Mobile and broadband operators across the UK are poised to hike their prices for millions of customers in 2026. The majority of customers with a mobile phone or internet plan typically see the monthly price of their contract rise each March or April annually.
These mid-contract price rises, as they’re commonly known, are regularly implemented by all major mobile operators, including O2, EE, and Virgin. When signing up for a contract, these price hikes should be clearly outlined in the terms and conditions presented to you.
In today’s market, your mid-contract increase will usually be a fixed price in pounds and pence, which should be transparently communicated to you. In fact, a policy change from Ofcom in January this year now requires phone operators to refrain from using inflation-linked price rises in any new contracts.
O2
O2 has confirmed this month that customers will see an annual price increase on their Pay Monthly plans. Customers can expect to see their bills rise by £2.50 every April, compared to the previous £1.80.
This new increase will apply to both new and existing customers.
Full details on O2’s price rises can be found here.
Virgin
Previously, Virgin Media introduced a significant fixed price increase for broadband-only customers, with deals going up by £3.50 per month annually. However, Virgin Media is now increasing it further to £4 per month each year.
This increase will be applied to deals that include broadband or broadband and TV.
EE
Both new and existing EE customers will be hit with fixed price increases from 31 March, 2026. The price hike will vary depending on when you took out your contract.
For instance, Mobile SIM Only plans and airtime plan customers who signed a contract between 10 April, 2024 to 30 July, 2025 will face an increase of £1.50, while those who signed a contract from 31 July, 2025 will see a rise of £2.50.
In the meantime, customers who signed a handset plan between 10 April and 9 September, 2024, will face an increase of £1.50, while those who signed a plan from 10 September, 2024, will see a rise of £4.
Full details of EE’s price increases in 2026 can be found here.