowded internet provider market by offering a wide range of speeds at some of the lowest prices you will find. Vodafone does not offer the all-round entertainment packages that Sky, BT and Virgin Media have available – but does its low-cost deals make up for that shortcoming? In this independent review we will take you through the need-to-know parts of a Vodafone Broadband package to help you decide if it is the right provider for your household.

We recommend that you read the review in full however you can jump to specific sections of the review using the following links:

• Vodafone broadband key features
• Vodafone broadband packages
• How much does Vodafone broadband cost?
• Vodafone broadband extras
• Does Vodafone offer a social broadband tariff?
• Does Vodafone have a good router?
• Do I need a phone line with Vodafone broadband?
• Vodafone broadband customer reviews
• Vodafone broadband pros and cons
• How does Vodafone broadband compare with other providers?
• How to compare Vodafone broadband
• Is Vodafone broadband any good?

Vodafone Broadband key features

Vodafone provides broadband packages for homes with full fibre or fibre-to-the-cabinet connections. It does not offer a package to homes that are only connected to the internet by a phone line and require a standard ADSL connection. If you are unsure what type of broadband is offered in your area, you can check using Vodafone’s postcode checker.

You can also read more about the different types of home broadband connection in our article ‘Which broadband is best?’.

Vodafone packages cover download speeds ranging from basic fibre connections all the way up to the fastest speeds offered on the Openreach network.

Product name	Average download Speed	Minimum contract length	TV package available	Phone line required	Setup cost	Monthly cost
Fibre 1	35Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£26.00*
Fibre 2	67Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£26.00*
Full Fibre 74	74Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£26.00*
Full Fibre 150	150Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£29.00*
Full Fibre 500	500Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£33.00*
Full Fibre 910	910Mbps	24 months	No	No	£0	£39.00*

*Vodafone has announced that prices will rise every April at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate plus 3.9%. If the CPI rate is negative, there will be a 3.9% rise.

Customers can opt to pay extra for Vodafone’s Pro service. This includes a 4G Wi-Fi backup, 12 Months Free Norton 360 Premium and technical support from Wi-Fi 'Xperts'. You will also benefit from a Wi-Fi guarantee, which means Vodafone will send you a booster to extend your network plus up to 2 more to fix any Wi-Fi dead zones in your home.

There is also a Pro II and Pro Xtra package. Pro II comes with a Super Wi-Fi 6E Booster, which can connect over 150 devices, and a 4G Wi-Fi back-up. Pro Xtra includes an Apple TV 4K box and unlimited anytime calls to UK phones.

Vodafone Broadband packages

Vodafone’s six main broadband packages offer speeds that will meet the needs of most UK households. If you are unsure which download speed package you should be buying, read our article ‘What broadband speed do I need?’.

Vodafone Fibre 1

Download speed: 35Mbps

This is Vodafone’s entry-level package and should be enough for most small households. The download speed will likely be able to handle streaming from one device at a time without slowing down significantly. If you try to connect a lot of devices to your broadband at once, you may notice speeds slowing down.

Make sure to take into account any discounts and rewards when comparing your broadband, as this package is occasionally offered at a similar price to the much faster Fibre 2.

Vodafone Fibre 2

Download speed: 67Mbps

This is the fastest Vodafone Broadband package you will be able to access if your home is not yet on the full fibre network. With a download speed of 67Mbps, it will likely be enough for the average household to stream TV and work from home without suffering any slowdown. In some locations you may even be able to go above the advertised download speed.

Vodafone Full Fibre 74

Download speed: 74Mbps

This package is for homes with a full fibre connection. You will be able to access higher speeds due to fibre optic cables running all the way into your home, rather than needing to rely on copper telephone wiring for any part of the connection.

With download speeds of 74Mbps, your household should be able to download large files without affecting streaming or browsing on other devices.

Vodafone Full Fibre 150

Download speed: 150Mbps

With an average download speed of 150Mbps, your home broadband should be able to support a few devices streaming content at once, simultaneous video calling for multiple home workers and plenty of online gaming.

Vodafone Full Fibre 500

Download speed: 500Mbps

This is a significant step up in download speed from the Full Fibre 150 and the extra speed will likely not be worth the extra money for a lot of UK homes.

This package would suit a large household with multiple home workers looking to regularly download large files, stream 4K content and make video calls, as well as needing to connect an array of smart devices.

Vodafone Full Fibre 910

Download speed: 910Mbps

Full Fibre 910 is the fastest package offered by Vodafone and is comparable to the top-of-the-range products offered by Sky and BT, though slightly slower than Virgin Media’s Gig1 deal.

A lot of UK homes will not be able to reach these speeds, so make sure your home is suitable for Gigafast before you start paying the additional cost.

How much does Vodafone Broadband cost?

Vodafone offers a selection of broadband packages. The price you pay will depend mostly on what download speed you choose and what extras you want to add to your package. Vodafone is consistently one of the cheapest options for most broadband deals, though it is still worth comparing prices as limited-time offers can make rival providers more competitive.

The standard pricing of Vodafone Broadband packages are lower than most other companies, which means you will not be hit by a huge price hike when your initial contact period ends. However, Vodafone does increase its price every April by the CPI rate plus 3.9%, so try to take into account any imminent price jump when you compare the cost of broadband deals.

Your Vodafone deal will be more expensive if you opt for a Pro or Pro Xtra deal, as these packages include extra benefits.

Product name	Average download Speed	Minimum contract length	Setup cost	Monthly cost
Fibre 1	35Mbps	24 months	£0	£26.00*
Fibre 2	67Mbps	24 months	£0	£26.00*
Full Fibre 74	74Mbps	24 months	£0	£26.00*
Full Fibre 150	150Mbps	24 months	£0	£29.00*
Full Fibre 500	500Mbps	24 months	£0	£33.00*
Full Fibre 910	910Mbps	24 months	£0	£39.00*

*Vodafone has announced that prices will rise every April at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate plus 3.9%. If the CPI rate is negative, there will be a 3.9% rise.

Will Vodafone Broadband prices increase in 2024?

Vodafone Broadband customers saw prices to rise by 14.4% in April 2023 and can expect a further increase in 2024. There is a clause included in Vodafone Broadband contracts stating bills will go up annually in April. The exact increase will either be 3.9% plus the CPI (consumer price index) rate of inflation, or 3.9% if the CPI is negative. Unfortunately, Vodafone Broadband customers will not be able to cancel for free when their bills go up as the increase is noted in the contract.

If you think the 2023 figure seems like quite a dramatic increase, you would be correct. Most UK households will be accustomed to small changes in their internet bill through the term of their contract, even if it is still frustrating to see the agreed price change. 14.4% is much higher than anything seen in recent years, but big rises will be common across a number of providers as most broadband companies tie price rises to national inflation statistics.

Vodafone Broadband extras

Vodafone does not offer the same kind of comprehensive entertainment bundles as Sky, Virgin Media or BT, though there are some great extra benefits to taking out a broadband package with Vodafone. This is especially true if you are an existing mobile customer. At the time of writing, Vodafone Pay Monthly mobile customers receive a free Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet (32GB) when they sign up to Vodafone Broadband. Mobile customers also benefit from a discount of up to £3 a month, though this is removed if you cancel your phone.

You may get a free voucher as a signup incentive, too. These are limited-time extras that range from £85 to £155, depending on which package you choose.

Vodafone offers a TV package – as part of its Pro Xtra plan – that comes with an Apple TV 4K box and a free 3-month Apple TV+ subscription (if you are a new Apple TV+ subscriber). You can then add additional apps and subscriptions to your box in order to watch content through other services like Disney Plus or Netflix. This is not the comprehensive entertainment package offered by Sky or BT, and may be unnecessary if you already have a smart TV that can host streaming apps.

Vodafone offers three main calls packages that can be added to your broadband deal. International 300 includes 300 minutes to numbers in selected countries, for £5 a month; Evening & Weekend comes with unlimited evening and weekend calls to standard UK landlines, for £4 a month; and the Anytime Landline & Mobile package includes free calls to standard UK landlines and mobiles from your home phone, for £8 a month.

Does Vodafone offer social broadband?

Yes, Vodafone offers a social broadband tariff titled 'Vodafone Essentials Broadband' and it is available for customers that receive certain eligible benefits. The package costs £12 per month on a 12-month contract period. Customers on Vodafone Essentials are effectively receiving a discounted version of the Superfast 1 package with speeds of 38 Mbps. Crucially, there are no early termination fees applicable if customers wish to cancel.

Additionally, qualifying customers could use its social mobile tariff to access the internet. Voxi for Now is a package that provides unlimited data, calls and texts for £10 per month for up to six months. After six months the package will switch to 15GB data, though with unlimited social media use. To qualify, customers will need to be a recipient of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.

Does Vodafone have a good router?

Vodafone customers are sent a Vodafone Hub router that is a solid performer, though not as good as those offered by Sky, BT or EE. Which? rated its performance at 83% thanks to the ability to reach high speeds, good coverage across the home and simplicity to set up. However, it was noted that the Vodafone Hub did not deal with multiple devices as well as competitor routers.

Do I need a phone line with Vodafone Broadband?

You do not need a phone line for some Vodafone deals, though other packages will need a phone line to connect your home to the internet.

You can find out more about how phone lines fit into the UK’s broadband network by reading our article ‘Do you need a landline for broadband?’

Vodafone Broadband customer reviews

Vodafone has a Trustpilot score of 1.3 out 5.0, which is less than Sky (1.5), BT (1.6) and Virgin Media (2.0). Trustpilot reviews for broadband providers are overwhelmingly negative, but 1.3 is still a low score.

The negative reviews focus on poor customer service, long waits for engineer visits and slow response times to complaints. The positive reviews comment on fast speeds, reliability and good customer service.

A recent Which? review was much better reading for Vodafone. It ranked second out of 14 major broadband providers, scoring well for its customer service, easiness to contact and good technical support, as well as value for money.

If you want to know who we rate highly for customer service – along with other key attributes of a top broadband provider – read our article ‘Who is the best broadband provider?’.

Vodafone Broadband pros and cons

Vodafone Broadband pros

• Low standard pricing
• Good-value limited-time deals
• Valuable incentive rewards
• Wide range of speeds
• Discounts for mobile customers
• No upfront costs

Vodafone Broadband cons

• No option for standard broadband
• Limited TV bundles
• 24-month contracts only

How does Vodafone Broadband compare with other providers?

Vodafone Broadband product name	Vodafone Broadband price	Competitor package offering same speed	Competitor price
Fibre 1	£26.00	TalkTalk Fast broadband	£29.95
Fibre 2	£26.00	Plusnet Fibre	£25.99
Full Fibre 74	£26.00	Plusnet Full Fibre 74	£27.99
Full Fibre 150	£29.00	Sky Broadband Full Fibre 150	£28.00
Full Fibre 500	£33.00	Plusnet Full Fibre 500	£33.99
Full Fibre 900	£39.00	TalkTalk Fibre 900	£45.00

Vodafone is well ahead of the major competition when it comes to standard pricing. The gap gets a little closer once rival limited-time deals are taken into account, but Vodafone is often still the cheapest option for mid-range speeds. If you are a mobile customer, Vodafone is going to be even cheaper and you could get some great incentive gifts like a tablet or a voucher. You can compare a range of providers by using a comparison service such as Uswitch* to find out exactly what is available in your area.

The major area Vodafone is behind the big names of broadband is in premium TV. If you want a comprehensive TV package with a top-of-the-range box that can record live TV, you will need to look at Sky, Virgin or BT. Paying a monthly fee that only covers hardware in the form of the Apple TV 4K box may not be enough for some households and too much for others. Many smart TVs do not require a box to connect you to apps like NOW or Netflix, while rival boxes from Sky and BT can do much more than Apple’s.

Vodafone does not offer a standard broadband package, so if your area has no fibre connection, it will not be an option for you.

Is Vodafone Broadband any good?

Vodafone offers a wide range of download speeds and is often the cheapest option for all of them. So if you are looking for cheap broadband, it is hard to top Vodafone, especially if you are an existing mobile customer.

All deals come with a 24-month contract that might be too long for some households, especially renters. If you need a complete TV package, you will likely need to look at the options offered by Sky or BT.