Optifi Launches New UK Full Fibre Broadband Service
Get ready for a new full fibre broadband player on the market, called Optifi. New entrant in the high-performance UK broadband industry, Optifi will go up against the telecoms giants to provide full fibre broadband in the UK, focussing mostly on residential customers. We’ve seen an explosion of broadband deals in the UK recently and as the competition heats up, we expect speeds to do the same, as more entertainment turns to streaming - from TV to gaming.
We bring you all the news on this fast-paced market and the latest contender, Optifi. Who are their competitors and will they be able to match or beat the service and price currently offered?
Where has Optifi come from?
Optifi has some strong backing already and hasn’t just sprung out of nowhere. One of the key people involved at this stage is Mark Trojacek.
The name may ring some bells, especially if you’re a tech fan. Mark has been in the broadband industry for years and is involved in a number of successful business ventures. He is currently the MD of Fibre Options and is also the director of PureFibre (TV and broadband).
What is full fibre broadband and can you get it?
Full fibre is the latest technology in this field and the future of broadband due to its incredibly fast speeds and reliability.
Following the recent battering from storms that the UK has experienced, full fibre broadband has been prominent in the news. As the most reliable broadband around, many customers who are on standard ADSL broadband are looking to make the switch.
Not everyone has access to full fibre yet. However, there is a massive project underway to push full fibre across the UK.
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Who are Optifi’s full fibre broadband competitors?
Optifi will be joining the full fibre broadband market with top-tier telecoms providers and many household names. This could make entry difficult but it remains to be seen how they will position themselves and what their pricing strategy will be. Will they try and get out front by offering the fastest speeds or lowest prices?
Optifi’s biggest competitors that offer full fibre broadband include:
- BT (currently has the largest area covered in the UK)
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
There are also smaller fibre providers already on the market, some with their own networks too.
What pricing will Optifi need to match?
While there are literally hundreds of broadband deals on the market, that bucket gets smaller if you focus only on full fibre. We’re already seeing a smattering of smaller providers getting on board. As this number increases, so will the number and variety of full fibre deals.
For now, let’s take a look at what pricing and features Optifi will need to match. We have chosen to compare the absolute fastest speeds offered. Remember, there are different deals available across all of these providers and for slower average speeds the prices are cheaper.
The following deals are for broadband only and do not include any added benefits such as TV.
| Price / feature | BT (Superfast Fibre 2) | Virgin Media (M350) | Vodafone (Superfast 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average download speed | 67 Mbps | 362 Mbps | 63 Mbps |
| Length of contract | 24 months | 12 months | 18 months |
| Upfront and activation fees | £9.99 delivery charge for your new kit | £35 activation charge | £0 |
| Price per month | £39.99 | £52* | £23.95 |
*Optifi needs to watch Virgin Media carefully since they are the TV broadband competitor to beat especially with their cost-effective bundling options. For example, if you were to get a phone line included with the same fibre speeds, it would cost less than the broadband-only deal - £43. You would also get Virgin’s ‘Talk Weekends’ included.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing your fibre provider. Optifi’s success will ultimately depend on everything from download speed to the price of the deal varies wildly. Length of contract is a particularly important one to consider. After all, if you’re not sure how long you will be in one location you may be better off going for a shorter contract.
New start-ups like Optifi have big decisions to make when they first enter the market. Fibre customers are savvy and demanding, especially at the top end of the market which they are targetting. It will be important for Optifi to position themselves well with their target customers from the very beginning.
Stay tuned for more announcements on Optifi. We’re excited to see what they will do. In the meantime, if you’re thinking about switching provider, don’t forget to shop around.