The UK’s major service providers for internet and mobile, notably BT, Openreach, Virgin Media, and Sky, have all agreed to honour new commitments during the COVID-19 crisis.
These commitments will effectively remove all data caps on current fixed broadband contracts in order to protect some of the most vulnerable.
Although fixed data caps on broadband contracts are no longer common in 2020, some older contracts may still be in place. There also could still be users with alternative budget broadband deals in order to access internet.
In order to ease the strain on those who may be struggling with service bills, UK internet providers are now committed to ensuring vulnerable individuals are treated fairly and with appropriate support.
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Each firm is also agreeing to offer generous new packages for mobile and landline to ensure people are connected and everyone continues to be supported. This could put vulnerable users in line for packages that feature data boosts at low prices alongside free calls from a landline or mobile.
The changes are effective immediately, and currently, these are the providers committed to providing assistance: BT/EE, Openreach, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, O2, Vodafone, Three, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, and KCOM.
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This news comes after mobile networks such as Sky and Virgin decided to boost data limits for current and new customers over the next month. This could be extended even further depending on the ongoing situation.
Although the data boost will only last during the crisis, these efforts can provide vulnerable users the chance to pick up a cheap SIM card for emergencies, a family member, or simply for a new device. Networks such as EE and Three are also offering free access to the NHS UK website without any changes to your data allowance.