Vodafone launches new cost-of-living broadband package for £12/month

Vodafone launches new cost-of-living packages that will give households connectivity for £12/month and small businesses FREE internet for a year

Vodafone has launched two new packages amid the cost-of-living crisis
Eligible households will be able to access broadband for £12 a month
Small businesses will also have free broadband access as part of the deal

With the cost of living increasing by the day, many of us are taking measures to reduce spending, including cutting the family grocery bill, foregoing weekends away and rethinking our broadband options.

Now, Vodafone has announced two new cost-of-living packages for households and small businesses.

A new social broadband tariff will give households connectivity for £12 a month, while the tech giant will also give small businesses free broadband for a year.

Vodafone has announced two new cost-of-living packages for households and small businesses

Who’s eligible?

The new Vodafone Essentials Broadband deal will be available to anyone on jobseekers’ allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance or personal independence payment.

For small business owners, any new or existing customers who are eligible to upgrade will be able to get free business broadband for 12 months on a 24-month plan,

For small business owners, any new or existing customers who are eligible to upgrade will be able to get free business broadband for 12 months on a 24-month plan.

Vodafone said research had found that many people relied on connectivity to help them find better deals as part of efforts to combat the rising cost of living, so keeping people online would be vital over the coming months.

‘The rising cost of living is putting a million families at risk of falling on the wrong side of the digital divide,’ Vodafone chief executive Ahmed Essam said.

‘We must not allow this to happen.

‘So as part of our everyone.connected programme, today we are launching Vodafone Essentials Broadband at just £12 a month, the cheapest on the market, and 12 months free broadband for small businesses.

‘Vodafone is the only network provider to offer social tariffs across fixed and mobile, meaning eligible customers can access mobile and broadband connectivity for 72 pence a day.

‘These new tariffs complement Voxi for Now and the 750,000 free sims we’ve donated so far as part of our everyone.connected programme.

‘We’re on track to meet our commitment to donate a million connections by the end of this year and will continue to put the cause at the heart of our business until the problem no longer exists.’

YouGov research of more than 2,000 UK adults has also revealed the extent people rely on connectivity to save money.

The majority (70 per cent) claim they’re the same (37 per cent) or better off by shopping online (33 per cent), and 29 per cent say they have been turning to the internet more to help save money during the cost-of-living crisis.

When it comes to bills, 16 per cent say they are struggling to pay due to the crisis, and 42 per cent expect to struggle.

Almost half (45 per cent) say they know someone who is struggling, and two thirds (66 per cent) say they will be struggling in one to six months’ time.

Vodafone and Three in talks to MERGE to keep up with rivals in 5G rollout

They’re two of the most popular mobile networks in the UK, and now Vodafone and Three are in talks to merge.

The networks hope that a combination of their UK operations could help them to compete with their rivals in the rollout of 5G.

The news comes just over a year after Virgin Media and O2’s £31billion merger was given the green light by the UK’s competition watchdog.

The owners of the networks said they are in talks about a deal which would create a new major player in the UK mobile market.

‘By combining our businesses, Vodafone UK and Three UK will gain the necessary scale to be able to accelerate the rollout of full 5G in the UK and expand broadband connectivity to rural communities and small businesses,’ Vodafone said in an update to shareholders.

Vodafone would own 51 per cent of the new business, and Three UK owner CK Hutchison would take the rest.

They hope their combined scale will help the two companies move out of a problematic situation where the returns on their investments are not enough to cover their costs.

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