Broadband contracts can feel full of jargon: minimum terms, notice periods, early termination charges, contract summaries. Understanding them before you sign saves money and stress later, and it helps you know when you are free to switch.
This guide explains the main parts of a broadband contract and the rights UK customers have. Some rights apply to everyone, some to home customers only, and some extend to small businesses too. We have noted which is which.
What is a minimum term?
The minimum term, sometimes called the minimum contract period, is the length of time you agree to stay with a provider. Common terms for home broadband are 12, 18 or 24 months. For home customers, Ofcom's rules do not allow an initial minimum term longer than 24 months. Business contracts, and especially leased lines, can be longer.
During the minimum term, you can usually still leave, but you may have to pay an early termination charge. How that charge is worked out should be clear in your contract before you sign.
What happens when the minimum term ends?
Your service does not stop at the end of the minimum term. It normally continues until you cancel or switch, often on a monthly rolling basis. At that point, you are free to leave by giving the notice set out in your contract, without an early termination charge.
Out of contract customers sometimes pay more than new customers on a similar deal, which is why it pays to know when your term ends.
End of contract notifications
Ofcom requires providers to tell home customers and small businesses when their minimum term is coming to an end. The notification must arrive between 10 and 40 days before the end date and should include:
- the date your minimum term ends;
- what you pay now and what you will pay afterwards;
- your notice period and how to leave;
- the provider's best deals for you.
If you stay out of contract, you should also receive information about the provider's best deals once a year.
What is a notice period?
A notice period is how far ahead you need to tell your provider that you want to leave. Check yours in your contract summary. If you are switching home broadband using One Touch Switch, your new provider arranges the switch and your old contract ends when it completes, so you do not need to give notice separately. Early termination charges can still apply if you are inside your minimum term.
Contract summaries: what you should see before you sign
Before you agree to a contract, providers must give home customers and small businesses a contract summary. It is a short, clear document that covers the key points, including:
- the services you are buying;
- the monthly price and any one off charges;
- the length of the minimum term;
- any annual price rise;
- information about speeds for broadband;
- how to end the contract and what it costs to leave early.
Read it carefully. It is the quickest way to compare offers properly, and you should keep a copy.
The 14 day cancellation right for home customers
If you are a consumer and you agree a broadband contract at a distance, such as online or by phone, or away from the provider's premises, you usually have a 14 day cancellation period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. For a service, the 14 days normally start the day after you enter the contract.
- You can cancel for any reason within that time.
- If you asked for the service to start during the cancellation period, you may have to pay for the service you used up to the point you cancelled.
- You should receive a refund of anything else you have paid.
This right is for consumers. Businesses buying broadband do not have a legal cooling off period, so check the terms carefully before ordering.
Price rises: what the rules say
Since 17 January 2025, Ofcom's rules require any price rises built into new contracts for home customers and small businesses to be set out in pounds and pence, rather than as a percentage or linked to inflation. You should be able to see exactly how much your bill will go up, and when, before you sign.
Our guide to broadband price rises in pounds and pence explains this in more depth, and our price rises page shows how we apply it.
Can I leave if my provider changes my contract?
If a provider makes a change to your contract that is not to your benefit, and it was not clearly set out when you signed, home customers and small businesses must be given at least one month's notice. They can usually then leave without paying an early termination charge.
Switching home broadband
Since 12 September 2024, home customers switching broadband between providers can use One Touch Switch. You contact your new provider, and they arrange the move with your old one. Our guide to One Touch Switch covers the details, and our switching page explains how moving to us works.
One Touch Switch is for home customers. Businesses normally arrange their new service first and then give notice to their old provider, timing it carefully to avoid a gap.
Extra protections for small businesses
Business contracts are generally less regulated than home contracts, but Ofcom extends a number of consumer protections to smaller businesses. The long standing definition used in many of these rules is a business with 10 or fewer people working for it, and some newer protections reach further. If your business qualifies, you benefit from:
- a contract summary before you sign;
- end of contract notifications and best deal information;
- price rises in new contracts set out in pounds and pence;
- the right to leave without penalty if your contract is changed to your disadvantage;
- access to free independent dispute resolution if a complaint is not resolved.
If you are a larger business, your rights depend mainly on the contract you negotiate, so read the terms on minimum term, notice and renewal closely.
What if something goes wrong?
Start by complaining to your provider. If you are a home customer or a small business and the complaint is not resolved after six weeks (the limit since 8 April 2026), or the provider sends you a deadlock letter saying it cannot agree a solution, you can take it to an independent dispute resolution scheme approved by Ofcom. This is free for you. Our complaints code explains how this works with us.
How Cyber Fibre handles contracts
Every package shows its minimum term and any yearly price rise in pounds and pence before you order, and you get an Order Summary and Contract Summary before you sign. If your business has 10 or fewer staff, it moves to a monthly rolling term at the end of the minimum term. Our terms set out the full details.
Ready to compare?
Check your address to see packages, minimum terms and prices, or contact our team in Sunderland if you have a question about a contract before you sign.