Updated October 17, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
1pBroadband vs EarthLink
What sets them apart
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Top download speed (Mbps) | 950 | 5,000Higher |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 15 to 115 | 5,000Higher |
| Price from | £25 | $24.95 |
| Reference plan prices | Part-fibre 80 (sogea): GBP 25 per month, 80Mbps, 18 months; Full-fibre 500: GBP 31 per month, 523Mbps, 18 months; Full-fibre 1000: GBP 36 per month, 950Mbps, 18 months | Fiber 100 Mbps: $24.95/mo, 100 Mbps, month-to-month / Fiber 1 Gig: price by address, 1000 Mbps, month-to-month / Fiber 5 Gigs: price by address, 5000 Mbps, month-to-month |
| Mid-contract price rises | No in-contract price rises; annual rise only after minimum term with 30 days notice | 12 months consistent rates then full-price plan |
| Exit fee terms | Early termination fee GBP 100 if disconnected within 18-month minimum term | Early Termination Fee up to $400 if Term Plan ended early |
| Router | Free Premium Wi-Fi 6 Hub included | Leased router $15.00 per month |
| Address checker | https://www.1pbroadband.com/order-your-fibre-broadband | https://earthlink.net/internet-near-me/ |
| Markets | GB | US |
| Setup fee | £9.99 | Not confirmed |
| Price after contract | £37 to £48 | Not confirmed |
| Data cap (GB) | Not confirmed | 15 to 300 |
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Key differences
- EarthLink scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.7.
- Top download speed (Mbps) is higher at EarthLink: 5,000 vs 950.
- Upload speed (Mbps) is higher at EarthLink: 5,000 vs 15 to 115.
- Support channels: only 1pBroadband offers Email.
- Support channels: only EarthLink offers Chat.
- Technology: only 1pBroadband offers Fttc.
- Technology: only EarthLink offers 5G, Satellite.
- Contract length: only 1pBroadband offers 18.
- Contract length: only EarthLink offers 1.
- Markets: only 1pBroadband offers GB.
Our verdict on each
1pBroadband
1pBroadband suits UK households that want fibre and a hub in the box without paying extra for hardware. Entry pricing starts at £25 a month, and once the minimum term ends monthly prices run £37 to £48, so the real comparison is between those two figures and not the first one alone.
EarthLink
EarthLink suits US households that want symmetrical fibre with no long minimum term, with upload speeds of 5,000 Mbps and plans listed at 1 month. The catch is what sits around the plan: Leased router $15.00 per month, plus data caps of 15 to 300 GB on the satellite tiers.
Score breakdown
| Area | 1pBroadband | EarthLink |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Entry at £25 a month with a £9.99 setup fee, but post-term prices of £37 to £48 pull the score back. | 9.6HigherEntry tier at $24.95 on 1 month terms keeps commitment low, though intro pricing gives way to the full-price plan. |
| Offer | 8.7Free Premium Wi-Fi 6 Hub included, plus top download speed of 950 Mbps, against a 18 month term and an early termination charge. | 9.4HigherSpeeds of 5,000 Mbps down and 5,000 Mbps up across fttp, 5G and satellite, with satellite data caps of 15 to 300 GB. |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | 1pBroadband | EarthLink |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband providers | 8 of 124 | 27 of 124 |
| Full fibre providers | 8 of 107 | 14 of 107 |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | 1pBroadband | EarthLink |
|---|---|---|
| Top download speed (Mbps) | 950 | 5,000 |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 15 to 115 | 5,000 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | 1pBroadband | EarthLink |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Fttp, Fttc | Fttp, 5G, Satellite |
| Contract length | 18 | 1 |
| Legal entity | Telecommunications Management Limited | EarthLink, LLC |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | 1pBroadband | EarthLink | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top download speed (Mbps) | 950lowest quarter | 5,000highest quarter | 1,000 |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 15 to 115below the median | 5,000highest quarter | 900 |
| Setup fee | £9.99highest quarter | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Price after contract | £37 to £48at the median | Not confirmed | £37 |
| Data cap (GB) | Not confirmed | 15 to 300at the median | 15 |
Median across 116 listed providers.
Pros and cons
1pBroadband
Pros
- Entry at £25 a month, and the router comes as standard: Free Premium Wi-Fi 6 Hub included, so the first bill is not inflated by hardware.
- No in-contract price rises: the annual increase applies only after the 18 month minimum term, and it comes with notice.
- Download speeds reach 950 Mbps, with uploads of 15 to 115 Mbps that stay usable for calls and backups.
Cons
- Plans run for 18 months, and disconnecting inside that window brings an early termination charge.
- After the term, monthly prices run £37 to £48, above the £25 entry figure, so the low headline does not last.
- A setup fee of £9.99 is due at the start, and setup fees rank 60 of 86 on our data.
EarthLink
Pros
- Upload of 5,000 Mbps matches download of 5,000 Mbps, and that pairing ranks 7 out of 46 compared brands.
- Rolling terms at 1 month mean little to serve out if you move home, unlike a fixed minimum term.
- The entry fibre tier sits at $24.95 a month on month-to-month terms, with the gigabit tiers priced by address.
Cons
- Hardware is a recurring extra: Leased router $15.00 per month sits on top of the plan price every month.
- The entry rate is introductory only: 12 months consistent rates then full-price plan.
- Satellite tiers are metered, with data limits of 15 to 300 GB for heavier users to watch.
Who each suits
1pBroadband
Who it suits
- Households in the UK on a full-fibre or part-fibre route who want the router cost absorbed into the plan.
- People who can commit to the 18 month minimum term and want a monthly figure that holds inside it.
- Shoppers willing to compare the £25 entry price against the £37 to £48 post-term price before signing.
Who should look elsewhere
- Abissnet, for anyone who wants a full-fibre only range and no part-fibre plan in the list.
- Astound, for homes on a hybrid cabinet who want cable as well as fibre to compare.
- EarthLink, for addresses with no fixed line that need a wireless or satellite route.
EarthLink
Who it suits
- Households in US on fibre who send large files, back up to the cloud or run video calls upstream.
- People who prefer short commitments, with plans listed at 1 month.
- Remote workers and creators who judge a connection on upload, since 5,000 Mbps upstream matches the download figure.
Who should look elsewhere
- Astound, if cable alongside fibre matters, since Astound lists cable and fttp while EarthLink's list is fttp, 5G and satellite.
- Kinetic, if you want a straightforward fibre-only supplier, since Kinetic lists fttp.
- Abissnet, if a single-technology provider suits you better, since Abissnet lists fttp and EarthLink carries a wider fttp, 5G and satellite range.
Country by country
| Country | 1pBroadband | EarthLink |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
1pBroadband
What does it cost to join 1pBroadband?+
Entry pricing starts at £25 a month on the entry plan. Setting up the connection costs £9.99 on top, so the first payment runs higher than the headline figure implies. Every month after that is the plan cost itself, with nothing extra listed for the line.
What will I pay once the minimum term is over?+
Monthly prices run £37 to £48 after the minimum term ends, above the £25 entry figure. For anyone planning to stay past the term, budget around that post-term price rather than the entry one, because the entry figure only covers the opening months.
EarthLink
How much does EarthLink broadband cost at the entry price?+
The entry fibre tier is $24.95 a month on month-to-month terms. The gigabit and multi-gigabit tiers above it are priced by address, so what you actually pay depends on the fibre available at your street. Get a quote for your address before putting it against other offers.
Does the entry price stay the same after the introductory period?+
Not necessarily. The published rate is introductory: 12 months consistent rates then full-price plan. The figure you sign up on is therefore not the figure you keep, and the full-price plan rate takes over once the consistent-rate period ends. Budget for a higher monthly amount beyond that point.
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