Last updated: Monday 19 October 2026 (Europe/London).
Next update: when Gigaclear changes its packages or prices, or publishes new accounts.
By: Switch Editorial Team, Switch Squid Ltd
As of 19 October 2026, Gigaclear is a well-reviewed rural full fibre provider with unusually fast uploads: its packages run from 300Mbps for £19 a month to 900Mbps for £29 (or £32 with eero Smart WiFi Mesh and an £80 gift card), with the same average speed up and down, on 18-month contracts. The catch is the price after the term, which moves to £51, £63 or £88 a month, and the fact that it only reaches selected villages. It holds a 4.8 Trustpilot score from more than 41,000 reviews. In April 2026 its lenders took control of the company in a refinancing that cut its main debt from about £963m to £575m. This SwitchSquid review explains what Gigaclear is, what customers say, what the ownership change means for you, and how it compares with BT. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay.
Sources: Gigaclear — October 2026 terms, Gigaclear — recapitalisation announcement, Companies House — Gigaclear Limited filing history, ISPreview — Gigaclear annual accounts, Trustpilot — Gigaclear and BT — broadband deals (all checked on 19 October 2026).
Gigaclear Galileo 900 with Smart WiFi
900Mbps average upload and download speed, with a 700Mbps minimum download speed
£32 a month with Smart WiFi, £0 activation and an £80 gift card on orders from 1 to 25 October 2026, under Gigaclear’s October terms
Main limitation: only at addresses on Gigaclear’s network, and the price moves to £88 a month after 18 months
What is Gigaclear?
Gigaclear is a broadband company based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, that builds and runs its own full fibre network in rural parts of England. Full fibre means a fibre optic cable runs all the way into your home, rather than stopping at a street cabinet and finishing on copper. That matters most in villages and hamlets, where older copper lines are often slow.
Because Gigaclear owns its network, it doesn’t use Openreach, the network BT, Sky, TalkTalk and many others rely on. ISPreview reported in June 2026 that Gigaclear’s network passed 618,000 premises at the end of 2025, with 165,000 live customers. Gigaclear says it connected more than 30,000 new premises in 2025 under Project Gigabit, the government-backed programme for hard-to-reach areas. You can only order Gigaclear if your address is on its network, so check our broadband coverage checker or enter your postcode on Gigaclear’s site.
Gigaclear packages and prices in October 2026
Package | Average speed (up and down) | Minimum download | Monthly price | Activation | Price after 18 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Explorer 300 | 300Mbps | 240Mbps | £19 | £30 | £51 a month |
Odyssey 600 | 600Mbps | 480Mbps | £24 | £0 | £63 a month |
900Mbps with eero Pro 7 router | 900Mbps | 700Mbps | £29 | £0 | Standard list price |
Galileo 900 with Smart WiFi Mesh | 900Mbps | 700Mbps | £32 | £0 | £88 a month |
All three come with an eero WiFi 7 router and free standard installation. Gigaclear’s terms say the average speeds are achieved by at least half of users on a wired connection at peak times. After the 18-month minimum term, the price moves to Gigaclear’s list price for existing customers at that time, and its terms also say prices may change during the contract. Our Gigaclear October deals guide works through the gift card rules and the full 18-month cost of each package.
Is Gigaclear good broadband?
For speed and reliability, the reviews are strong. When we checked on 19 October 2026, Gigaclear had a Trustpilot score of 4.8 from 41,299 reviews, with 79% five-star reviews. Trustpilot notes that Gigaclear invites its customers to leave reviews, which tends to raise scores, so read the negative reviews too.
Recent reviews follow a clear pattern:
Praise: fast, stable connections in places with no other fibre option, helpful engineers who repair damaged cables quickly, and phone staff who sort out renewals.
Complaints: the jump in price at the end of the first contract, with several customers saying they had to phone to get a lower renewal price, plus outage alerts sent by email when the broadband is down, and early exit charges when moving away from the network.
The renewal point is the one to plan for. Several reviewers this month said they were offered prices well below the list price when they called near the end of their term. That is worth doing, but there is no promise of a discount, so put a reminder in your diary for about month 16. You can also read independent user reviews on ISPreview’s Gigaclear page before you order.
Is there an issue with Gigaclear?
If your Gigaclear broadband has stopped working, check Gigaclear’s Network Status page using your phone’s mobile data, then contact support. Gigaclear’s customer number on Trustpilot is 01865 591131. Some reviewers say outages in rural areas are often caused by cable damage in verges and hedgerows, and that engineers fixed these quickly.
There have also been questions about the company’s finances, which we cover below. Those have not affected service for customers: Gigaclear says it is profitable before interest, tax and depreciation (EBITDA positive), and its packages and the October offer were on sale when we checked.
Is Gigaclear in financial difficulty?
Gigaclear has been through a major refinancing, and the details are public. Like many smaller full fibre networks, it borrowed heavily to build in rural areas, where each connection costs more. ISPreview reported that it had already scaled back building and cut jobs, with average staff numbers falling from 779 in 2024 to 654 in 2025.
In April 2026, its lenders took control. Gigaclear’s accounts for 2025, reported by ISPreview, show that its senior debt of about £963m was restated at £575m, a cut of £388m. Revenue rose 37% to £64.9m, and the loss for the year, excluding changes in the value of interest rate swaps, narrowed to £152m from £242.6m. A further £80m of new funding agreed in December 2025 remains in place. The Telegraph reported on 3 June 2026 that the taxpayer-backed National Wealth Fund was among the lenders that took a loss in the deal.
Gigaclear’s own statement says the refinancing left it with “a fully funded business plan” and a stronger balance sheet, and that it has a clear path to becoming cash-flow positive. In plain terms, the company has been rescued by its lenders rather than gone under, and it is still selling and installing broadband. If you are worried, an 18-month contract limits how long you are tied in.
Who is Gigaclear owned by?
Companies House shows that Buzz Holdco Limited became the person with significant control of Gigaclear Limited (company number 07476617) on 8 April 2026, replacing Gigaclear Midco Limited. Gigaclear says ownership passed to a consortium of institutional investors including the National Wealth Fund, ABN AMRO and NatWest. Before that, ISPreview notes, Gigaclear was owned by the infrastructure investor Infracapital, together with Equitix and Railpen.
Gigaclear Odyssey 600
600Mbps average upload and download, with a 480Mbps minimum download speed
£24 a month, £0 activation, 18-month contract: £432 over the term
Main limitation: the price moves to £63 a month after 18 months, and availability is address by address
Is Gigaclear better than BT?
Where you can get both, Gigaclear is faster for uploads and cheaper for the first 18 months, while BT has a bigger brand and a longer track record. When we checked BT’s public deals page on 19 October 2026, BT Full Fibre 900 was £35.99 a month on a 24-month contract, rising to £39.99 from 31 March 2027 and £43.99 from 31 March 2028, with a 110Mbps upload speed.
Gigaclear Galileo 900 | BT Full Fibre 900 | |
|---|---|---|
Network | Gigaclear’s own rural full fibre | Openreach full fibre |
Average download | 900Mbps | 900Mbps |
Upload | 900Mbps average | 110Mbps |
Monthly price | £29, or £32 with Smart WiFi Mesh | £35.99 |
Price changes | List price of £88 a month after 18 months; prices may change during the contract | £39.99 from 31 March 2027, £43.99 from 31 March 2028 |
Contract | 18 months | 24 months |
Cost over the minimum term | £576 (£496 after the £80 gift card) | £959.76 for 24 months |
Where available | Selected rural villages | Wherever Openreach full fibre reaches |
The BT total covers 24 months from an October 2026 start: 6 months at £35.99, 12 at £39.99 and 6 at £43.99. Gigaclear covers 18 months, so it isn’t a like-for-like period, but the monthly gap is clear. BT may offer different prices through its partner pages, so check the price shown when you order.
The big difference is upload speed. If you send large files, back up photos or work from home on video calls, Gigaclear’s matching upload speed is a real advantage. BT’s strength is reach: if Gigaclear isn’t at your address, BT or another Openreach provider may be. Our Rise Fibre review uses the same approach to judge other smaller full fibre providers, and our guide to what full fibre is explains the technology.
How to switch to Gigaclear
Check your address: enter your postcode on Gigaclear’s site. Prices only show once your address is confirmed as ready.
Check your current contract: find out whether you would pay to leave early. Gigaclear says to call if you are still in contract so it can talk you through your options.
Use One Touch Switch: Gigaclear says it handles the switch for you, including contacting your current provider.
Book installation: standard installation is free. Non-standard installs are quoted separately.
Diary the renewal: set a reminder for about month 16 so you can renegotiate before the list price applies.
Our verdict
Gigaclear is one of the best options for rural homes on its network: fast in both directions, well reviewed, and cheaper than BT Full Fibre 900 for the first 18 months. Its finances have been through a real upheaval, but the refinancing has put it on a firmer footing and service has carried on. The thing to plan for is the renewal price. If you are happy to phone and negotiate at month 16, it is a strong choice.
Gigaclear Explorer 300
300Mbps average upload and download for £19 a month plus a £30 activation fee
18-month contract with an eero WiFi 7 router and free standard installation
Main limitation: the price moves to £51 a month after 18 months
Frequently asked questions
Is Gigaclear good broadband?
Gigaclear has strong customer reviews, with a 4.8 Trustpilot score from 41,299 reviews when we checked on 19 October 2026. Its packages give the same average speed for uploads and downloads, from 300Mbps to 900Mbps. The most common complaint is the price rise at the end of the first contract.
Is Gigaclear better than BT?
Where both are available, Gigaclear’s 900Mbps plan is £29 a month (£32 with Smart WiFi Mesh and an £80 gift card) against £35.99 for BT Full Fibre 900, and its 900Mbps average upload compares with BT’s 110Mbps. BT reaches far more addresses and its prices rise each March. Gigaclear moves to £88 a month after 18 months.
Is Gigaclear in financial difficulty?
Gigaclear went through a refinancing in April 2026 in which its lenders took control and its senior debt was cut from about £963m to £575m. Its 2025 accounts show revenue up 37% to £64.9m and a smaller loss. Gigaclear says it is now fully funded and EBITDA positive, and it is still selling and installing broadband.
Who owns Gigaclear?
Since 8 April 2026, Companies House lists Buzz Holdco Limited as the controlling shareholder of Gigaclear Limited. Gigaclear says ownership passed to a group of investors including the National Wealth Fund, ABN AMRO and NatWest. It was previously owned by Infracapital, with Equitix and Railpen.
Does Gigaclear use Openreach?
No. Gigaclear builds and runs its own full fibre network in rural England, so you can only get it at addresses its network reaches. Check your postcode before you plan a switch.
What happens when my Gigaclear contract ends?
After the 18-month minimum term, Gigaclear moves you to its list price for existing customers, currently £51, £63 or £88 a month depending on speed. Several customers report being offered lower renewal prices by phone. Set a reminder a couple of months before your term finishes.
Is there a Gigaclear outage near me?
Check the Network Status page on Gigaclear’s website using mobile data, or call support on 01865 591131. Gigaclear emails customers about outages, so a phone number on your account can help too.
