UK Broadband News, August 2026: ADSL Switch-Off
The copper era took another step towards its end this fortnight, with one provider disconnecting its very last ADSL line while another sold off a chunk of its customer base. There were deals to weigh up too. Here is what landed in the two weeks to 6 August, and what each item means for your home connection.
The UK’s last ADSL lines are being switched off
On 3 August, Shropshire-based provider Aquiss disconnected its final ADSL customer, a line first switched on back in September 2007, as that home moved across to full fibre. It is a small milestone with a big message: the old copper-based broadband that most of the country used for two decades is being retired for good, provider by provider, ahead of the wider phone-network switch-off. If you are still on an ADSL or VDSL (part-fibre) line, you are not being cut off tomorrow, but full fibre is now the destination and it is worth planning the move rather than waiting to be told. Our guide to broadband without a phone line explains what changes when the copper goes. Source: ISPreview.
TalkTalk sells 120,000 broadband customers to Rise Fibre
TalkTalk has sold roughly 120,000 broadband customers to Rise Fibre, a newer challenger backed by private equity, in a deal announced on 3 August. The affected homes are largely those connected over the CityFibre network, and they will be migrated across to Rise Fibre, whose base more than doubles to nearly 250,000 as a result. If you are one of the customers being moved, the physical line into your home does not change; what changes is who bills you and supports you, so it is worth reading any migration letter carefully and checking your new price and contract terms. It is also a reminder that a provider’s finances matter, not just its headline deal. If you are weighing up a smaller network, our Toob broadband review shows the sort of thing to check. Source: ISPreview.
Hey! Broadband cuts new bundles to half price for six months
On 5 August, South East England altnet Hey! Broadband launched three 900Mbps full fibre bundles with the first six months at half price. The entry Gamer bundle is £19.50 a month for six months then £39, the Homeworker bundle is £21 then £42, and the Family bundle is £25.50 then £51, all on 24-month contracts with free installation, a Wi-Fi 6 router and a £100 bill credit. Intro deals like this are genuinely cheap up front, but the number that matters is the price after the promotion ends, plus any mid-contract rises, so do the full two-year sum before signing. And before paying for 900Mbps, it is worth checking what your household actually uses: our broadband speed calculator and our guide to what broadband speed you need will tell you whether a cheaper tier would do the same job. Source: ISPreview.
UK on track to become Europe’s second-largest full fibre market
New forecasting from Point Topic, published on 5 August, expects the UK to add 10.9 million full fibre subscribers between 2025 and 2030, more than any other European country, overtaking Spain to become the continent’s second-largest market by 2028. The reason is simple: the UK started late, so there is a lot of catching up still to do as networks reach streets that only recently had a fibre option. For households, the practical upshot is that the list of providers who can serve your address keeps growing, and altnets often beat the big brands on price or contract length. It is worth re-checking every network at your postcode each time you renew rather than defaulting to your current supplier. New to how any of this works? Our plain-English guide to what broadband is starts from scratch. Source: ISPreview.
