What is Giffgaff broadband and should you sign up?

While it’s still best known as a mobile phone provider, Giffgaff has made a similar move to its competitors Vodafone and EE – it’s started offering broadband services, too.

So what kind of broadband does Giffgaff offer, where can you get it and, crucially, how much does it cost? Read on to discover whether it should be your next broadband provider.

Considering a switch? See how different companies stack up in our guide to the best and worst broadband providers, based on feedback from thousands of customers.

What is Giffgaff broadband?

Giffgaff offers full fibre broadband (also known as fibre to the premises or FTTP). This is the fastest and most reliable type of broadband.

Giffgaff has a more simplified offering when compared to other broadband providers. It doesn’t offer bundles or landline services. It doesn’t offer fixed-term contracts, either – unusually, it only offers rolling monthly plans. There are currently no set-up or installation fees when you take up a new deal, so the headline price is all you'll pay. All Giffgaff broadband customers will be supplied with an Amazon eero router.

As with its mobile offering, customer service will be provided online rather than over the phone or in retail stores.

When did Giffgaff start offering broadband?

Giffgaff kicked off a broadband trial earlier this year but this was only available to a handful of customers. In September it started offering its service more widely.

This move by Giffgaff’s isn’t too big a surprise given that it is owned by the same company as both O2 and Virgin Media. In the mobile market, Giffgaff is a more affordable option when compared to sister-brand O2 – and it seems to be a competitively priced option in the broadband market, too.

Want to know how Giffgaff stacks up as a mobile provider? See how it fares in our guide to the best and worst mobile networks.

How much is Giffgaff broadband?

Giffgaff only offers three deals, with even the slowest being a speedy 200Mbps that will be adequate for many households. It allows customers to change plans, so if you find you’d prefer a faster or slower speed you can change each month.

• Giffgaff Fast: £34 per month, average speed of 200Mbps
• Giffgaff Faster: £36 per month, average speed: 500Mbps
• GiffGaff Fastest: £39 per month, average speed: 900Mbps

As well as no set up costs or installation fees, the plans currently have no built-in annual price rises – though Giffgaff reserves the right to increase the prices with 30 days notice.

Are Giffgaff’s broadband deals good value?

Giffgaff’s deals are competitively priced, particularly when you consider that there aren’t any installation fees or price rises. It is possible to find other deals that are similarly priced but you’ll generally have to commit to a 24 month contract to benefit from them. 

Our analysis has shown that short broadband contracts are often pricier than longer commitments, so Giffgaff will be particularly appealing to customers who don’t want to be locked into a long fixed term.

Where is Giffgaff broadband available?

At the moment Giffgaff broadband is only available in a scattered number of locations covering around 2.3 million premises in the UK. However, those premises are spread all throughout the country. Coverage is available in parts of the following areas:

• North West: Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester
• North East: County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear
• Yorkshire and the Humber: North, South and West Yorkshire
• Midlands: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire
• South & South East: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Greater London, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, West Sussex, Wiltshire
• South West: Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset
• Scotland: Central Belt, South West and parts of the East Coast
• Wales: North East and South
• Northern Ireland: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Londonderry, County Tyrone.

However, eventually Giffgaff broadband will also utilise the Virgin Media network meaning it will be available to far more premises. Giffgaff hasn't yet said when this wider rollout is likely, however.

Smaller providers can offer better value and service

While the big names in broadband stubbornly remain incredibly popular, our research continually shows that smaller providers deserve your attention. In our annual customer satisfaction survey, providers like Zen Internet, Utility Warehouse and Community Fibre regularly outshine their larger competitors.

Smaller providers often offer competitive deals, too. When you’re in the market for a new provider, it’s worth exploring whether there’s a less well-known provider that can offer you an attractive deal. While Giffgaff broadband may not yet be available where you live, perhaps there’s a local provider offering full fibre services and an attractive price. 

For information about some of these alternatives, check our guides on smaller broadband providers and regional broadband providers.