Nova review

Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026

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Our verdict

Nova runs its own fibre network in IS and sells on month-long terms, which suits renters and anyone who wants no lock-in. Entry sits at ISK 13,590 a month for Ljosleidari Unlimited, with a free setup fee, and the 10,000 Mbps top speed ranks 1 of 114 brands.

Key facts

Best for
Households on IS fibre who want no fixed term, a free setup fee and top-end download speeds.
Top download speed (Mbps)
10,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Upload speed (Mbps)
1,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price from
ISK 13,590 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Reference plan prices
Ljosleidari Unlimited 1 Gbps: 13590 ISK/month, 1000 Mbps, no fixed term; Ljosleidari Unlimited 1 Gbps: 13590 ISK/month, 1000 Mbps, no fixed term; Ljosleidari Unlimited 10 Gbps: 15590 ISK/month, 10000 Mbps, no fixed term (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Setup fee
ISK 0 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Mid-contract price rises
Changes announced with at least 30 days notice on nova.is (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Exit fee terms
Cancellation with at least 1 month written notice to month-end; return rented equipment within 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Router
Router from Nova, rental 1590 ISK/month (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Address checker
https://nova.is/netid/ljosleidari/komdu/1 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Markets
IS (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Legal entity
Nova hf. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Headquarters
Iceland (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Technology
Fttp
Contract length
1
Official website
nova.is

Mobile plans

Seller type
Network (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
SIM-only
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price from
ISK 13,590 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Reference plan prices
Ljosleidari Unlimited 1 Gbps: 13590 ISK/month, 1000 Mbps, no fixed term; Ljosleidari Unlimited 1 Gbps: 13590 ISK/month, 1000 Mbps, no fixed term; Ljosleidari Unlimited 10 Gbps: 15590 ISK/month, 10000 Mbps, no fixed term (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Unlimited plan price
ISK 3,290 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
5G
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
eSIM
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
EU roaming
Included (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Roaming countries
216 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Data rollover
No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Mid-contract price rises
Changes announced with at least 30 days notice on nova.is (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Credit check required
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Network coverage
98% (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Markets
IS (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Legal entity
Nova hf. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Headquarters
Iceland (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Billing
Contract, Prepaid
Contract length
1

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaXfacebook.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The Ljosleidari Unlimited entry plan at ISK 13,590 a month has a free setup fee, so joining adds nothing to the first bill.
  • Download speeds reach 10,000 Mbps on fttp, well past the 2,500 Mbps mark most plans on the site sit at.
  • Plans are sold with no fixed term and run on 1 month cycles, so there is no long contract to ride out.
  • Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help is not tied to a single channel.
  • Nova is a network operator (network) selling its own mobile lines too, with eSIM available and EU roaming included.

Cons

  • Data rollover is not offered, so unused data is lost at the end of a month rather than carried into the next one.
  • The Ljosleidari Unlimited entry price ranks 95 of 95 brands, so this is a premium way in.
  • Uploads run at 1,000 Mbps against downloads of 10,000 Mbps, which is a gap that matters for large backups and two-way video.
  • A credit check is required before signing up, which can slow down getting a line for some households.
Nova

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Scored 9.1 / 10 by TariffCue.

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Who it suits

  • Renters and short-stay households in IS who want fibre without a long contract attached.
  • Households whose internet use is download-heavy, such as streaming and large file transfers, and who can stretch to the higher tier.
  • People who would rather buy from the network operator itself than from a reseller, and who want eSIM and roaming on the same account.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Upload shoppers on a budget: Abissnet lists uploads of 20 to 1,000 Mbps, which is worth weighing against Nova's 1,000 Mbps.
  • Anyone who wants cable rather than fibre: Astound runs cable and fttp, while Nova's broadband sits on fttp only.
  • Households that need more than one route to a connection: EarthLink mixes fttp, 5G and satellite, so fibre is not the only line on offer.

Plans and prices

The starting point is Ljosleidari Unlimited at ISK 13,590 a month, and the setup fee is free, so nothing is added at the point of joining. A faster Ljosleidari Unlimited tier sits above that entry price for households wanting more headroom, and the plan name sits next to each price so the speed being paid for is clear. Both lines are sold with no fixed term, which keeps the monthly figure as the whole cost of the connection. Price changes are announced with advance notice before they take effect, so a rise does not land without warning.

Core features

Nova's broadband runs on fttp, so the connection is fibre all the way rather than a copper or fixed wireless link. Download speeds reach 10,000 Mbps. Uploads come in at 1,000 Mbps, well short of the download figure, so the line is built around streaming, downloads and browsing rather than sending large files out or running two-way video. An address check is the usual first step to see whether the build has reached a given property.

How it compares on our data

On download speed Nova ranks 1 of 114 brands, putting the top of the range at the front of the list. Setup fee ranks 1 of 86. Uploads sit mid-table at 16 of 46, and the Ljosleidari Unlimited entry price ranks 95 of 95, which is the weakest measure on the page. Speed is where the strength lies, entry cost is where the trade-off sits.

The company behind it

Nova trades as Nova hf. and is headquartered in Iceland, serving IS. It is a network operator rather than a reseller (network), so the same company runs the network and sells the line to households, and the same company handles the mobile side. Support runs on email, chat and phone. Signing up runs through an address check, and a credit check is part of the agreement.

How Nova compares

Where Nova is available

Available
Iceland

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does Nova's cheapest broadband plan cost?+

Ljosleidari Unlimited starts at ISK 13,590 a month and the setup fee is free, so the opening invoice is the monthly figure on its own. A faster Ljosleidari Unlimited tier costs more than the entry line. Every plan is sold with no fixed term, so the monthly price is what the connection costs for as long as you keep it.

Is there a minimum contract or an exit fee?+

Plans are sold with no fixed term and run on 1 month cycles, so there is no long lock-in to serve out. Cancelling needs written notice at least a month before the month end, and rented equipment has to go back within the stated return window. That return step is the part households most often overlook when leaving.

Can I get Nova outside Iceland?+

Nova serves IS and is headquartered in Iceland, so this is a single-market provider and the line does not travel. An address check is the normal first step, since the connection depends on where the fibre build has reached. Households in other countries need a provider that works in their own market.

Do I need a credit check to sign up?+

A credit check is part of signing up for a broadband line, so it is worth having documents to hand before applying. Billing runs on a contract or prepaid basis, contract and prepaid, and the route you pick shapes how the line is set up and how you hand it back. Checking which basis suits you first saves a second step later.

Does the mobile side include roaming and eSIM?+

EU roaming is included on the mobile plans, and roaming reaches 216 countries in total. Sim only lines are available alongside full plans, and eSIM is offered, so a new line can run without a physical card. Unlimited data starts at ISK 3,290 a month, which is separate from the broadband price.

Does unused mobile data carry over to the next month?+

Data rollover is not offered, so anything left at the end of a month is lost rather than pushed into the following one. Coverage stands at 98%, and 5G is available on the mobile side, so the network covers the ground well. If you regularly use more than a plan allows, rollover would be the thing to ask about.

Do I have to buy a router from Nova?+

The router is rented rather than bought, at Router from Nova, rental 1590 ISK/month. That rental sits on top of the monthly broadband fee, so the total monthly cost is the line price plus the kit. Rented equipment is one of the items that has to be returned when a line is cancelled, so keep track of it.

How do I reach support if something goes wrong?+

Support runs on email, chat and phone, so there is more than one route to a person rather than a single inbox to watch. As a network operator (network), the same company supplies the line and runs the network behind it, which usually means the fix comes from one place. Mobile and broadband questions sit with the same company too.

Sources

  • nova.is/baksvids/skilmalar checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Credit check required, Data rollover, Exit fee terms, Headquarters, Legal entity, Contract length, Mid-contract price rises, Support channels

    “Ef inneign hefur ekki verid fullnytt falla efterstodvar niður”

  • nova.is/farsimi/spurningar checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Billing, Roaming countries

    “Nova bydur farsimathjonustu i yfir 216 londum”

  • nova.is/farsimi/thjonustusvaedi checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Network coverage, 5G

    “naer til yfir 98% landsmanna”

  • nova.is/farsimi/verdskra checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: EU roaming, Unlimited plan price

  • nova.is/netid/ljosleidari/spurningar checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Address checker, Markets, Top download speed (Mbps), Technology, Upload speed (Mbps)

    “see whether you live in a fibre area”

  • nova.is/netid/ljosleidari/verdskra checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Price from, Reference plan prices, Router, Setup fee

    “Ljosleidari Otakmarkad 1 Gb/s hradi 13.590 kr. pr. man.”

  • nova.is/english checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: ESIM, Seller type, SIM-only

    “Sign up wherever, whenever with eSIM”

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.

Nova

Nova

Households on IS fibre who want no fixed term, a free setup fee and top-end download speeds.

9.1/10See alternatives

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