TalkTalk Offers 1Gbps Ultrafast Broadband ‘At No Extra Cost’ To Consumer And SMBs

TalkTalk will offer ultrafast broadband for the same price as copper broadband and cheaper than superfast to both businesses and consumers when it launches its 1Gbps service in York this autumn.

The company’s joint-venture with Sky and CityFibre has been building a city-wide fibre to the premise (FTTP) network, with the intention of connecting up to ten million properties across the UK if the project is successful.

The partners claim this will provide the country with ‘futureproof’ broadband infrastructure and create a genuine alternative to BT Openreach, which it is argued has too much power in the fibre market.

TalkTalk Ultrafast

Both Sky and TalkTalk will offer competing ultrafast packages, but the latter has announced its plans first, offering 1Gbps from £21.70 a month to consumers and £25 a month for SMBs – including line rental. Businesses get inclusive UK landline and mobile calls, four static IP addresses, a ‘super router’ and free installation, but must sign a two year contract.

TalkTalk claims it is the first UK ISP to offer ultrafast at no extra cost and will prioritise existing customers when Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) launches later this year.

The service will initially be available in the Huntington and Groves area of York, with residents invited to ‘vote’ for access, with UFO provided free of charge to good causes in successful local communities. The company has also built in part of Rawcliffe and is building in Clifton now.

“The UK has lived with broadband infrastructure that has suffered significant underinvestment for too long and we lag well behind the rest of Europe when it comes to rolling out pure, ultrafast, fibre networks,” said TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding. “We have the potential to become the world’s leading digital economy, but we need this kind of investment in superior fibre infrastructure to make this a reality.

“Ultra Fibre Optic will revolutionise the broadband experience in York by giving consumers and businesses access to all the speed and bandwidth they could ever need, at an affordable price, future-proofing the city and making York better off.”

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