Lightning Fibre is a good choice if it reaches your street in Sussex or Kent: it has a 4.8 Trustpilot score from more than 5,500 reviews, and its price stays fixed for the whole contract. Its 900Mbps deal costs a little more than national rivals over 24 months, and its 2Gbps deal less than EE’s 1.6Gbps.
Prices in this review were checked on 1 November 2026. Lightning Fibre shows exact prices only after a postcode check, and its Black Friday offer needs an order by 30 November 2026, so check your own address.
Our verdict in brief
Lightning Fibre is a local altnet based in Eastbourne. It builds its own full fibre in East Sussex and Kent, and sells over CityFibre’s network in Brighton & Hove and Worthing.
Its strongest point is customer feedback. It scored 4.8 out of 5 from 5,560 Trustpilot reviews when we checked, with only 2% one-star. ISPA named it Best Consumer ISP (under 100,000 customers) in 2024.
The weak points are reach and transparency. It serves a small area, and its website shows prices only after you enter a postcode and contact details. Those details matter, because the Black Friday price jumps after six months.
Pros
- No mid-contract price rises. Lightning Fibre says it never increases prices during your contract.
- Symmetrical speeds. Upload matches download on every package, up to 2Gbps on average.
- Excellent reviews. 4.8 on Trustpilot, with 100% of negative reviews answered.
- WiFi 7 router and free installation on 24-month plans.
- Local support. An Eastbourne-based team, on the phone 8am to 8pm every day.
Cons
- Small footprint. Only parts of East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent.
- Prices hidden behind a form. You have to enter your details to see most prices.
- Offer price is temporary. £19 for six months, then £32 or £39 for the other 18.
- Steep early exit fee. 70% of the remaining contract value.
- Phone line extra. A VoIP landline costs from £5 a month.
Who Lightning Fibre is and where it sells
Lightning Fibre runs its own full fibre (FTTP) network in Eastbourne and Polegate, Hastings and St Leonards, Hailsham, Heathfield and Broad Oak, and Tenterden in Kent. It doesn’t use Openreach’s copper lines, though it sometimes runs its fibre through Openreach ducts.
In Brighton & Hove and Worthing it acts as a retailer on CityFibre’s network. Lightning Fibre says it remains your single point of contact there, although CityFibre’s engineers do the installation. In 2025 it expanded onto CityFibre’s network in more towns.
Investment firm Foresight Group bought Lightning Fibre in 2024. Foresight also backs the altnets Connect Fibre and F&W Networks. In October 2026 ISPreview reported that the network had reached 80,000 premises, with a target of 140,000, and more than 20,000 customers.
Lightning Fibre packages and prices
Lightning Fibre sells four symmetrical speeds on 24-month contracts: 150Mbps, 300Mbps, 1Gbps (900Mbps average) and 2.5Gbps (2Gbps average). All have unlimited data, free installation and a WiFi 7 router. Shorter 12-month terms exist but cost more.
Lightning Fibre Black Friday prices, 24-month contract, November 2026
| Package | Average speed (down and up) | Months 1 to 6 | Months 7 to 24 | 24-month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Gbps | 900Mbps | £19 | £32 | £690 |
| 2.5Gbps | 2Gbps | £19 | £39 | £816 |
| 300Mbps | 300Mbps | Shown after an address check | no offer | depends on price |
| 150Mbps | 150Mbps | Shown after an address check | no offer | depends on price |
Lightning Fibre’s FAQ says its standard prices start from £22 a month, without naming the tier. Enter your postcode on its site to see the 150Mbps and 300Mbps prices for your address.
Cashback. New customers in some towns also get cashback, set by address. ISPreview reported £50 on 1Gbps and £75 on 2.5Gbps in Heathfield, Hastings, St Leonards and Tenterden, and £50 on 2.5Gbps only in Eastbourne, Polegate, Hailsham and Pevensey.
Order dates. Order by 30 November 2026 to get the offer. You can book installation for any date up to 31 January 2027, which helps if you’re waiting for another contract to end.
Lightning Fibre
Fixed-price full fibre in Sussex
✅ No mid-contract price rises on any package
✅ 1Gbps or 2.5Gbps at £19 a month for six months
✅ 4.8 on Trustpilot from 5,560 reviews
Contract terms, price promise and fees
No mid-contract rises. Lightning Fibre says it will “never increase our prices during your contract term”. So the totals above are what you pay, unless you change your package.
That is a real difference from the national providers, whose contracts add £3 to £4 a month each spring. Ofcom’s rules require any rise written into a contract to be shown in pounds and pence, but Lightning Fibre’s contracts don’t have one.
After 24 months. The contract continues month to month, and either side can end it with 30 days’ notice. Lightning Fibre doesn’t publish its post-contract price, so ask before your term ends.
Leaving early. The early termination fee is 70% of the remaining value of the minimum term. On the 1Gbps deal with 12 months left, that would be £268.80. It doesn’t apply if you move to a property Lightning Fibre can’t serve.
Equipment. The router, modem (ONT) and any extenders are rented and must go back. If not, Lightning Fibre’s terms charge up to £100 for the router, plus a £20 admin fee.
Cooling-off. You can cancel within 14 days of ordering, but you pay for any installation and service already provided.
Disputes. Lightning Fibre is a member of Ombudsman Services, the independent scheme for unresolved complaints.
Router, WiFi and home phone
In June 2026 Lightning Fibre launched WiFi 7 equipment made by Genexis: the Aura E750 router and the Home CX750 mesh extender. Its 24-month packages now all list a WiFi 7 router. Lightning Fibre doesn’t publish the extender price, so ask before you order.
You can use your own router if you prefer, but not your own fibre modem. Lightning Fibre says advertised speeds are measured at the modem, so use a cable to test.
There is no landline included and no line rental. If you want a phone, Lightning Voice is an internet phone (VoIP) service:
- Lightning Voice. £5 a month plus 10p a minute.
- Lightning Voice Plus. £12 a month, unlimited UK calls.
- Keep your number. Porting costs £12 one-off.
Lightning Voice stops working in a power cut, and Lightning Fibre warns it may not suit telecare alarms. For more, see broadband without a landline.
Customer reviews and service record
Ofcom’s complaints and customer service reports cover only the largest providers, so there are no Ofcom figures for Lightning Fibre.
Test your Lightning Fibre line here over a cable; speeds are advertised at the modem.
Powered by BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com
Lightning Fibre on Trustpilot, checked 1 November 2026
| Measure | Lightning Fibre |
|---|---|
| TrustScore | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Number of reviews | 5,560 |
| Five-star reviews | 89% |
| One-star reviews | 2% |
| Negative reviews answered | 100% |
Industry recognition backs this up. Lightning Fibre won ISPA’s Best Consumer ISP award in 2024 (for providers with fewer than 100,000 customers), and a Customer Champion award at Connected Britain 2026.
Once you’re connected, run a broadband speed test over a cable to the router.
How Lightning Fibre compares over 24 months
This table sets Lightning Fibre’s gigabit deals against national providers at similar speeds. Rival prices are from a sample UK address on 1 November 2026 and include their spring rises and rewards. National brands may not be available at every address Lightning Fibre serves.
24-month cost, Lightning Fibre against national rivals, November 2026 start
| Deal | Speed | Starting price | Price changes | 24-month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Fibre 1Gbps | 900Mbps both ways | £19 | £32 from month 7, then fixed | £690 |
| Vodafone Full Fibre 910 | 910Mbps | £26.50 | £30 from 1 Apr 2027, £33.50 from 1 Apr 2028 | £562 |
| Plusnet Full Fibre 900 | 900Mbps | £26.99 | £30.99 from 31 Mar 2027, £34.99 from 31 Mar 2028 | £601.76 |
| Lightning Fibre 2.5Gbps | 2Gbps both ways | £19 | £39 from month 7, then fixed | £816 |
| EE Full Fibre 1.6Gb | 1,600Mbps | £36.99 | £40.99 from 31 Mar 2027, £44.99 from 31 Mar 2028 | £906.76 |
At 900Mbps, Lightning Fibre costs £128 more than Vodafone over 24 months, before any cashback. Above 1Gbps, its 2.5Gbps deal is £90.76 cheaper than EE’s 1.6Gbps deal and faster.
Lightning Fibre’s price is certain from day one, and its uploads match its downloads. Not sure you need a gigabit? See what broadband speed you need, the best broadband providers and our UK broadband provider guides.
How to check availability and switch
- Check your postcode. Use Lightning Fibre’s checker. If you’re not covered yet, you can register for updates.
- Choose a package and date. Pick your speed and an installation date. Some homes need a pre-install survey first.
- Tick One Touch Switch. Lightning Fibre tells your old provider you’re leaving. Check whether your old contract has an exit fee. See how switching broadband works.
- Installation day. An engineer brings the fibre from a pole or underground and drills through an outside wall to fit the modem. Any set-up fee is taken before installation; the monthly charge starts once you’re live.
Our page on how full fibre (FTTP) works explains the technology.
FAQs
Does Lightning Fibre put prices up mid-contract? No. It says it never increases prices during your contract term, unless you change your package.
Who owns Lightning Fibre? Foresight Group, an investment firm, since 2024. Foresight also backs the altnets Connect Fibre and F&W Networks.
Does Lightning Fibre have a social tariff? Yes. It costs £15 a month for 50Mbps both ways, with no set-up fee and no mid-contract rise, for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other qualifying benefits.
Can I keep my phone number? Yes, if you take Lightning Voice. Porting costs £12.
Is Lightning Fibre available in Brighton? Yes, at addresses on CityFibre’s network in Brighton & Hove and Worthing. Check your postcode.
What if I leave early? You pay 70% of the remaining contract value, and must return the router and modem.
Prices depend on your postcode. Check what you can get at your address.
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