What is Zen broadband?
Zen broadband comes from Zen Internet, a UK provider that sells full fibre and part fibre broadband to homes, along with a digital home phone service. It sells broadband and other services to businesses too, but this guide covers its home packages.
This guide sets out what Zen broadband offers, based on Zen’s own pages as we read them on 10 November 2026, what its price promise means, and the things worth checking before you switch. We have not tested the service ourselves, so where something is Zen’s claim, we say so.
Broadband is one of those bills most of us set up once and never look at again. That is exactly how you end up on a deal that no longer fits.
What does Zen broadband offer?
Zen sells two main types of home broadband. Which one you are offered depends on what is available at your address, and if full fibre is available, that is the package you will be offered.
- Full fibre. A fibre connection all the way to your home. Zen’s full fibre page quotes speeds up to 2 Gbps, and its CityFibre page quotes up to 2.5 Gbps where Zen supplies over CityFibre’s network.
- Part fibre. Fibre to a street cabinet, then copper to your home, which Zen also calls SOGEA or FTTC. Zen offers it where full fibre has not reached yet, under the Unlimited Fibre name.
Zen says all its full fibre packages, and its part fibre Unlimited Fibre packages, include one static IP address. That can be handy if you run a home server, use a security camera system or need remote access for work. Our guide to static IP addresses on home broadband explains who actually needs one.
Zen’s part fibre page lists a 24 month contract for its Unlimited Fibre packages. Check the contract length on the exact Zen broadband package you are offered, because it can differ by product.
A home phone is optional. Full fibre and part fibre lines no longer come with a traditional copper landline, and Zen offers Digital Voice as an add on if you want to keep a landline number.
Does Zen broadband put prices up mid contract?
Zen says no. Its pages describe a Contract Price Promise: your broadband price will not increase during your contract, with no in-contract price increases guaranteed.
That is worth comparing like for like. Since 17 January 2025, Ofcom rules mean any price rise written into a new phone or broadband contract must be set out in pounds and pence before you sign, with the date it applies. So with any provider, you can now see in advance what you will pay in year two, and several providers offer fixed price contracts.
When you compare Zen broadband with other deals, add up the total cost over the full contract, including any rise set out at the start. That gives you a fair comparison, rather than just setting one monthly price against another.
Is Zen broadband any good for service?
Zen’s own pages say it has been a Which? Recommended Broadband Provider for six years straight, and has been named PC Pro Best Broadband ISP for 22 consecutive years. Zen also describes itself as the UK’s largest B Corp certified broadband provider. These are Zen’s statements on its own site, not our verdict.
Some service promises are easier to check. Zen has signed up to Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, which started on 1 April 2019. Under that scheme, Zen’s automatic compensation FAQs list £6.46 a day if a new service does not start on the agreed date, including the missed start date, £10.34 a day for a total loss of service that is not repaired, and £32.31 for a missed engineer appointment. Those match Ofcom’s published rates, which rise each year with inflation. Our guide to your rights when the network goes down covers what you can claim from any provider signed up to the scheme.
Missed engineer appointments and slow repairs are also covered by the scheme, so it is worth knowing your rights before anything goes wrong.
Zen also gives a minimum speed guarantee. When you order, Zen says it emails you confirmation of your estimated speed, and confirms your own minimum guaranteed speed when you join. If your speed drops below that minimum and Zen cannot fix it within 30 calendar days, you have the right to exit the contract without penalty. Zen says this is in accordance with Ofcom’s voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds.
What to check before you switch to Zen broadband
Before you sign
- Which technology you will get at your address: full fibre, part fibre, or full fibre over a partner network such as CityFibre.
- The contract length and the total cost over the whole term.
- Whether you need Digital Voice to keep a landline number.
- The minimum guaranteed speed you are given when you order.
- Any early termination charge on your current deal.
Switching is usually straightforward. Zen uses One Touch Switch, the industry process where your new provider handles the move with your old one, so you do not need to call them first. There is a 14 day cooling off period once you order. If you are going without a landline for the first time, our guide to broadband without a landline explains what changes.
Zen broadband is one option among many. Checking what is available at your address takes a couple of minutes, and doing nothing just leaves you on whatever your current provider decides to charge next.
Frequently asked questions about Zen broadband
- Does Zen broadband need a phone line?
- No. Full fibre and part fibre broadband from Zen do not need a traditional copper landline. You can add Digital Voice if you want a home phone.
- Will Zen broadband prices go up during my contract?
- Zen says its Contract Price Promise keeps your broadband price the same for the length of your contract. Check the contract summary you are given before you sign.
- What speeds does Zen broadband offer?
- It depends on your address. Zen’s pages quote up to 2 Gbps on full fibre and up to 2.5 Gbps over CityFibre’s network. Part fibre speeds are lower.
- Can I leave Zen if my speed is too slow?
- Zen says if your speed drops below your minimum guaranteed speed and it cannot fix it within 30 calendar days, you can exit the contract without penalty.
- What compensation does Zen pay if something goes wrong?
- Under Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, Zen lists £6.46 a day for a delayed start, £10.34 a day for a total loss of service that is not repaired, and £32.31 for a missed engineer appointment.
Sources
- Zen, Full fibre broadband. Supports speeds up to 2 Gbps, the static IP address on all full fibre packages, Digital Voice as an add on, no traditional copper landline and the Contract Price Promise.
- Zen, Superfast fibre broadband. Supports part fibre being SOGEA or FTTC, the Unlimited Fibre packages, the 24 month contract and the static IP address.
- Zen, CityFibre. Supports speeds up to 2.5 Gbps over CityFibre’s network.
- Zen, Which? Recommended Provider. Supports the six years as a Which? Recommended Broadband Provider, 22 consecutive years as PC Pro Best Broadband ISP and the largest B Corp certified broadband provider claim.
- Zen, Automatic compensation FAQs and Ofcom, Automatic compensation. Support the £6.46, £10.34 and £32.31 figures and the scheme starting in April 2019.
- Zen, Broadband speeds. Supports the estimated and minimum guaranteed speed emails, the 30 calendar day repair window, the penalty free exit and the Ofcom voluntary code of practice.
- Zen, One Touch Switching. Supports Zen using One Touch Switch, the new provider handling the move and the 14 day cooling off period.
Checked 10 November 2026.
