The Right to Connect

Staying connected by mobile phone and broadband is crucial to keep in touch with loved ones, but also remote working, socialising, streaming, shopping, banking, and accessing government services online.

Our dependence on digital connectivity is increasing, but every April, the biggest UK providers of broadband and mobile phones get away with raising their prices part way through your contract.

When it comes to basic necessities like a reliable mobile phone or internet connection, you deserve clarity. That means knowing how much money you’ll be expected to pay over the course of the contract. No unpredictable price hikes should be buried in the terms and conditions. 

Although Ofcom is introducing a ban on these unfair mid-contract price increase practices, that confirms your Right to Connect, millions of customers are still locked into contracts with unfair hikes. 

Ofcom has met our call to ban inflation-linked mid-contract price rises by UK mobile phone and broadband providers!

What has Ofcom said about mid-contract price rises?

This is a massive step in the right direction to ensure you and your loved ones will no longer be forced to put up with annual inflation-linked price rises. 

With Ofcom calling time on these unfair price hikes, providers will be forced to stop this practice.

To all those broadband and mobile companies hiking up prices beyond inflation,

It's not fair, and you need to stop.

For years, you’ve got away with locking customers into mobile and broadband contracts and then increasing your prices, often above the rate of inflation. 

Consumers are trapped. We have to cough up extra money to pay for your unpredictable price hikes, or, in many cases, pay exorbitant exit fees to leave the contract. 

For us, this lose-lose situation was bad enough when inflation was low. But then you hiked prices by up to 17%* during the cost of living crisis. And now you’re plotting to increase prices again. 

After the inflation data gets published, new price rises could cost us more than £400 million** from April. 

Your regulator, Ofcom, has found that these unpredictable price hikes are causing ‘substantial consumer harm’.

You have the power to stop them, right now, for all your customers. So we’re calling you out: it’s time to play fair.

Yours sincerely,

Which?
The UK’s consumer champion

#CallItOut

*Mobile contract price hikes by O2 and Virgin Mobile. In spring 2023, most customers on contracts subject to inflation-linked price rises saw their bills increase between 14% and 17%. **Based on an estimate of customers currently in contracts that allow inflation-linked price rises in April 2024 and plausible forecasts of inflation.

Listen to our first-ever episode of the Which? Campaigns Podcast, where Joey Willoughby-Rainsford speaks to Michael Morel, Campaigns Manager, about The Right to Connect.

Are mid-contract price rises legal? 

Mobile phone and broadband providers are sometimes allowed to make price hikes even when you’re in a contract. They can only do this, though, if they provide fair and transparent information about hikes when you sign up. 

Learn more: Read our guide on the Consumer Contract Regulations.

Can I cancel my contract due to a price increase? 

It’ll depend on the terms and conditions you signed up to. Often, the only way to guarantee you’re not penalised for cancelling a contract is to cancel within the cooling-off period.

Otherwise, if you cancel before the minimum contract term is up, you may have to pay an early termination fee. This can be very high.

Learn more: The cost of my mobile phone contract has gone up, can I cancel?

How much will mobile and broadband prices go up in 2024?

Depending on your contract, the price of your broadband and/or mobile contract could increase by up to 8.8%. 

Use our free price rise calculator to find out how much your broadband or mobile bill could increase in April, as a result of the confusing inflation-linked price hikes we're campaigning against.

Learn how to exit a broadband contract after price increases and if you can avoid penalty charges.

Also, check out our latest advice on how to avoid inflation on a mobile contract.

If you’re unhappy with your broadband provider, find out how to save money by switching to a better deal. 

You can even compare deals with our Which? Switch service.