Hyperoptic, the city-focused full fibre broadband provider once famous for its strong stance against mid-contract price hikes, has now joined the ranks of major ISPs by introducing annual increases.
For years, Hyperoptic built its reputation on being different from the broadband giants. While the big players made mid-contract price hikes a standard part of their deals, Hyperoptic loudly promised it would never follow suit. They ran national ads, published surveys, and positioned themselves as the consumer-friendly alternative.
In fact, back in March 2023, Hyperoptic’s Chief Customer Officer said: "Hyperoptic has never hiked prices mid-contract. And we are continually campaigning at the highest levels to get this unfair practice changed – if a provider chooses to hit its customers with a mid-contract price rise, then those customers should be free to switch."
(Hyperoptic press release, March 2023)
But fast forward to 2025, and that promise has quietly been dropped.
Any new customers, or existing customers who lock into a new Hyperoptic contract, will face their first annual increase of £3 a month in April 2026. On a 24-month plan, that means a second rise in April 2027, while 12-month contracts will see just the one.
The move is a striking U-turn for a company that built part of its reputation on taking the opposite approach. Hyperoptic didn’t just avoid mid-contract hikes; they actively campaigned against them for years, making it a cornerstone of their customer-first image. Just last year, CEO Dana Tobak reiterated their commitment to “hyper fair and transparent contracts with no mid-contract price hikes.”
So what’s changed? Like many alt-nets, Hyperoptic has been under pressure. They’ve cut jobs, adjusted pricing, and are still pushing to expand. It seems they’ve decided a £3 annual increase is the price of keeping up with the industry.
Hyperoptic’s move brings them in line with the rest of the market. Under Ofcom’s updated rules price rises must now be stated in pounds and pence, rather than being tied to inflation. That’s clearer for customers, but not always cheaper. With inflation sitting at around 2–3% in early 2025, some people on old CPI-linked deals actually saw smaller increases than those on the new fixed £3 system.
Despite the policy shift, Hyperoptic’s pricing remains competitive and their network continues to grow, with coverage now reaching more than 1.73 million homes across 64 towns and cities. But the days of shouting about “no mid-contract price hikes” are over.