About Zen Broadband Fibre
Zen offers two Superfast fibre broadband internet packages, so you can choose the broadband speed that’s right for you and your household. Also available is Ultrafast fibre, but only to select UK households. Line rental is included, but you can switch to Zen if you have line rental elsewhere. Then, when your old line rental contract comes to an end, just switch that over as well.
With Zen’s fibre broadband you’ll have everything you need to stay connected, watch your favourite shows and play the best online games. Zen has a UK-based call centre to answer all your questions, and a lifetime price guarantee that means your broadband price won’t rise when your contract ends. Whatever price you agreed at the start is the price you’ll continue to pay.
An environmentally friendly business, Zen operates with Carbon Neutral Plus status. This means that this company offsets more carbon emissions than it uses. At the Zen offices, single-use plastics are minimised and energy-saving technology is used wherever possible. You might like Zen for its UK customer service and reliable internet but might choose this provider because it’s a company that cares about the planet – something that’s becoming important to more and more customers.
Who is Zen?
Zen is the creation of founder Richard Tang, who launched Zen in 1995. This might not be the largest internet service provider, but with more than 100,000 happy customers it’s also by no means the smallest. You won’t be with one of the top providers of broadband in the UK, but with a company that’s been around for years and knows how to keep you connected.
Richard Tang hopes to continue running Zen on his own for the rest of his life. His values mean that Zen has a strong interest in supporting local charity and being environmentally friendly. Zen has very positive customer reviews, with two fast unlimited broadband packages that offer strong connections in all rooms in your home.
Zen Fibre Broadband Speed
Zen offers two standard choices for fibre broadband connection. These packages are named Unlimited Fibre 1 and Unlimited Fibre 2.
Unlimited Fibre 1 provides an average download speed of 35Mbps. That’s enough for most everyday internet use on a small number of devices.
Most people will want Unlimited Fibre 2. This has an average download speed of 66Mbps, which will keep you connected whilst being enough for gaming, streaming and online video meetings.
A smaller number of households can access Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre. On a 24 month contract, this offers average download speeds of 300Mbps which is more than enough for 4K streaming on several devices. It’s also perfect if you have a competitive gamer in the family who never wants to have the excuse of a slow connection for those online defeats.
All packages are genuinely unlimited – there are no data limits hidden in the contract that could see your speeds limited or extra charges incurred. You can download and upload as much as you want to with any Zen broadband package.
How fast is Zen fibre broadband?
Unlimited Fibre 1 is fast enough for casual internet use. That means that you can check your social networks, order your groceries, read the news and do your online banking. If you like to watch boxsets in HD, this probably won’t be enough.
Unlimited Fibre 2 is the best choice for most households in the UK. That’s enough to stream TV, movies and your favourite music. It’s also enough for gaming online, video calls and much more. You can have several devices connected at the same time, including any smart tech you’ve got in your home.
The Unlimited Fibre packages are very similar speeds to those offered by other major internet providers including
Sky fibre, BT fibre and Plusnet fibre.
If you can get it, Ultrafast Fibre will future-proof your internet speeds. Even the most demanding households won’t reach the limits of this broadband. You can have many devices connected and stream games or the latest 4K films, and it’s ideal if you have consoles or a PC that you use to play online multiplayer.
The Ultrafast Fibre isn’t the fastest internet speed available in the UK – Virgin’s top package is still much quicker. But it is certainly ample for any household and shouldn’t be dismissed – if you can get Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre and you use a lot of devices in your family then it will still be more than enough.
What speeds are available with Zen fibre optic broadband?
Unlimited Fibre 1 is fast enough for everyday internet use, though might not satisfy the needs of gamers and those that like to stream the latest movies. Average download speeds are 35Mbps, with upload speeds of 6Mbps. If you only use it for shopping, checking your Facebook or Twitter accounts or for watching short videos on YouTube, it might be enough.
Unlimited Fibre 2 has average download speeds of 66Mbps. The average upload speeds for this connection are 17Mbps. This is enough for several devices all streaming TV shows at once, or for a busy household where several devices need to be online all the time.
Ultrafast Fibre, if you can get it, can provide average download speeds of 300Mbps. Average upload speeds are 27Mbps. This is everything a high-demand household could need but isn’t widely available. Currently, less than 5% of homes can make use of Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre, but that may grow in the coming years.
Zen Fibre Broadband Review
Zen scores extremely well in customer satisfaction ratings. This is a Which? Recommended Broadband Provider with a high Trustpilot score. Zen also earned the PC Pro Excellence Award 2020 for Best Broadband ISP.
If customer service is a major concern for you, and you want the reassurance of your internet being with a company that you know will look after you, then it might be worth considering Zen as your provider.
Is Zen fibre broadband good?
High customer satisfaction ratings reflect Zen’s quality of service. As well as impressive internet speeds, particularly if you can get Ultrafast, Zen’s provided router has all the best technology to keep your signal strong through the house. This means that most people don’t require signal boosters and can stay connected in all rooms.
If your service was below the expected standard, you’d automatically receive compensation for the downtime. Zen is signed up to the voluntary Auto Compensation Scheme.
Overall, customers are very happy with the service that Zen provides, and the main reason they don’t have more customers is down to brand awareness in a market dominated by BT, Sky,
Virgin and a handful of others.
Zen Fibre Broadband Packages
Zen’s two standard
broadband without landline fibre packages are available to almost all households. 95% of homes in the UK can get Zen’s Unlimited Fibre 1 and Unlimited Fibre 2.
Less than 5% of homes can access Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre connection, though Unlimited Fibre 2 should still be more than enough for most users.
What Zen fibre packages are available?
With Zen, choosing the right fibre broadband connection is simple. Zen doesn’t offer additional items to add to your broadband package, so you’re choosing broadband and don’t need to think about TV, mobile SIM cards and more. Line rental is included, but you can even choose to stick with your current line rental provider and switch to Zen at a later date.
Most people will choose between Unlimited Fibre 1, for everyday browsing, and Unlimited Fibre 2 for gaming, streaming and connecting lots of devices. You may also be able to get Ultrafast Fibre, which has high enough speeds for online gaming using several devices at once. With Ultrafast Fibre, you could comfortably stream a different HD movie in every room of the house, or watch in 4K without having to wait for your boxset to buffer.
Superfast Fibre Broadband
Zen’s Superfast Fibre Broadband offerings are roughly in line with most competitors. This means speeds of around 30Mbps for their slowest connection and around 60Mbps for their fastest. This is the level that most internet service providers maintain their connections at.
With Zen you’re locked into a 12-month contract, though your price won’t increase at the end. Zen’s prices are also roughly in line with those charged by leading competitors, so your decision might need to come down to other factors like their environmental stance and reviews of their customer support, both of which are generally very favourable.
Ultrafast Fibre Broadband
Not all internet service providers offer an Ultrafast connection. Zen is one provider that does, though currently it can only offer this connection to less than 5% of households. If you can access Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre, this will offer download speeds that are fast enough for demanding households. Even if everyone’s connected at once, and playing online games and streaming movies, Ultrafast Fibre will cope amazingly well. For Ultrafast Fibre, you will be locked into a longer initial contract.
Zen Fibre Broadband Offers
Don’t rush your decision and sign up to Zen Fibre straight away. All internet providers in the UK have similar broadband speeds and prices, so it’s worth shopping around for your broadband and looking for Zen Fibre offers.
Zen’s price guarantee is a big benefit of choosing this service provider. Whilst some other providers offer great initial prices, they’ll often increase your monthly costs once your contract comes to an end. Zen might not offer such low prices to start, but you can stay with them for as long as you like without your prices going up.
How much does Zen fibre broadband cost?
If you’re paying for Unlimited Fibre 1, which is Zen’s slowest offering, you’ll be charged a £19.99 setup fee. After this, you’ll pay £29.99 per month.
Unlimited Fibre 2 is Zen’s fastest standard connection. It has a £19.99 setup fee, followed by payments of £34.99 monthly.
If you’re a suitable candidate for Ultrafast Fibre, which less than 5% of households can get, there’s a monthly charge of £59.99 along with a £55 setup fee.
How long is the minimum contract length for Zen fibre broadband?
In most cases, you’ll be locked into a 12-month contract. If you sign up to Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre, there’s a longer contract length and you’ll need to stick around for 24 months before switching.
Once your contract runs out, you’re free to move to another provider if you’d like to. However, Zen’s price guarantee means that you’ll keep your prices when your contract ends. Unlike some other providers, Zen won’t increase your price once you’re free to move elsewhere.
Zen Fibre Broadband Checker
You can use Zen’s
Fibre Broadband Checker to see if you can get Zen in your home. You can select your own broadband package or, if you’re less sure, answer a few questions to get Zen’s own recommendation.
Zen will take into account your household size and how you tend to use the internet, so you can get a customised list of your Zen broadband options.
How do I check if Zen fibre broadband is in my area?
It’s easy to check, using Zen’s website, if you can get Zen fibre broadband. Use the checking tool by adding your postcode and selecting your address from a list. You don’t need to provide any other information, so checking doesn’t mean that you’re committing.
If you select ‘Let me choose’, the Zen website will show you the full list of all their suitable packages. You can then compare the prices and speeds to make the right choice for your household. Instead of relying on average UK speeds, Zen will give a more specific estimate when you reach this point. You won’t see UK averages, but what speeds you can expect in your house based on your home’s location.
If you select ‘Help me choose’, there are a few more questions to answer. You’ll be asked how many people are in your household, and a little about their usage habits. You’ll be categorised as a Light, Average or Power user by the system.
Just watch out if you’re using Zen’s ‘Help me choose’. Even as a light user, you might be recommended Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre if it’s available where you live. This could be the case even if their slowest package could meet your needs. Instead of relying on the end result, it may be best to see how you’re categorised and pick the most appropriate package on your own at the end. Light users should be able to use Unlimited Fibre 1, Average users should be fine with Unlimited Fibre 2 and only Power users should really need to make use of their Ultrafast Fibre.
What is Zen’s fibre coverage in the UK?
Zen offers 95% coverage for its Unlimited Fibre. Less than 5% of households can access Zen’s Ultrafast Fibre.
When you provide your postcode, you can check which connections you can get for your home, and decide on the one that is most suitable for you.
Zen fibre broadband availability checker
Zen’s fibre broadband availability checker will help you to discover which Zen packages your home can access. It’s easy to find this on the Zen website, and all that’s needed is your postcode and address. Entering a phone number is completely optional, so you don’t need to provide Zen with too many identifying details. Even if you enter your phone number, they won’t be able to call you to discuss further unless you give them express permission.
Zen Fibre Customer Services
Zen’s customer support team is based in the UK. Zen receives excellent Trustpilot scores for customer satisfaction, and has won Which? and PC Pro awards for quality of service.
You can get in touch with Zen six days a week, typically between the hours of 9am and 5pm. During the week, the Technical Support line is open slightly longer.
There are different numbers to call, to reach different teams at the Zen office. During office hours, you can also contact Zen using live chat software on their website.
What is the Zen customer service number?
Zen has several different numbers for customer service. Instead of being directed to the right department once you call, you’ll need to find the appropriate number for your query.
For billing issues, you can call 01706 902001. For technical support, you can also call 01706 902001. Whilst billing issues can’t be dealt with on Bank Holidays, the technical support line continues to work on these days.
If you’re a new customer and want to join Zen, you call the Sales for Home team on 01706 902573.
How to cancel Zen fibre broadband
If you want to cancel your Zen broadband connection, you can call 01706 902573. This number will put you through to the Sales for Home team, who will also help to process cancellation requests.
Before you cancel, you might be offered the option to find a better package. If you’re paying more than you’d like, you may be given the option to downgrade to a slower connection.
If you prefer not to call, you can contact Zen by email. Email cancellations@zen.co.uk to reach the relevant team. They should respond to you relatively quickly – again, their customer service reviews are broadly excellent.
If you are leaving Zen before the end of your contract, a cancellation fee may be charged. You’ll be able to find out when your contract is due to end and delay your decision until then if it works out cheaper to do so.
