Connect Fibre review: symmetrical full fibre with fixed pricing, if you can get it

Verdict

Connect Fibre is a small alternative network provider selling full-fibre (FTTP) broadband on its own infrastructure rather than Openreach. The appeal is straightforward: symmetrical speeds, transparent pricing that is fixed for the length of your contract, no setup fees and a Wi-Fi 7 router in the box. The obstacle is size. The network currently reaches roughly 10,000 UK premises, so the first and most important step is checking whether your address is covered. Almost nobody is. If you are one of the few who can get it, the pricing is genuinely competitive and the terms are clean. Just go in knowing that independent evidence of how the service performs day to day is thin at this stage, so the decision rests on the advertised package rather than a proven track record. ## Deals and prices

Connect Fibre offers four full-fibre plans with advertised symmetrical download and upload speeds of 250Mbps, 500Mbps, 1000Mbps and 2000Mbps. Plans come on 12-month and 24-month terms, and the longer term carries the lower monthly cost. From the current pricing:

• Full Fibre 250, 24 months: 250Mbps for £25 a month, £600 over the contract
• Full Fibre 500, 24 months: 500Mbps for £29 a month, £696 over the contract
• Full Fibre 1000, 24 months: 1000Mbps for £29 a month, £696 over the contract
• Full Fibre 250, 12 months: 250Mbps for £29 a month, £348 over the contract

The pricing has some quirks worth reading closely. On the 24-month term, the 500Mbps and 1000Mbps plans cost the same £29 a month, so there is no reason to pick the 500 over the 1000 if both are offered to you. The 250Mbps plan is the cheapest at £25 a month on 24 months, but paradoxically costs more per month (£29) on the shorter 12-month term. Choosing the 12-month contract on the same 250Mbps speed trades a lower total commitment (£348 against £600) for a £4 higher monthly bill and less time locked in. There are no setup, installation or activation fees on any plan, and a Wi-Fi 7 router is included at no extra cost. Connect Fibre also commits to no mid-contract price rises across all plans, so the monthly figure you sign up to is the figure you pay for the term. Optional extras sit on top: a TV package at £10 a month adds a 4K set-top box with 230-plus live channels and on-demand content, and a VoIP home phone runs at £10 a month for Anytime calls or £15 a month for the Global tier with 600 international minutes. A Connect Mesh Wi-Fi extender is available for larger homes. There is also a referral scheme worth £60 in credit per referral. ## Speeds and network

Connect Fibre runs on its own full-fibre network rather than Openreach, and every plan is a full FTTP connection to the premises. The figures above are advertised speeds. Independent measured performance for this provider is not available at the moment, so treat the numbers as the target the service is sold on rather than a tested result. ## Contract, router and switching

Contracts run for 12 or 24 months depending on the plan you choose. The Wi-Fi 7 router is included, and there are no upfront fees to get connected. Connect Fibre aims to switch new customers over within seven to ten days and handles the switch from your previous provider on your behalf. Because this is a new physical connection on a separate network, expect an engineer visit of around an hour to complete the installation. ## Who it is for

Connect Fibre suits you if it reaches your address, you want symmetrical upload and download speeds, and you value knowing the price will not change mid-contract. The 1000Mbps plan at £29 a month on 24 months is the standout on value given it costs the same as the 500Mbps tier. It is also a weaker fit if you want a provider with a long, well-documented service record, because there is little independent evidence of real-world performance or support quality to lean on yet. ## Pros and cons

Pros

• Symmetrical full-fibre speeds up to an advertised 2000Mbps
• Fixed pricing with no mid-contract rises
• No setup, installation or activation fees
• Wi-Fi 7 router included
• Competitive monthly costs, in particular 1000Mbps at £29 a month

Cons

• Network reaches only around 10,000 premises, so most people cannot get it
• Little independent evidence of real-world performance so far
• 24-month terms give the best pricing but are a long commitment
• The 12-month 250Mbps plan costs more per month than the same speed on 24 months