LightSpeed Broadband is worth a look if its full fibre has reached your street in the East of England or the Midlands. It runs its own network, sells symmetric speeds with an eero WiFi 7 router, fixes your price for the minimum term, and scores 4.6 on Trustpilot.
The risks are scale and money. LightSpeed had about 22,000 customers in May 2026 and lost £15.68m in 2025, funded by its owner, Kompass Kapital. Facts here were checked on 1 November 2026.
Our verdict in brief
LightSpeed is a regional altnet: a company that builds its own fibre instead of using Openreach. It suits households in its towns who want fast uploads and a fixed price, and who’d rather deal with a smaller provider.
Customer reviews are strong. Independent service data isn’t, because Ofcom doesn’t report on providers this size. Before signing, confirm today’s price and activation fee on LightSpeed’s site; we couldn’t load it to check them.
Pros
- Fixed price for the minimum term. LightSpeed’s terms say “Your price will be fixed for the duration of the Minimum Term”.
- Symmetric full fibre. Uploads match downloads, from 150Mbps upwards.
- WiFi 7 routers. An eero 7 on lower tiers and an eero Pro 7 on gigabit plans.
- Well reviewed. 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 3,673 reviews.
- Its own network. LightSpeed builds and runs its fibre rather than renting Openreach lines.
Cons
- Small and loss-making. A £15.68m loss in 2025 and net liabilities of £43.01m, according to ISPreview’s report on its accounts.
- Limited coverage. About 360,000 premises in 36 towns.
- Promotional pricing can step up. Some deals have shown a lower price for part of the term, then a higher one.
- No Ofcom data. You can’t compare its complaints with the big providers.
Who LightSpeed is: its own full fibre network
LightSpeed Broadband is the home broadband arm of the LightSpeed group. Its sister company, LightSpeed Networks, sells business and wholesale connections over the same fibre. Investment firm Kompass Kapital bought the group in 2023, after job cuts and a slowdown in building.
The network is full fibre to the premises (FTTP). ISPreview reported in July 2026 that it passes 360,000 premises across 36 towns in the East of England and the Midlands. LightSpeed’s stated aim is to “connect 400,000 homes and businesses by 2027”.
It’s building in parts of South Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Cambridgeshire and Rutland. See our news on LightSpeed’s Tamworth expansion.
The company is changing. Chief executive Brett Shepherd stepped down in May 2026 and finance chief Liam Hickey took over; we covered LightSpeed’s change of chief executive at the time. LightSpeed said it “continues to operate as normal”.
Revenue nearly doubled to £4.21m in 2025, but losses also grew. The group had borrowed £61.2m from its shareholders by the end of 2025, according to ISPreview.
LightSpeed packages and prices
LightSpeed sells symmetric full fibre in five speeds. The prices below are its standard 24-month prices from its charges guide, plus its Black Friday 2026 offer on the 1Gbps and 2Gbps plans.
LightSpeed Broadband packages, November 2026
| Package | Speed (download/upload) | Monthly price, 24 months | Router |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 150 | 150Mbps / 150Mbps | £25.99 | eero 7 |
| Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps / 500Mbps | £29.99 | eero 7 |
| Full Fibre 1Gbps | 1Gbps / 1Gbps | £30.99 (standard £39.99) | eero Pro 7 |
| Full Fibre 2Gbps | 2Gbps / 2Gbps | £34.99 (standard £65.99) | eero Pro 7 |
| Full Fibre 5Gbps | 5Gbps / 5Gbps | £89.99 | eero Max 7 plus an eero 7 mesh unit |
Prices and speeds depend on your address. If you’re unsure how much speed you need, our guide to what broadband speed you need helps you pick a tier.
LightSpeed’s Black Friday offer runs from 27 October to 23 December 2026 in most of its towns, and it can end early. In some Staffordshire and Midlands towns the deal is different:
£25.99 for three months, then £30.99, with a £30 voucher. Check whether today’s price is for the whole term or only part of it.
LightSpeed
Own full fibre, fixed term price
✅ Symmetric full fibre on LightSpeed’s own network
✅ Price fixed for the minimum term, per its terms
✅ eero WiFi 7 router included on 150Mbps to 2Gbps plans
Contract terms: price rises, activation and leaving
Contract length. LightSpeed’s charges guide lists prices for a 24-month minimum term. After the minimum term you move to a monthly rolling agreement.
Price rises. LightSpeed promises “no in-contract price hikes” on its homepage, and its terms fix your price for the minimum term. If it ever changes your terms to your disadvantage mid-contract, it must give 30 days’ notice and let you leave without a fee.
A fixed price doesn’t stop a promotional step-up written into the deal, such as a lower price for the first 12 months. That’s part of the contract price, not a rise.
After the minimum term. The terms say “the then current standard price for our monthly rolling agreement” applies, unless you sign a new term. Outside a minimum term, LightSpeed “may increase the Charges at any time”, with notice.
Ofcom’s rules apply either way: if a provider raises a price beyond what the contract sets out, you get at least 30 days’ notice and can leave without an exit fee.
Activation and installation. The standard activation fee is £30, waived on the Black Friday 1Gbps and 2Gbps deals. Standard installation is free on 24-month plans; a bespoke install, such as a long drive, is quoted after a survey.
Leaving early. LightSpeed doesn’t publish a fixed exit fee. Its charges guide says early termination charges are based on what’s left of your contract, minus the savings it makes from no longer serving you. You must also return the router, or pay for it.
Current offer. Black Friday 2026: 1Gbps for £30.99 a month for 24 months and 2Gbps for £34.99, both with free activation, for new customers ordering on lightspeed.co.uk until 23 December 2026. After 24 months the price moves to the standard list price, £39.99 and £65.99 at the time of writing.
Router and WiFi
LightSpeed supplies Amazon eero mesh routers. Its site says the eero 7, a dual-band WiFi 7 router, comes free with packages up to 500Mbps. The eero Pro 7 comes with the 1Gbps and 2Gbps packages.
Mesh means you can add more eero units to cover a larger home. Read more about LightSpeed’s switch to eero 7 routers.
Performance and customer service
LightSpeed’s customer reviews are its strongest evidence. On Trustpilot it scores 4.6 out of 5 from 3,673 reviews, 994 of them in the last 12 months (checked 1 November 2026). 87% are five-star and 7% one-star.
Reviewers praise polite, helpful staff and smooth installs. The negative reviews mention long waits to reach support, repeat faults and promised callbacks that didn’t happen.
There’s no independent survey to set against that. Ofcom’s quarterly complaints figures cover only the UK’s main providers, and LightSpeed isn’t one of them.
Because the fibre is LightSpeed’s own, Openreach isn’t involved in your connection. For how full fibre differs from the part-fibre lines many rivals still sell, see fibre vs full fibre.
Check your current speed
If you’re on an Openreach part-fibre line now, test your current speed, especially upload. That shows how much difference LightSpeed’s symmetric full fibre would make.
Test your current download and upload speed to see what LightSpeed’s symmetric full fibre would change.
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How LightSpeed compares over 24 months
The big providers are the alternative in most LightSpeed towns. Rival prices below are from a sample UK address and depend on postcode; their totals include fixed spring rises and rewards.
24-month cost, LightSpeed against Vodafone and Plusnet, November 2026 start
| Deal | Speed | Starting price | Rises | 24-month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LightSpeed Full Fibre 150 | 150Mbps / 150Mbps | £25.99 | fixed for the term | £653.76 |
| Vodafone Full Fibre 150 | 150Mbps | £20.50 | £24 from 1 Apr 2027, £27.50 from 1 Apr 2028 | £583 |
| Plusnet Full Fibre 145 | 145Mbps | £21.99 | £25.99 from 31 Mar 2027, £29.99 from 31 Mar 2028 | £506.76 |
| LightSpeed Full Fibre 1Gbps | 1Gbps / 1Gbps | £30.99 | fixed for the term | £743.76 |
| 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 |
Vodafone and Plusnet raise prices by a fixed amount each spring, and Plusnet’s totals depend on claiming its reward. LightSpeed’s price is fixed for the term and its uploads match its downloads.
Once LightSpeed’s prices are confirmed, this table shows whether that certainty costs more over two years. For a wider view, see our ranking of the best broadband providers and our UK broadband provider guides.
How to check availability
- Enter your postcode on LightSpeed’s availability checker. Its fibre is built town by town, so neighbouring streets can differ.
- Check the deal length. See whether the price you’re shown lasts the whole term or steps up part-way.
- Check the activation fee in the basket before you pay.
- Time your switch. If you’re in contract elsewhere, compare your exit fee with what you’d save.
FAQs
Who owns LightSpeed Broadband? Investment firm Kompass Kapital, which bought it in 2023. LightSpeed Networks, the business and wholesale arm, is part of the same group.
Where is LightSpeed available? In 36 towns across the East of England and the Midlands, about 360,000 premises as of July 2026. Enter your postcode to check your address.
Does LightSpeed put prices up mid-contract? Its terms say your price is fixed for the minimum term, subject to two clauses we couldn’t read. After the minimum term, its standard rolling price applies.
What router does LightSpeed provide? An eero 7 with packages up to 500Mbps, and an eero Pro 7 with 1Gbps and 2Gbps.
Does LightSpeed use Openreach? No. It builds and runs its own full fibre network.
Is LightSpeed financially secure? It made a £15.68m loss in 2025 and relies on loans from its shareholders, according to ISPreview. Revenue nearly doubled the same year, and LightSpeed says the business “continues to operate as normal”.
Prices depend on your postcode. Check what you can get at your address.
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