G.fast broadband: How much does it cost and when can I get it?

BT’s Openreach division switched on its fastest ever fibre-to-the-cabinet customer connection this week - but details on just how accessible it would be to the average UK customer remained hard to find.

The network operator connected a Kent accounting firm to its new G.fast technology on Tuesday.

Theoretically, G.fast could reach speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) - more than 60 times faster than BT’s existing ‘Infinity 2’ premium fibre broadband product - although though Openreach had only confirmed maximum speeds of 330 megabits per second (Mbps) for its retail packages at this stage.

Such speeds would still be four times faster than ‘Infinity 2’, and 150% faster than the fastest speeds offered by Liberty Global's Virgin Media.

Openreach was hoping the technology would allow it to provide full-fibre speeds at a fraction of the full-fibre rollout cost, as G.fast uses the existing - and likely aging - copper telephone cable for the last leg of the connection from the street cabinet to the customer’s house, meaning no new wiring is required.

And while Openreach had hoped to reach 138,000 premises in 2017, and “most of the UK” by 2025, the retailers still weren’t keen to talk about the service on Wednesday.

Wholesale pricing

Openreach confirmed its wholesale pricing - that is, the price it charges retailers to access the service on its network - in October last year.

A retailer would need to pay Openreach £9.95 per month for line rental on either the 160/30Mbps (download speed/upload speed) plan or the 330/50Mbps product.

When a customer signs up, it would also be liable to pay £49 for installation with its own-branded device, or £99 for installation with an Openreach modem.

That compared favourably with prices for its existing fibre-to-the-cabinet product, which costs retailers £9.95 per month rental and installation of around £49.

Retail pricing

Despite Openreach officially now rolling out the technology to customers in a handful of pilot areas, the retailers were staying decidedly mum about prices.

BT’s website carried no reference to the technology anywhere - surprising, given the telecoms giant played a pivotal role in the development of G.fast.

Its ‘Infinity’ fibre products are already among the most expensive in the UK, with its 80Mbps speed tier carrying a standard tariff of £49.99 per month.

TalkTalk sits at the other end of the pricing scale, charging customers a standard tariff of £32 per month for its 80Mbps speed tier product.

It also remained one of the more vocally supportive providers when it comes to superfast broadband - putting its money where its mouth is with its own fibre rollout in York (in cahoots with CityFibre), and charging a surprisingly cheap £21.70 per month.

A spokeswoman at TalkTalk did promise to find out more about their G.fast plans when asked by Digital Look on Tuesday, but still had not responded by Wednesday afternoon.

Sky - another expensive provider, with a standard tariff of £43.99 per month for its highest 80Mbps fibre tier - declined to make any comment on G.fast when asked.

And Plusnet, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT and used as that firm’s budget brand, simply did not respond to requests.

We’ll keep pushing for information on G.fast products from the major retailers, and update this page as new information comes in.