Plusnet

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Plusnet: a quick, easy overview

What Plusnet is
- Plusnet plc is a UK internet service provider (ISP) offering broadband and landline services. It also ran mobile and TV services in the past.
- The company started in 1997 in Sheffield as Force9 Internet, later became Plusnet, grew fast, and floated on the stock market in 2004.
- BT Group bought Plusnet in 2007 and, since 2018, Plusnet has operated as part of BT’s consumer division.

Key people and places
- Plusnet’s origins are in Sheffield, where it began as a small dial-up and broadband provider.
- By 2013 it served hundreds of thousands of customers across the UK.
- In recent years, Plusnet has been part of BT Group’s BT Consumer division.

What it offered (services)
- Broadband and landline for homes and businesses, including new and older router models. The current home router is the Hub Two (a rebranded BT Smart Hub 2).
- In the past, Plusnet also offered mobile service (Plusnet Mobile) and YouView TV packages.

Plusnet Mobile and YouView TV
- Plusnet Mobile launched in 2016 using EE’s network. It stopped taking new customers in 2023 and was fully shut down in 2024.
- Plusnet offered YouView TV from 2015 until it closed in November 2021.

Network and technology highlights
- Plusnet was an early user of network quality techniques (QoS) to manage bandwidth in the mid-2000s. It later moved to a Sustainable Usage Policy (SUP) in 2005.
- In 2007, Plusnet added more bandwidth to its network to support growth.
- In 2017, Plusnet removed traffic prioritisation for residential customers to simplify the service.
- IPv6 trials began in 2011, with a larger trial around 2013, but IPv6 has not been broadly rolled out to all customers as a standard.

Ownership and corporate changes
- BT acquired Plusnet in 2007 for about £67 million, and Plusnet continued to operate as a distinct brand.
- In 2018-2019, Plusnet became part of BT Consumer, led by Claire Gillies in BT’s consumer division.
- Over the years, Plusnet also absorbed or rebranded other brands and services it inherited through BT’s acquisitions (for example, some legacy products and brands).

Marketing and community
- Plusnet has used a strong regional identity, especially its Yorkshire roots, in marketing campaigns.
- It relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals, offering ongoing bonuses to customers who refer others.
- The company has sponsored local events and teams, including Sheffield Wednesday in the mid-2000s and the Yorkshire Marathon.

Controversies and notable incidents
- 2001: Plusnet asked about 1,100 dial-up customers to leave the service.
- 2006: Around 700 GB of customer emails were lost in a data mishap during maintenance.
- 2017: Ofcom fined Plusnet £880,000 for billing ex-customers for cancelled services.
- There have been other customer service and transitional issues linked to its BT acquisitions and brand changes.

Current status
- Plusnet remains a UK ISP under BT Group, mainly focused on providing broadband and landline services to homes and businesses.
- Its mobile service and some other former offerings have been closed or integrated into broader BT services.

In short, Plusnet grew from a Sheffield startup to a major UK broadband brand, joined BT in 2007, has weathered a few controversies, and today focuses on delivering straightforward broadband and phone services with BT behind the scenes.