Millions of mobile and broadband customers across the UK are set to see their bills increase after two major telecom providers announced significant mid-contract price rises.
Vodafone and Three have both confirmed they will be implementing higher-than-expected increases from April 2026, affecting customers who take out new contracts from November this year.
Breaking Down the Price Increases
Three Mobile customers signing up for data plans of 4GB or less from November 9 will see their monthly bills rise by £1.80 from April 2026. This represents an 80p increase compared to the company's current £1 monthly rise.
Those opting for plans between 4GB and 100GB will face a £1.90 monthly increase, while customers with more than 100GB will be hit with a £2.30 rise. Three broadband customers will see their bills increase by £3.50 per month from next April.
Vodafone mobile customers taking out deals from November 12 will see their monthly bills rise by £2.50, or £1.50 for its Basics SIM plans. Vodafone broadband customers will also face a £3.50 monthly increase.
Industry-Wide Pattern and Consumer Backlash
These announcements follow similar moves across the telecoms sector. O2 recently revealed that almost all mobile and SIM-only contract customers will see their monthly bills rise by £2.50 from April 2026 - up from the originally planned increase of £1.80 per month.
Consumer champion Martin Lewis has responded urgently to these developments, calling on regulator Ofcom to tighten rules surrounding mid-contract price hikes. In an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Lewis highlighted how O2 customers will see bills rise by 40% more than initially promised.
Lewis warned: "Without an improvement in protection, it is now possible, or even likely, more firms across all the sectors will follow O2's new method, which could add up to hundreds of pounds for households, making the cost-of-living crisis worse and fuelling inflation."
Provider Justifications and Regulatory Context
A spokesperson for the telecom companies defended the increases, stating: "We know no one likes price rises, but they are essential for us to keep investing and innovating."
O2 similarly justified its position, explaining: "The changes we have announced in no way breach any regulatory rules. We appreciate that price changes are never welcome, but demand for mobile connectivity is greater than ever, and any price change customers see on their bills is greatly outweighed by the £700m we invest each year into our mobile network."
The company noted that customers affected by the changes have been written to directly and can exit their contracts without penalty if they choose to do so.
For existing Vodafone or Three customers already under contract, prices will rise by their previously agreed amounts rather than these new higher rates.
