Ofcom wants to make it simpler for customers of TalkTalk, EE, BT and Sky to switch
Ofcom has announced proposals to make it easier for customers to switch between providers that use the broadband network operated by Openreach, which includes TalkTalk, BT, Sky and EE. Around 884,000 switches are made between these networks every year and the plans would cover switches for any combination of landline, broadband, or paid-for TV services. Ofcom's preferred option would be for switching to be the responsibility of the company the customer is moving to. Alternatively, the customer still contacts their current provider, but can do so without talking to them. The proposals would require companies to offer more ways of cancelling services. Ofcom will reach a decision by summer 2017.

Dan Howdle | December 2nd, 2022

How to switch your broadband provider

Switching broadband providers is much easier than most people assume. Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, has put in place rules that make switching broadband almost as frictionless as switching your electricity provider. The tricky bit is choosing a new broadband deal that’s suited to you.

Check if you're still in contract

First of all, you'll need to know if you're still in your contract period. Legislation was introduced a few years ago obliging broadband providers to notify customers when their contract is about to expire – so if yours is, then you should have heard from them. If not, then think back to how long you've been with your current provider – contract lengths should never be longer than 24 months, so if you haven't switched provider for a few years, you're almost certainly out of contract by now. If you're not sure, you can always contact them to check.

Out of contract? Then potentially that's really good news. You're quite likely paying more than you need to and could save money by switching. Prices almost always go up once the contract expires – sometimes significantly – and the providers offer really great deals to tempt customers away from their rivals. Head this way for a guide on what happens at the end of your broadband contract.

If, however, you’re still in your current contract, there'll quite likely be a fee for leaving early. This is usually the entire sum of the remaining monthly payments on your contract. However, there are a few exceptions to this. For example, you may be in a 'cooling off period', which means you can cancel at any time, free of charge. Or if your monthly fee has increased, then your provider must inform you of this and you have the right to cancel your contract within 30 days. Again, no fee.

Finally, if the service has been persistently poor, you may have the right to cancel and walk away. But this is something you'll need to negotiate and ultimately you may have to contact the Communications Ombudsman, who should be able to help resolve any dispute.

What can I get in my area?

If, like a lot of people recently, you find the speed of your broadband just isn't good enough anymore, then switching provider can offer you the most cost-effective way to up your broadband game. Your current provider may well let you move up to the next level of speed, but it's unlikely to be as cheap as moving to a similar speed deal with a new provider.

You may find you live in an area that now has ultrafast broadband available, in which case you may divide to switch to another provider in order to get it. Ultrafast full fibre (or FTTP as it is also known) is now available from BT, Sky, Vodafone, EE and TalkTalk, amongst others. You can use our postcode checker to find out if ultrafast has reached your area yet.

Then of course, there's Virgin Media, which has its own fibre optic network and is available to around 55% of UK homes. It's the UK's fastest widely available broadband, and pretty much anyone who can access it is able to achieve speeds of over 1.1Gbps, which a few years ago was simply unheard of.

When choosing a speed, allow at least 10Mbps for every household member who regularly uses the internet, but increase that to 20Mbps for any person who regularly plays video games or who streams movies and TV shows in 4K resolution. The total should give you a rough idea of the internet speed you might need, but for a more in-depth guide to broadband speeds, take a look at this guide.

As we say, not all broadband packages are available everywhere, but if you type in your postcode below we can check what’s available at your address – it’s quite safe, we don’t store this information.

Check your area

Choose your package

Think carefully before choosing a broadband deal on its own. There are often deals that will provide you with a subscription TV service at a discounted or even negligible additional cost, which could work out a lot cheaper than paying for TV separately. Some companies also offer bundles with discounted mobile SIMs, which again could work out cheaper than paying for a phone separately.

Note that if you’re switching broadband providers, you will almost certainly have to change your landline provider at the same time, although there are exceptions. However, you should be able to keep your existing phone number if you switch.

Compare discounts, vouchers and other offers

In a crowded telecoms marketplace, broadband providers are falling over themselves to offer the best enticements to sign up. These range from ultra-cheap monthly payments to gift vouchers (anything from £25 to £275) or free gifts such as a smart speaker, TV or games consoles.

Things such as gifts should be the next most important factor after you’ve decided on speed, budget and the services you want. Head this way to see what free gifts are currently being offered.

A couple of years ago, Ofcom changed the rules so that in most cases you don’t have to call your existing provider to tell them you’re leaving, as long as your old provider and your new provider are both using the Openreach network. So that's all ADSL, FTTC and FTTP services.

The exception is Virgin Media, which uses a completely separate network, so if you're switching to Virgin, you will need to inform your current provider. And, likewise, if you're switching from Virgin to another company, the arrangements won't be taken care of automatically – you'll have to let Virgin Media know. We're put together a guide on switching from or to Virgin Media, which should help clarify things.

Wait for your installation date

Now that you’ve chosen a deal you’re happy with, all you need to do is wait for the installation to take place. Typically, this will mean an engineer visit on the day of the switch, which is often around two weeks after the date you signed up. Usually, you won’t be without a connection for anything more than a few hours at most, and often the process is totally seamless.

Over the last few years most broadband providers have had to delay engineer visits owing to the coronavirus pandemic. However, engineers are again conducting home installations, but with the obvious health and safety precautions in place. Often though, self-installation is an option. It's usually self-explanatory, but if in doubt, check out our guide on how to set up your Wi-Fi router.