What a broadband contract summary is
A contract summary is a short, standard document every UK broadband provider must give you, free of charge, before you enter into a contract. It puts the essentials in one place: what you're buying, the speeds, the price, how long you're tied in and what it costs to leave early.
The rules come from Ofcom's General Conditions, the regulations UK phone and broadband providers must follow. Condition C1.5 says the provider must give you the summary before the contract is made, and Condition C1.6 says the contract only becomes effective once you give your express consent after receiving it. You're meant to see the summary first and say yes second. These requirements came into force on 17 June 2022.
The layout follows a fixed template set out in a regulation (Implementing Regulation 2019/2243, as it applies in the UK), so summaries from different providers share the same headings in the same order. That's deliberate: the template says the summary "helps to make a comparison between service offers".
If you're still choosing a deal, our guide to choosing the right broadband package covers speed, contract length and extras before you get to this stage.
Summary, contract information and full terms
You'll usually meet three documents when you sign up. It helps to know which does what.
Document | What it is | When you get it |
|---|---|---|
Contract summary | The short, fixed-format overview of the main terms (Condition C1.5). | Before you enter the contract; it only takes effect once you consent after receiving it. |
Contract information | The fuller pre-contract information required by Condition C1.3. | Before you're bound, in a form you can keep (a "durable medium") where possible, otherwise as a document you're told to download. |
Terms and conditions | The provider's full legal terms. | Available from the provider; the summary itself says complete information is in other documents. |
The version of Ofcom's General Conditions we checked (an unofficial consolidation in force from 3 April 2023) adds, in Condition C1.7, that the contract information and the contract summary become an integral part of your contract and can't be changed unless both sides expressly agree. The summary doesn't replace the other two, but it's the quickest to check. If anything on it doesn't match what you were told online, on the phone or in a shop, stop and ask before you agree.
How it must look: one page, or three for a bundle
The template regulation sets the format as well as the content.
- Length: no more than the equivalent of one single-sided A4 page when printed, unless there's a genuine reason for more. Where one contract bundles services that include internet access or a phone service, such as broadband and TV or broadband and a landline, the limit is three single-sided A4 pages. Accessibility for disabled customers is given as an example of a reason a longer version could be justified.
- Layout: headings in the set order, portrait format, headings that stand out, enough contrast between text and background and no images over text.
- Text size: an easily readable font of at least 10 point. It can only be smaller in justified cases, and then you must be able to enlarge it or get it at 10 point on request.
- Plain language: no jargon or acronyms where they can be avoided, and the information in the summary itself rather than "see our terms" references elsewhere.
- Dated, with contact details: the provider's name, address and contact details, plus a complaints contact if different.
Every summary opens with the same three fixed sentences: it provides the main elements of the offer, it helps you compare offers, and complete information is in other documents. Those lines are a good sign you're looking at the regulated summary rather than a marketing page.
The six sections and what to check in each
Every summary uses the same six headings in this order. Some parts can be deleted or marked "not applicable" (the equipment line if no kit is included, or "Other relevant information" if there's nothing to add), but for home broadband you should expect most to be filled in.
1. Service(s) and equipment
What you're actually getting: the broadband service, any landline or TV service on the same contract, and any equipment provided.
- Is it the exact package you chose, by name, at your address?
- In a bundle, is every service you expect listed? A TV or phone element you were promised but can't see here is worth querying straight away.
- What equipment is included: a router, a TV box, Wi-Fi boosters?
2. Speeds of the internet service and remedies
For fixed home broadband, this section must give the minimum, normally available and maximum speeds for both download and upload, and summarise the remedies (what you can do) if your actual speed regularly falls short of the contract.
- Note the minimum figure. It's the one that matters if things go wrong. Check it matches what you were told for your line when you ordered.
- Don't skip upload. If you make video calls, send large files or back up photos, the upload figures matter too.
- Read the remedy. Does the provider get a chance to fix the problem first, and can you then leave without a penalty?
As an example, Quickline says its "Service Promise" on the contract summary sets out what it guarantees, including speeds, and that if it isn't delivered and isn't fixed within 30 days of you telling Quickline, you can leave with no penalty. Remedies differ between providers, so read your own. There's also a separate route. Citizens Advice says that if your contract started on or after 1 March 2019, you can ask your provider for the Minimum Guaranteed Access Line Speed (MGALS) for your line; if your speed is below it and your provider has signed Ofcom's voluntary codes of practice on broadband speed, the provider has a month to fix the problem, and you can cancel without a fee if it can't.
Our guide to broadband speed guarantees and your right to leave explains how the minimum speed differs from advertised averages. Once you're connected, our broadband speed test gives a quick snapshot of how your connection is performing; Citizens Advice suggests checking your speed with Ofcom's speed checker and noting the results if you need to raise a problem.
3. Price
This section must show the recurring price including VAT and other taxes for each billing period (and the monthly equivalent if you're not billed monthly), any activation or set-up charge, any equipment price, any time-limited discount, and charges for going over anything included.
Optional extras can simply be listed as "available separately", so not every add-on will be priced. If you plan to add something, such as a TV pack or calling plan, ask for that cost and get it in writing.
Check that the monthly price matches your quote, every one-off charge is listed, and any introductory discount makes clear when it ends and what you pay afterwards.
4. Duration, renewal and termination
This section must give the contract length in months, the main conditions for renewal and for ending the contract (at the end of the term and early), and any fees for leaving early, including information on unlocking equipment.
- Length: is it the term you chose? A 12-month and a 24-month version of the "same" deal can look alike until you read this line.
- What happens at the end: does it roll on month to month, and at what price? For example, Quickline's terms say the minimum period is set in the contract summary, after which the contract rolls on with 30 days' notice and charges revert to standard rates. Hey!Broadband's terms say its service confirmation email tells you the monthly fee once the minimum period ends. Wherever your provider puts it, find the after-contract price before you sign.
- Leaving early: is the exit fee explained? Our guide to leaving broadband early and exit fees covers how these charges work and when you can leave without one.
The summary doesn't remove other legal rights to end a contract, for example if the service isn't as the contract describes.
5. Features for end-users with disabilities
The summary must include information about the provider's main products and services for disabled customers. The template gives examples of what this may cover where available: real-time text, relay services (such as a text relay for phone calls), accessible emergency communications, specialised equipment, special tariffs and accessible information. It also lets the provider simply say these details are available separately, so this section may point you elsewhere rather than list everything.
If something here matters to you, check it applies to the package you're buying, and remember you can ask for the documents in an accessible format. Our guide to broadband support for disabled customers explains what providers must offer.
6. Other relevant information
A catch-all for anything else the provider needs to tell you, and it may be marked "not applicable". If it has content, read it carefully: anything unusual about your deal is likely to sit here.
Price rises: pounds and pence, with dates
From 17 January 2025, Ofcom's rules require providers to set out any price rise written into your contract clearly and up front, in pounds and pence, with the dates it applies, and to draw this prominently to your attention before you're bound, whether you buy online, by phone or in a shop. Rises linked to inflation (CPI or RPI) or expressed as a percentage were banned in new contracts at the same time.
The rules we've checked require the rise to be shown before you sign, but don't say it must sit on the summary itself. Many providers put it in the summary's price section; Hey!Broadband's terms, for example, say its yearly April increase is a specific amount set out there. If you can't see a rise on your summary, ask where it's set out and whether the price is fixed for the whole term.
- New and re-contracting customers: Citizens Advice says contracts that started on or after 17 January 2025 should say exactly how much the price will go up each year; earlier contracts may still use a percentage or an inflation link. Re-contract now and the newer rules apply.
- Core price only: the rule covers your main subscription price, not add-ons or call charges, so ask how those can change.
- Rises your terms don't allow: Citizens Advice says the provider should give 30 days' notice, and you can cancel within those 30 days without a fee.
Providers that have signed the government's Telecoms Consumer Charter (signatories including BT, Sky, Virgin Media O2, TalkTalk and VodafoneThree) have also committed that, where a contract includes a mid-contract rise, the core price you sign up to is the price you pay (exceptions are limited to unforeseeable, externally driven events), and that April 2026 was the final increase expressed in older inflation-linked terms for the core subscription; after that, those contracts move to pounds-and-pence rises (checked October 2026).
What to look for is an amount and a date. As an example of the kind of wording: "your monthly price will increase by £X on [date]". A percentage or inflation reference on a contract you're agreeing today is worth questioning. For rises in an existing contract, see our guide to mid-contract price rises.
How long a contract can be, and adding services later
Ofcom's Condition C1.11 says a provider can't include a term in a consumer contract setting a commitment period of more than 24 months (the only exception is an instalment contract for a physical connection).
Two other conditions matter here. In the consolidated version we checked (in force from 3 April 2023), Condition C1.13 says providers must make sure customers can take out a contract with a maximum length of 12 months. Condition C1.10 adds that at the end of a commitment period, a provider can't renew your contract for a further commitment period without your express consent.
So a standard broadband summary showing a term longer than 24 months is worth querying. If you'd prefer a shorter commitment, ask for the 12-month option or look at one-month rolling contracts; that guide covers notice periods and any extra one-off costs.
Condition C1.12 protects you when you add something later. If you take an extra service or piece of equipment part-way through, the provider can't use that to extend your contract's length unless you give express consent when you agree to the addition. When you're offered an upgrade, ask directly: "Does this change my contract end date?" and check the paperwork for the new item.
Working out the real cost from your summary
Because the summary lists the monthly price, one-off charges and time-limited discounts, and new contracts must state any price rises in pounds and pence before you sign, you can use these figures to work out what the whole contract costs. It's the most useful sum when two deals have different headline prices. Multiply each monthly price by the months it applies, add every one-off charge (set-up, activation, equipment), and count a reward or credit only if its terms are certain and you'll claim it. Divide the total by the number of months for a true average. Here's the layout, with placeholders rather than real prices:
Part of the contract | Months | Monthly price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
Start (including any discount) | A | £ from summary | A × price |
After the first change or rise | B | £ from your price-rise terms | B × price |
After a second rise (if any) | C | £ from your price-rise terms | C × price |
One-off charges | – | – | £ from summary |
Total over the term | A + B + C | – | Sum of the above |
Our broadband deals comparison shows live prices for your postcode through our comparison partner, which makes it a good place to shortlist two or three options before you look at each provider's summary. If cost is your priority, start with cheap broadband deals, then let the total-cost sum tell you which deal is cheaper over the term.
Bundles: broadband with TV or phone
A bundle can put several services and more equipment on one contract, so check which services are listed, what each part of the price covers and how the exit fee works if you drop one part. When you compare broadband and TV deals or broadband and phone deals, remember premium extras may be listed only as "available separately", so price them before you commit. Our broadband providers hub links to a page for each provider we cover, including smaller providers such as Quickline and Hey!Broadband.
Checklist: before you agree to the contract
Go through this with the summary in front of you. If any answer is "no" or "not sure", ask the provider before you say yes.
- Dated and for this exact deal? Right package, right address, today's offer.
- All services and equipment listed? Especially in a bundle.
- Minimum download and upload speeds shown, with a remedy if speeds regularly fall short?
- Monthly price matches your quote, including VAT?
- Every one-off charge shown? Set-up, activation, equipment.
- Discount end date clear?
- Any price rises set out in pounds and pence, with dates? If they aren't on the summary, ask where they're set out. (Contracts agreed from 17 January 2025.)
- Contract length what you chose, and no more than 24 months?
- Clear what happens at the end of the term, and roughly what you'll pay if you stay?
- Exit fee explained, and what happens to equipment if you leave?
- A copy saved or printed, along with the contract information?
That last point is easy to forget. If there's a dispute later about the speed, price or term you were promised, the summary is the clearest record of what you agreed to.
After you sign: cooling-off and end-of-contract reminders
If you signed up online or by phone, you can cancel free within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, though you may pay for service you've used. The 14 days also apply if you signed up away from the provider's business premises, for example on your doorstep, but not if you signed up in a shop. Citizens Advice notes there's no legal cooling-off right if you sign up in person, though it says it's worth asking anyway. Our guide to the broadband cooling-off period explains when the 14 days start.
Near the end of the contract, your provider must send an end-of-contract notification, usually 10 to 40 days before the minimum term ends, with the end date, what you pay now, what changes afterwards and its best deals. Compare it with your original summary; our guide to what to do when your broadband contract ends walks through your options. If your provider changes your terms mid-contract, see your rights when a provider changes your contract.
What if you never got a contract summary?
In May 2024 Ofcom fined BT £2.8 million after finding that its EE and Plusnet brands had failed to give about 1.1 million customers the required contract information before they signed up. Ofcom said that where the required contract summary and information weren't provided, the contract was not binding on the customer, so customers who left early should not have been charged an early exit fee. ISPreview reported in July 2025 that BT had refunded or credited £18 million and donated £440,000 to 17 charities where refunds weren't possible.
If you believe you didn't receive a summary before signing up and you're being charged to leave or held to terms you didn't see:
- Check your emails, account area and post for anything sent before your order was confirmed.
- Write to the provider saying you didn't receive the contract summary before agreeing, and what you want (for example, to leave without an exit fee or a refund of one you paid).
- If it isn't resolved, use the complaints process; our guide on how to complain about your broadband provider explains the steps. Citizens Advice says every provider must belong to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, an independent service you can turn to if a complaint isn't resolved.
- For free advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
Whether a particular contract is binding depends on the facts, so treat Ofcom's finding in the BT case as a strong pointer rather than a guarantee.
Broadband contract summary FAQs
Do broadband providers have to give me a contract summary?
Yes. Under Ofcom's General Condition C1.5, every provider must give you a contract summary free of charge before you enter into a contract, and under C1.6 the contract only takes effect once you give your consent after receiving it. These rules have applied since 17 June 2022.
How long can a broadband contract summary be?
No more than the equivalent of one single-sided A4 page when printed, unless there's a genuine reason for more. If a single contract bundles services such as broadband with TV or a landline, the limit is three single-sided A4 pages. It must use at least 10-point text, plain language and a fixed order of headings.
What speeds should a broadband contract summary show?
For home broadband, the summary must show the minimum, normally available and maximum speeds for both download and upload, and summarise what you can do if your actual speed regularly falls short of the contract. The minimum figure is the one to note, because it's what matters if your speed later drops.
Does the contract summary have to show price rises?
Any price rise written into a contract agreed from 17 January 2025 must be set out in pounds and pence, with the dates it applies, and brought prominently to your attention before you're bound. Many providers put it in the summary's price section, but if you can't see it there, ask where it's set out. Percentage and inflation-linked rises are banned in new contracts, and the rule covers the core monthly price, not add-ons or call charges.
What is the longest broadband contract a provider can offer?
Ofcom's General Condition C1.11 bars a commitment period of more than 24 months in a consumer contract, other than an instalment contract for a physical connection. Separately, in the version of the conditions we checked, C1.13 requires providers to let customers take out a contract of no more than 12 months, so you can ask for a shorter option.
What can I do if I never received a contract summary?
Raise it with your provider in writing, then use its complaints process if needed. When Ofcom fined BT £2.8 million in May 2024, it said contracts without the required summary and information were not binding on customers, so early exit fees shouldn't have been charged. Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) can advise on your own situation.
