Skip to main content

U.K. internet service providers lift caps on broadband data

As people around the world shift to remote work and look to the internet for personal communication and entertainment, unlimited access is more important than ever. Now, the U.K. government has reached an agreement with telecommunications companies to lift all data allowance caps on broadband plans to ensure people can continue to use the internet during the pandemic involving coronavirus, officially called COVID-19.

Major British broadband providers including BT/EE, Openreach, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, O2, Vodafone, Three, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, and KCOM have all agreed to lift their data caps. The providers have also agreed to consider further actions, such as working with customers who are struggling to pay their bills due to the coronavirus outbreak, offering new affordable packages for both mobile and landline-based internet for those who don’t yet have internet access at home, and providing alternative methods of communication for customers who experience problems with their internet access.

Similar policies have already been implemented in the U.S., where companies like AT&T have halted caps on broadband usage. American senators have also written an open letter urging more ISPs to follow suit and lift their bandwidth restrictions.

Regarding the lifting of data caps in Britain, Melanie Dawes, CEO of British telecom regulator Ofcom, said: “We recognize providers are dealing with unprecedented challenges at the moment. So we welcome them stepping up to protect vulnerable customers, at a time when keeping in touch with our friends and families has never been more important. We’ll continue to work with Government and industry to help make sure people stay connected.”

And Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden emphasized the importance of internet access at home to support social distancing measures while maintaining social connections: “It’s fantastic to see mobile and broadband providers pulling together to do their bit for the national effort by helping customers, particularly the most vulnerable, who may be struggling with bills at this difficult time. It is essential that people stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives. This package helps people to stay connected whilst they stay home.”

Broadband caps will be lifted immediately, so if you’re in the U.K. and you have a contract with one of the mentioned providers then you should be able to use the internet without limitations for the foreseeable future.

Editors' Recommendations

Georgina Torbet
Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…
Streaming 4K yet? AT&T adds unlimited data option to U-Verse
4k-ultra-hd-content-guide-netflix

After announcing an increase in standard data caps for multiple U-Verse home Internet plans today, AT&T will also be adding a new option for anyone that's blasting through data caps by hundreds of gigs of data. The new unlimited data option can be added to any of the existing plans for an additional $30 per month, as detailed on the AT&T Consumer Blog.

Specifically, speed tiers between 768 Kbps – 6 Mbps have been upgraded from a 250GB data cap to a 300GB data cap. As the plans get faster, anyone paying for speeds between 12 Mbps – 75 Mbps will see data caps rise from 250GB to 600GB and plans between 100 Mbps – 1 Gbps will see a new data cap of 1TB, previously at 500GB.

Read more
Netflix is now the U.K.’s most popular streaming service
netflix party chrome stream chat with friends online passport

"Netflix and chill" may have originated in the United States, but it's really taken root in the United Kingdom, where the video streaming service is now the top dog. While other web-based platforms have tried to give Netflix a run for its money (looking at you, Hulu and Amazon Prime, and HBO Now), at least when it comes to the U.K., the red and white really does reign supreme. According to a new report from British TV ratings agency Barb, more than 5 million British homes used Netflix in 2015, whereas just 1.6 million subscribed to Amazon Prime Instant Video and fewer than 1 million took to Now TV, provided by Sky.

These impressive figures for Netflix translates to its presence in almost one out of every four U.K. households, and by 2019, business researchers at IHS suggest that Netflix will hit around 7.5 million subscribers. And with 1.5 million new watchers in 2015 alone, this upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing.

Read more
Comcast is the most hated broadband provider by far, according to FCC complaints
comcast ads third party router 4 reasons

Everyone hates Comcast. The company’s policies are repeatedly the target of derision by both the media and customers. Yet the stream of venom aimed at Comcast has been difficult to quantify through online sources alone. To find out the specifics, Ars Technica filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FCC, and the results didn’t disappoint.

The FCC has received 11,812 complaints about Comcast through November 9, 2015. That number is greater than the three other big telecom firms combined. AT&T received 3,896 complaints, Verizon 1,588, and Time Warner Cable racked up an impressively small 1,240. That’s 6,724 combined, for those keeping score -- barely more than half of Comcast’s ridiculous tally.

Read more