John Lewis Broadband Review 2023 - Is Broadband From John Lewis Any Good?

Review article by Steve Tattersall, Broadband Technology Writer, last updated 27 September 2022

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5 3.5 Star Rating

In this review: 1. Introduction 2. John Lewis Broadband key highlights 3. John Lewis Broadband speed performance 4. John Lewis Broadband deals 5. Comparable services: John Lewis Fibre versus BT Fibre & Sky Fibre 6. John Lewis home phone review 7. John Lewis Broadband package & router details 8. Installation & setup 9. John Lewis Broadband customer service 10. Our final verdict on John Lewis Broadband

1. Introduction

When you think of John Lewis, a high quality shopping experience and first-class customer service spring to mind, but what about its home phone and broadband services which are supplied under the John Lewis brand by Plusnet. How do they stack up? They may be a little more expensive than Plusnet for the same speeds, but they do include evening and weekend phone calls to UK landlines as standard, plus there's no activation fees or router delivery charges to pay. Read on to find out whether one of their packages is right for you, then, when you're ready, you can start your Broadband order from this page.

2. John Lewis Broadband Key Highlights

Average speeds: Broadband 10Mbps, Fibre 36Mbps, Fibre Extra 66Mbps

Latest deals from: £25p/m for standard Broadband, £25p/m for Fibre, £28p/m for Fibre Extra

Special offers: Router, plus evening & weekend call plan included. No activation fee

Indicative John Lewis Broadband customer complaints Q1 2022 (as based on Plusnet figures): 11 complaints per 100,000 customers. This is pretty much in-line with the industry average of 10 and better than Vodafone, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Shell Energy Broadband (Source: Latest Ofcom Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report, published July 13th 2022)

Indicative John Lewis Broadband customer satisfaction 2021 (as based on Plusnet figures): 79% satisfaction with overrall Plusnet services, versus an industry average of 83% (Source: Ofcom Comparing Customer Service Report 2021, published 18th May 2022)

3. John Lewis Broadband Speed Performance

The John Lewis download speeds of 10Mbps for Broadband, 36Mbps for Fibre and 66Mbps for Fibre Extra are calculated average download speeds that are available to at least 50% of John Lewis Broadband customers at peak internet traffic times (8pm to 10pm, Mon-Sun).

These speeds (which are in-effect Plusnet speeds) are very similar to the average speeds of other UK broadband providers.

We can understand how the advertised download speeds of John Lewis Broadband compare with their real world speeds by looking at Ofcom's latest UK Home Broadband Performance Chart Data. Average 24-hour broadband download speeds for Plusnet and other major suppliers were measured in March 2022 and the data published in September 2022. The data shows that Plusnet's advertised average 36Mbps FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) speeds (in effect John Lewis Fibre Broadband) were 35.9Mbps with a 10 milliesecond (ms) latency/ping. Plusnet's 66Mbps FTTC speeds (in effect John Lewis Fibre Extra Broadband) were 63.2Mbps with a 9.7ms latency/ping.

In exceptional circumstances where there is a huge surge in internet traffic (following a major news event) or the rare case of a network failure, John Lewis Broadand may prioritise traffic (slow broadband speeds) on its network to help ensure all customers continue to receive a great service.

Before you sign up online, John Lewis Broadband will provide you with an estimation of the broadband speed you will receive. It's worth bearing in mind that the actual speeds you receive can be affected by the quality of your telephone line, location and weather conditions, network congestion at your local exchange, internal home wiring and the strength of your Wi-Fi signal.

4. Compare John Lewis Broadband Deals

The John Lewis Unlimited Fibre Broadband package with phone line rental, plus evening & weekend calls, is currently just £25 a month for the duration of the 12 month contract when ordered online at JohnLewisBroadband.com. No activation charges apply, while the wireless router and delivery are included at no extra cost. It's worth noting that the John Lewis broadband and phone plans cost the same wherever you live, even in remote rural areas.

Provider	Package Details	Average Speed*	Download Limit	Contract Period	Costs	More Info
*Average speed: 10Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £300, £25 per month	John Lewis Unlimited Broadband + Evening & Weekend Calls To UK Landlines *For 12 months. Includes John Lewis phone line rental. Annual price increase applies	10Mb	Unlimited	12 months	Monthly cost £25.00* 1st year cost: £300.00 £0.00 setup	24/7 Freephone UK Customer Support Find out more at John Lewis No Activation Fee
*Average speed: 36Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £300, £25 per month	John Lewis Fibre Broadband + Evening & Weekend Calls To UK Landlines *For 12 months. Includes John Lewis phone line rental. Annual price increase applies	36Mb	Unlimited	12 months	Monthly cost £25.00* 1st year cost: £300.00 £0.00 setup	24/7 Freephone UK Customer Support Find out more at John Lewis No Activation Fee
*Average speed: 66Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £336, £28 per month	John Lewis Fibre Extra Broadband + Evening & Weekend Calls To UK Landlines *For 12 months. Includes John Lewis phone line rental. Annual price increase applies	66Mb	Unlimited	12 months	Monthly cost £28.00* 1st year cost: £336.00 £0.00 setup	24/7 Freephone UK Customer Support Find out more at John Lewis No Activation Fee

5. Compare John Lewis Fibre Broadband Versus BT Fibre & Sky Fibre

So, how does John Lewis Fibre Broadband measure up against some of its rivals? Use the table below to compare John Lewis Fibre Broadband speeds and prices with those of Sky Fibre and BT Fibre. Use our fibre broadband checker to compare John Lewis Fibre Broadband with other providers.

Provider	Package Details	Average Speed*	Download Limit	Contract Period	Costs	More Info
*Average speed: 66Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £336, £28 per month	John Lewis Fibre Extra Broadband + Evening & Weekend Calls To UK Landlines *For 12 months. Includes John Lewis phone line rental. Annual price increase applies	66Mb	Unlimited	12 months	Monthly cost £28.00* 1st year cost: £336.00 £0.00 setup	24/7 Freephone UK Customer Support Find out more at John Lewis No Activation Fee
*Average Speed: 59Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £0 setup, 1st year cost £312, £26	Unlimited Sky Broadband Superfast + Unlimited Sky WiFi + Sky Talk Pay As You Go Calls To UK Landlines & Mobiles * For 18 months. Includes Sky phone line rental. Pricing may change during this 18 month period	59Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £26.00* 1st year cost: £312.00 £0.00 setup	FREE McAfee Internet Security Suite Trial FREE Setup (Save £35) + Add Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee In Every Room For £5p/m Extra
*Average speed: 67Mb*, Download limit: Unlimited, £29.99 setup, 1st year cost £389.87, £29.99	BT Fibre 2 Broadband *For 24 months. No landline phone service included. Annual price increase applies	67Mb	Unlimited	24 months	Monthly cost £29.99* 1st year cost: £389.87 £29.99 setup	Add BT TV From £6p/m £110 Reward Card To Spend

6. John Lewis Home Phone Review

All John Lewis Broadband prices include John Lewis home phone line rental. Evening and weekend phone calls to UK landlines are included at no extra cost. There are options to upgrade to either an anytime or international calls package for an extra monthly fee (£6.86p/m and £9.15p/m respectively). For a further £5 a month, a Mobile Bolt On can be activated, covering inclusive calls to UK mobiles at anytime.

7. John Lewis Broadband Package & Router Details

By switching your telephone line rental to John Lewis and subscribing to the John Lewis Unlimited Broadband package you can enjoy 10Mb average download speeds, comprehensive PC security from BullGuard, an advanced wireless-n technology router, plus around the clock UK based freephone customer support. The total cost per month you will pay is £25, which includes John Lewis phone line rental.

We've provided more detail below on two of the John Lewis Broadband packages.

Package 1 - John Lewis Unlimited Broadband

What You Get:

Average broadband download speeds of 10Mb
An unlimited monthly download usage allowance
Evening and weekend phone calls to UK landlines, with options to upgrade to anytime & international call packages
12 month contract applies
Free Netgear WNR1000 wireless n-technology router providing simple and secure Wi-Fi without the worry
Around the clock UK based freephone customer support
Complete BullGuard PC security package to help stop viruses and malicious software getting through to your computer. The package includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, spam filter and online backup protection
New customers needing a new phone line installed may be charged a one-off £49.99
New customers not requiring a new phone line will get their number transferred easily, without service interruption and without an activation fee
Cost is £25 per month for the duration of the 12 month contract. This price includes John Lewis phone line rental
Please click here for further information at John Lewis

Package 2 - John Lewis Fibre Broadband Extra

What You Get:

Average fibre broadband download speeds of 66Mb
An unlimited monthly download usage allowance
Evening and weekend phone calls to UK landlines, with options to upgrade to anytime & international call packages
12 month contract applies
Free ZyXEL VMG8924 dual-band AC/N wireless router, providing superior coverage and signal strength throughout the home compared to the Netgear WNR1000 discussed earlier. It also offers enhanced wireless WPA2 security, a firewall, plus 4 ethernet ports for wired connections.
Around the clock UK based freephone customer support
Complete BullGuard PC security package to help stop viruses and malicious software getting through to your computer. The package includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, spam filter and online backup protection
New customers needing a new phone line installed may be charged a one-off £49.99
New customers not requiring a new phone line will get their number transferred easily, without service interruption and without an activation fee
Cost is £28 per month for the duration of the 12 month contract. This price includes John Lewis phone line rental
Please click here for further information at John Lewis

8. Installation & Setup

There's no activation or installation charges with John Lewis Broadband if you have an existing non-cable phone line, like the Openreach phone lines used by BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Sky and many more. If you don't have a phone line or it's a cable phone line like Virgin Media's, John Lewis can install a new phone line for you and will advise you of the cost in advance (expect a fee of around £49.99).

Once you sign up with John Lewis Broadband, they'll contact your current supplier and arrange the switch-over for you. Your existing broadband provider will most likely send you a letter, stating they have received your request for the transfer of your phone and broadband service and include any final invoice. At this stage, please don't tell your existing supplier to cancel the service immediately. Once the switch-over is complete, your previous supplier should cancel your service, although it's recommended you cancel any Direct Debits set up for your previous supplier.

According to John Lewis, the switch-over should take between 10 and 12 working days to complete (you'll still have your broadband with your existing supplier). John Lewis will advise you of the go-live date and provide you with your router, Welcome Pack and instructions to get up and running. Once you're all setup, there will be a stabilisation period of around 14 days where your broadband speeds will vary as the phone line optimises to find the fastest speeds it can support.

9. John Lewis Broadband Customer Service, Support & Phone Numbers

As expected from John Lewis, there's a comprehensive range of broadband customer service and support. These include online guides, tutorials, a broadband troubleshooter to remotely diagnose and fix problems, plus a Service Status site where current issues or any maintenance work that could be affecting your service are listed.

Customers can contact UK-based Customer Support for FREE on 0800 022 3300. This service is available from 9am-6pm 7 days a week, excluding bank holidays. Please have your John Lewis Broadband username and password handy.

UK-based Technical Support is available FREE all day every day on the same 0800 022 3300 number.

As mentioned earlier, John Lewis Broadband and customer support services are provided by Plusnet. In Ofcom's latest analysis of how broadband and phone companies are serving their customers (last published in May 2022), Plusnet scored a 79% 'Satisfaction with overrall service' versus an overrall average of 83% for the industry. Please see Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service Report 2021 for further details.

Looking at John Lewis Broadband (Plusnet) customer complaint levels, Ofcom's most recent Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report, published in July 2022, revealed 11 complaints per 100,000 Plusnet Broadband customers for the period Q1 2022. This is lower than industry competitors like Vodafone, TalkTalk, Shell Energy & Virgin Media. Read the full Ofcom Q1 2022 Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report here.

10. Our Final Verdict On John Lewis Broadband

John Lewis Broadband Review - Our Final Comment And Rating
Final Rating - 3.5 out of 5
In our opinion the John Lewis Broadband packages pretty much mirror what we have come to expect from the John Lewis brand. They are simple to understand, provide value and are backed with good (not excellent though) customer support. All the packages are available on 12 month contracts, which may put off some looking for alternative contract lengths, plus there's no hidden costs to worry about. Though its broadband prices are a little more expensive than some of its competitors, including Plusnet, they are good value for those customers who like using their home phone - as evening and weekend calls are included as standard. With their Unlimited Fibre packages now available with phone line rental included from just £25 a month, now is a good time to switch to John Lewis Broadband and enjoy no setup fees and no router delivery charges. Find out more at the JohnLewisBroadband.com website.

John Lewis Broadband Review - Our Final Comment And Rating

Final Rating - 3.5 out of 5 3.5 Star Rating

In our opinion the John Lewis Broadband packages pretty much mirror what we have come to expect from the John Lewis brand. They are simple to understand, provide value and are backed with good (not excellent though) customer support. All the packages are available on 12 month contracts, which may put off some looking for alternative contract lengths, plus there's no hidden costs to worry about.

Though its broadband prices are a little more expensive than some of its competitors, including Plusnet, they are good value for those customers who like using their home phone - as evening and weekend calls are included as standard.

With their Unlimited Fibre packages now available with phone line rental included from just £25 a month, now is a good time to switch to John Lewis Broadband and enjoy no setup fees and no router delivery charges. Find out more at the JohnLewisBroadband.com website.

Latest John Lewis Broadband Reviews & Ratings By Customers

If you're unsure as to some of the terms used on this page, please read our beginner's guide to broadband or our guide to switching supplier.

Important note

We are not John Lewis. We do not provide broadband or phone connections ourselves. Should you have a problem with your John Lewis order or connection, we advise you to contact John Lewis directly at www.johnlewisbroadband.com.

We specialise in offering you independent advice, reviews and tools that should help you choose the right broadband provider and package for you. We provide this impartial service to you for free, whilst being paid a small commission from each ISP we generate a new customer for - so we are like an Independent Financial Advisor. You do not pay any extra for your chosen broadband package by signing up through this site.

About The Author, Steve Tattersall

Steve Tattersall is a broadband technology writer with 20 years experience within the Internet industry. Based in Hampshire, England, he founded the BBC recognised broadband information site, BroadbandInternetUk.com, in 2004 and is currently the Director Of Marketing & Operations. During this time he has helped thousands of people across the UK with their Internet requirements by compiling a comprehensive range of broadband information, comparison tools and guides, all delivered on BroadbandInternetUk.com. A graduate of Buckinghamshire New University (Brunel Business School) with a first class honours degree in Business, Steve has first hand experience of working for a broadband provider, having had a previous career at the broadband supplier NTL. Following its merger with rival Telewest, NTL is now known as Virgin Media, one of the UK's leading broadband, phone & TV providers. If you would like to contact Steve, please visit the contact us page or follow him on Twitter. You can also find out more about BroadbandInternetUk.com on our about us page.

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