Lock-in period

Also called: contract period, minimum term

The minimum time you must keep a plan before you can cancel without paying a pre-termination fee.

PLDT states 36 months on its Fiber Unli plans — three years, on a service you cannot test beforehand. Most other Philippine providers do not publish their lock-in period at all, which is itself worth knowing before you sign.

Always ask two questions together: how long is the lock-in, and what is the pre-termination fee. The second is what determines your actual exposure if you move or the service disappoints.