Exascale explores commodity-inspired broadband pricing with 24-month price protection
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UK telecommunications operator considers a new approach to broadband pricing, combining market-responsive tariffs, guaranteed pricing boundaries and 30-day rolling contracts.
TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE – 22 October 2026 – Exascale, the UK telecommunications and network infrastructure operator, is exploring a new approach to broadband pricing that could challenge the traditional fixed-price model used across much of the industry.
Drawing inspiration from the principles of commodity markets, the company is considering a dynamic pricing model that would allow broadband charges to respond to changing market conditions, while giving customers greater certainty over the minimum and maximum amounts they could pay.
Under the proposed model, customers would be offered an agreed price floor and ceiling, guaranteed for 24 months, while their actual monthly broadband charge could fluctuate within those boundaries.
Pricing would be reviewed every 30 days, potentially allowing customers to benefit automatically from favourable market conditions and improvements in the underlying economics of delivering connectivity.
Unlike conventional broadband packages, the proposed scheme would also operate on a 30-day rolling service agreement, giving customers greater flexibility without requiring a traditional long-term service commitment.
Rethinking the way broadband is priced
The telecommunications industry has undergone significant technological change over the past two decades, yet the way broadband is sold has remained relatively consistent.
Customers are typically offered fixed monthly tariffs, introductory promotions and service contracts lasting 12, 18 or 24 months.
Exascale believes there may be an opportunity to reconsider this approach.
Network infrastructure represents a substantial investment, while the economics of providing connectivity can change over time as network utilisation, operating costs and market conditions evolve.
Rather than relying exclusively on predetermined retail tariffs, the company is exploring whether broadband pricing could become more responsive to those changing conditions.
Thomas Bibb, Chief Executive Officer of Exascale, said:
“Broadband pricing hasn’t fundamentally changed in years. We’ve seen enormous investment in infrastructure and significant advances in technology, yet we continue to sell connectivity in largely the same way.
Commodity markets respond to changes in supply, demand and underlying costs, so why shouldn’t broadband pricing reflect some of those same principles?
We’re exploring a model where customers could benefit automatically when the economics of delivering their service improve, while having the reassurance of a guaranteed maximum price for 24 months.
Customers shouldn’t have to threaten to leave to get a better deal. We believe there’s an opportunity to make broadband pricing fairer, more responsive and more transparent, without the need for lengthy contractual commitments.”
Dynamic pricing with a guaranteed maximum
One of the central considerations in Exascale’s proposal is balancing market-responsive pricing with the certainty customers expect from an essential service.
While prices in commodity markets can move considerably, Exascale is exploring a model that would establish clear boundaries around the amounts customers pay.
Under the proposed scheme, customers would receive an agreed minimum and maximum monthly broadband price when joining.
Those boundaries would remain fixed for 24 months, allowing customers to understand their potential exposure to price movements throughout that period.
The actual monthly tariff would be reviewed every 30 days, creating opportunities for prices to fall automatically when market conditions allow.
Where an increase is proposed, customers would receive appropriate advance notification and retain their applicable cancellation rights.
Greater flexibility without lengthy service commitments
Alongside its pricing proposals, Exascale is considering offering participating customers broadband services on 30-day rolling agreements.
This would remove the need for conventional 12, 18 or 24-month minimum service commitments while retaining the proposed 24-month price protection.
The company is also considering a different approach to broadband installation costs.
Recognising that connecting premises to telecommunications infrastructure can involve significant upfront expenditure, Exascale is exploring giving customers a choice between paying their installation costs upfront or benefiting from a subsidised installation.
Where a customer chooses a subsidised installation, the recoverable subsidy would reduce progressively over an agreed period, with the applicable terms and any outstanding charges clearly disclosed before the customer enters into an agreement.
Customers choosing to pay the full installation cost upfront would have no outstanding installation subsidy to repay if they subsequently decided to leave.
Exascale believes separating installation costs from the ongoing provision of broadband could offer greater transparency and choice, while supporting continued investment in telecommunications infrastructure.
The proposed arrangements would be developed in accordance with applicable consumer protection and telecommunications regulations.
A different approach to customer loyalty
Exascale is also considering how the proposed model could change the relationship between broadband providers and their customers.
Under conventional pricing arrangements, customers can sometimes find themselves having to renegotiate their contracts or consider switching providers to access more competitive offers.
The proposed dynamic pricing structure would allow eligible customers to benefit from favourable pricing movements without having to initiate those conversations.
Existing Exascale customers would retain their current contractual arrangements, with the opportunity to consider the new pricing model when their existing contracts become eligible for renewal.
Could broadband become more like a commodity?
The principles of commodity markets have long demonstrated how prices can respond to changing economic conditions.
Although broadband connectivity differs fundamentally from commodities such as electricity, natural gas or agricultural products, Exascale believes aspects of market-responsive pricing may have applications within telecommunications.
Advances in network management, automation and data analysis could provide opportunities for providers to reconsider how retail connectivity is priced.
The company is investigating the technical and commercial structures that would be required to introduce such a model, including how pricing changes could be calculated, communicated and implemented while maintaining appropriate customer protections.
Exploring the future of broadband pricing
Exascale is currently assessing the feasibility of the proposed model, including the technical capabilities, commercial arrangements and regulatory safeguards necessary to support it.
The company has not confirmed a launch date and emphasises that the proposals remain under evaluation.
Any future scheme would be accompanied by clear pricing information, contractual terms and customer protections, with full details published before the service becomes available.
Exascale believes the concept could contribute to a wider discussion about pricing innovation and the future of the UK broadband market.
ENDS
About Exascale
Exascale is an independent UK telecommunications and network infrastructure operator headquartered in Telford, Shropshire.
The company provides broadband, business connectivity and wholesale network services across its own infrastructure and third-party networks, with a focus on network investment, automation and technical innovation.
Website: www.exascale.co.uk
Media enquiries: Exascale Limited