No upfront cost broadband deals with free installation
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Some of our best broadband deals - August 2026
Community Fibre 2Gbps Full Fibre Broadband2200Mbpsaverage UK speed*- Community Fibre 500Mbps Full Fibre Broadband550Mbpsaverage UK speed*
- Community Fibre 1Gbps Full Fibre Broadband920Mbpsaverage UK speed*
4th Utility Full Fibre 900Mbps900Mbpsaverage UK speed*
Hyperoptic 1Gb Full Fibre Broadband900Mbpsaverage UK speed*
BeFibre Be10001000Mbpsaverage UK speed*
Gigaclear Ultrafast 300 Broadband300Mbpsaverage UK speed*or call 03708630122- Hyperoptic 1Gb Full Fibre Broadband - 12 Months900Mbpsaverage UK speed*
Vodafone Full Fibre 910910Mbpsaverage UK speed*
Virgin Media M500 Entertainment516Mbpsaverage UK speed*
or call 03300 296 397
About these results
*Average speeds are based on the download speed available to at least 50% of customers with this product during peak time (8 to 10pm). Your actual speeds depend on factors like your connection type, area, time of day and distance from the telephone exchange.
Deals are subject to local availability and may not be available to existing customers. You can confirm availability and estimated speeds for your property on the provider’s website - this may be different to what we show.
Some providers may increase monthly costs each year during your contract, in line with the retail or consumer price index. Check their terms before signing up.
§Order before 8pm for next working day delivery. To find out more about delivery times, please check the provider site for more details.
We’ve highlighted some recent Uswitch Award winners on our table.
How our site works
Uswitch services are provided at no cost to you, but we may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to. This helps to keep our site free for you to use. Sometimes we have commercial agreements with providers to highlight deals that we think are worth your consideration. These deals are labelled 'sponsored'.
Exclusive deals are only available through RVU brands.
BT, EE and Plusnet recently added upfront costs of up to £30 to their broadband deals, but there are still many providers that let you sign up without an additional fee. You should still see a wide range of ‘no upfront cost’ internet providers available to your home.
Can I get broadband with free installation?
Very likely, yes. Providers aren’t required to charge you a setup or installation fee. Even if you need an engineer to visit and install a new connection, such as full fibre or Virgin Media, it’s at the provider’s discretion as to whether you pay for it.
Some providers will occasionally add an upfront installation cost to their deals, but they can just as easily remove it if they see the financial incentive to do so.
For example, the recent move from BT, EE and Plusnet to add upfront costs was mostly driven by the computing cost of producing their Wi-Fi routers. But other providers might instead choose to make this money back by raising their initial monthly prices.
Which broadband providers offer free installation and no setup fees?
You can get broadband deals with no upfront cost from many major UK providers. However, some of these providers only have free setup on their broadband-only deals – their TV services may come with an upfront fee.
Here’s a list of providers that don’t charge upfront costs on their broadband deals:
- Virgin Media (though TV products come with a setup fee)
- Vodafone
- Hyperoptic
- YouFibre
- Three 5G Broadband
- Community Fibre
- Onestream
- Many more regional providers
Which broadband providers charge setup fees?
Providers that regularly charge setup fees or installation costs will sometimes waive them as part of a promotion or special offer, especially around key dates in the year, such as Black Friday.
Otherwise, be sure to factor in additional costs with these providers when comparing their broadband deals.
BT, EE and Plusnet
All three broadband providers under the ‘BT Group’ recently introduced an upfront cost to their deals to cover increasing Wi-Fi router costs. BT and EE add £30 to their first bill, whereas Plusnet’s fee is £20.
Sky and NOW broadband
Sky and NOW, which are both part of the same company, charge a smaller £5 ‘advance fee’ for their broadband-only deals.
However, Sky is also the only large provider to actually waive upfront costs for its TV bundles. So if you plan to get a Sky broadband and TV deal, you may not be charged an additional fee for signing up.
Compare broadband providers on Uswitch
Browse the wide range of UK providers available through Uswitch to find a service that meets your needs.
What costs do upfront fees cover?
There are several reasons why a provider might charge an upfront cost. Here are some examples you might find from providers who have a setup fee:
1. Setup or activation fees
A setup or activation fee could be considered an administrative fee, covering the costs of signing up with your new broadband provider.
The two terms tend to be used interchangeably and are more common in shorter-term broadband contracts, so you’re likely to see these fees for 30-day broadband deals.
2. Delivery charges
You may find a small equipment delivery charge included when signing up for a new provider.
This usually covers the costs of sending out your new Wi-Fi router or TV box if you’ve signed up for a broadband and TV bundle, and it shouldn’t set you back more than £10-15 when you sign up.
3. Installation charges
As mentioned above, if you are moving to a new type of fixed broadband you haven't used at home before, such as full fibre or Virgin Media, it may come with an installation fee. All providers offer full fibre these days, so it’s highly likely your next package could be one of these types.
This charge would cover the cost your provider incurs for sending an engineer to your home and installing brand-new broadband equipment to connect you to a new network. But many providers waive this fee for customers to entice them to use their services.
Installation charges can vary, but you'll very rarely need to pay more than £40. And as this page shows, this charge is quite easy to avoid these days.
Compare fixed price broadband deals
Browse deals from providers with no mid-contract price increases for the full length of your contract.
What are the pros and cons of broadband with no upfront costs?
The fewer costs we need to pay to get set up on a new broadband deal, the better. However, choosing broadband deals with no upfront fees has a few minor drawbacks.
Pros
Fewer expensive charges to pay when you sign up.
You still get a wide selection of deals, as packages with no setup costs are fairly common across the market.
Cons
Fewer options when comparing deals as some packages won’t be available without paying a setup fee.
Limited bundle options – additional services like TV, home phone or Wi-Fi guarantees often come with setup costs.
How long does it take to install broadband?
Broadband installation times can vary depending on the provider and the type of broadband you choose. However, most installations can be scheduled within a few days of your signup date and up to four weeks in advance.
It’s worth noting that, thanks to Ofcom’s recent One Touch Switch ruling, installing new broadband is now easier than it’s ever been. Not only does your new provider handle the cancellation of your old contract, but your existing connection will remain live until the minute the engineer visits to install your new one.
This means that regardless of how far in advance your installation is scheduled, you shouldn’t expect any broadband downtime except for the short 30- to 60-minute appointment with the engineer.
"Some broadband providers may occasionally add a small upfront charge to their deals to cover some of the costs of setting up your connection. However, many rarely make a case of adding them.
There's no official rule on when a provider should, or should not, add an upfront cost to their offer. Providers always have setup costs of their own; it's up to them whether to pass some of those costs on to customers when they sign up.
You might be more likely to see an upfront cost on a deal if the connection needs to be installed by an engineer, or if the provider wants to cover any equipment delivery costs. But this isn't a guarantee, as they still might find other ways to pay for it."
Do I need an engineer to install broadband?
In many cases, no. You can self-install your broadband with simple Wi-Fi equipment and easy-to-follow instructions provided by your broadband provider. This can save you time and money, and you can enjoy your broadband service without waiting for an engineer to install it.
However, if you need a new broadband line installed - whether it’s a full fibre or Virgin Media connection - you’ll need an engineer to come and set it up for you.
Can I get broadband and TV deals with no upfront cost?
You can sometimes get a broadband and TV deal with no upfront cost, as providers like Sky often use this as a promotion to attract new customers.
With the introduction of Sky Stream TV, which requires less physical equipment to access Sky content, setup fees are lower and therefore waived more often to make the offer seem more appealing.
Among the major providers offering broadband and TV deals, BT and Virgin Media are the most likely to charge a setup fee.
Broadband and TV deals
Take a look at the latest TV and broadband packages on Uswitch.
No upfront cost broadband FAQs
Can I get fibre broadband with no upfront fees?
All broadband deals listed on Uswitch are fibre broadband deals. With either full fibre or part-fibre deals, you can get speeds ranging from 50Mbps all the way beyond 1Gbps – many of which are available with no upfront fees.
Can I get broadband with free installation if I have bad credit?
You likely won't be eligible for free installation just because you have bad credit, but you may not have to pay an installation fee anyway if you switch to a provider that doesn’t charge one.
Learn more about how to get broadband without a credit check.
Is no upfront cost broadband cheaper?
This depends on how much the upfront cost is. If you notice a 'no upfront cost' promotion but the setup fee is normally just £5-15, then you should still make sure the monthly price and contract length are worth the small discount that comes with.
However, if the upfront cost is normally much higher, that could be a huge saving on the total cost of your contract. So it's at least worth considering if the total cost of the contract is significantly lower as a result.
