Complaints about UK broadband providers have fallen to a record low of six per 100,000 customers in the first quarter of 2026, down from a peak of 40 per 100,000 in 2011, Ofcom data published on 23 July 2026 shows. TalkTalk drew the most broadband complaints, while Plusnet and Sky drew the fewest.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 22 July 2026
- Ofcom's quarterly complaints data for January to March 2026, published on 23 July, shows broadband complaints at an all-time low of six per 100,000 customers, against a 2011 peak of 40 per 100,000.
- Complaints across all four markets, landline, broadband, mobile and pay-TV, fell compared with the previous quarter.
- TalkTalk was the most complained-about broadband provider, driven by faults, service and provisioning, complaints handling and billing; Plusnet and Sky generated the fewest broadband complaints.
- Sky Mobile drew the most mobile complaints, mainly about switching experiences, while EE, Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three and Vodafone drew the fewest.
- EE and Virgin Media were the most complained-about pay-TV providers, for complaints handling and billing respectively; Sky and TalkTalk the least.
- Ofcom credits easier switching, end-of-contract alerts and simpler contract summaries, and encourages dissatisfied customers to vote with their feet.
Ofcom complaints, January to March 2026: most and least complained-about providers by market
| Broadband | TalkTalk | Plusnet, Sky | Faults, service and provisioning; complaints handling; billing |
| Landline | Plusnet, TalkTalk (both rose) | EE, Sky, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media, Vodafone | Both most-complained providers saw quarter-on-quarter increases |
| Mobile | Sky Mobile | EE, Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three, Vodafone | Complaints mostly about experiences changing provider |
| Pay-TV | EE, Virgin Media | Sky, TalkTalk | Complaints handling (EE); billing, pricing and charges (Virgin Media) |
| Industry, broadband | Six per 100,000 customers | Record low | Down from 40 per 100,000 at the 2011 peak |
Source: Ofcom telecoms and pay-TV complaints data, 23 July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Broadband complaints: six per 100,000 customers in Q1 2026, the lowest since Ofcom's records began, down from 40 per 100,000 at the 2011 peak
- Most complained-about by market: TalkTalk (broadband), Plusnet and TalkTalk (landline), Sky Mobile (mobile), EE and Virgin Media (pay-TV)
- Least complained-about by market: Plusnet and Sky (broadband); EE, Sky, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Vodafone (landline); EE, Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three and Vodafone (mobile); Sky and TalkTalk (pay-TV)
- The data covers complaints made to Ofcom about major providers, published quarterly; Ofcom cannot resolve individual complaints itself
- Ofcom's stated drivers of improvement: end-of-contract alerts, simpler contract summaries and easier switching processes
What do the latest Ofcom complaints figures show
Broadband complaints hit a record low of six per 100,000 customers in January to March 2026, down from a 2011 peak of 40 per 100,000, and complaints fell quarter on quarter across landline, broadband, mobile and pay-TV collectively.
Ofcom publishes this data every quarter, tracking complaints made directly to the regulator about the UK's major landline, broadband, mobile and pay-TV providers, expressed per 100,000 customers so providers of different sizes can be compared fairly. The long-run trend is the headline: from 40 complaints per 100,000 broadband customers at the 2011 peak to six in the first quarter of 2026, an all-time low and a fall of around 85% from that peak. The short-run picture moved the same way, with complaints across the four markets collectively down on the final quarter of 2025. Ofcom's consumer director, Cristina Luna-Esteban, called the record low encouraging while warning providers against complacency, and repeated the regulator's standing advice that dissatisfied customers should vote with their feet. Two caveats frame the numbers: the data counts complaints made to Ofcom, which sits above the far larger volume handled inside providers' own processes, and Ofcom cannot resolve individual complaints itself, using the data instead to spot systemic issues worth investigating.
Which broadband providers get the most and fewest complaints
TalkTalk was the most complained-about broadband provider in Q1 2026, with complaints driven by faults, service and provisioning, complaints handling and billing, while Plusnet and Sky generated the fewest fixed broadband complaints.
TalkTalk's position at the bottom of the broadband table is not new, and its complaint levels held at similar levels to the previous quarter rather than worsening. The drivers Ofcom lists are the classic trio: faults, service and provisioning, meaning connections that do not work or do not get installed properly; how complaints themselves are handled once raised; and problems with billing, pricing and charges. At the other end, Plusnet and Sky generated the fewest complaints per 100,000 broadband customers. For anyone using the data to choose a provider, the sensible reading is comparative rather than absolute: at six complaints per 100,000 across the industry, even the worst-performing provider generates regulator-level complaints from a small fraction of its base, so the rankings are best used alongside price, speed availability at the specific address and contract terms rather than as a verdict on their own. Ofcom makes the same point itself, describing the data as one useful source among several for deciding which service is right for a household.
Who topped the complaints tables for mobile, landline and pay-TV
Sky Mobile drew the most mobile complaints, mainly over switching experiences; Plusnet and TalkTalk topped landline complaints, both rising on the quarter; and EE and Virgin Media were the most complained-about pay-TV providers.
The mobile table is the most striking of the three. Sky Mobile generated the most complaints of any mobile provider, with customers mostly complaining about their experience changing provider, an ironic driver given that easier switching is the reform Ofcom credits for falling complaints overall. EE, Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three and Vodafone generated the fewest mobile complaints. In landline, Plusnet and TalkTalk were the most complained-about, and both saw complaints rise compared with the previous quarter, against the falling industry trend, while EE, Sky, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Vodafone sat at the low end. Pay-TV split by driver: EE drew complaints mostly about how complaints themselves were handled, while Virgin Media's related mostly to billing, pricing and charges, with Sky and TalkTalk the least complained-about pay-TV providers. The same provider appearing at both ends of different tables, TalkTalk worst for broadband and best for pay-TV, EE worst for pay-TV and best for mobile and landline, is a useful reminder that performance is per service, not per brand.
Why have telecoms complaints fallen so far
Ofcom credits a decade of consumer reforms, end-of-contract alerts, simpler contract summaries and easier switching including One Touch Switch, alongside competitive pressure that makes losing dissatisfied customers expensive for providers.
The fall from 40 to six complaints per 100,000 broadband customers spans fifteen years of rule changes that shifted power towards customers. End-of-contract notifications mean providers must tell customers when their deal is ending and what their best available prices are, ending the drift onto expensive out-of-contract rates that generated billing complaints. Contract summaries standardised the key terms customers see before signing. Switching reform removed the friction that once trapped unhappy customers: broadband moves are now led by the gaining provider through One Touch Switch, and mobile customers can leave by text. Ofcom's argument is that these tools convert dissatisfaction into switching rather than complaints, and the competitive structure of the market does the rest, since a provider that loses customers to avoidable service failures pays for it directly. The regulator's warning against complacency carries weight precisely because the remaining complaints concentrate in the same categories year after year: faults and provisioning, complaints handling, and billing, the areas where providers control the outcome entirely.
How should you use this data, and how do you complain
Use the rankings alongside price and coverage when choosing a provider, and if you have a problem, complain to the provider first: after eight weeks or a deadlock letter, the provider's Ofcom-approved ADR scheme can rule on the dispute free of charge.
Ofcom is explicit that it cannot act on individual complaints, so the route for a personal dispute runs through the provider and then alternative dispute resolution. Every major provider must belong to one of two Ofcom-approved ADR schemes, and must tell customers which one in its complaints code. The process starts with a complaint to the provider itself, in writing where possible, with dates, a clear statement of what resolution is wanted, and a log of every contact. If eight weeks pass without resolution, or the provider issues a deadlock letter sooner, the ADR scheme takes the case at no cost to the customer and its decision binds the provider. Compensation for quantifiable losses, and automatic compensation for missed engineer appointments and delayed repairs or activations under the schemes most large providers belong to, sit alongside that route. For customers who simply want a better service, the data's practical use is the shortlist: the least complained-about providers in each market above, checked against price and availability at the specific address, is a reasonable starting point, and switching is now designed to be the easy option.
How to complain about your provider properly
- Complain to your provider first, through its published complaints process, and keep a note of dates and any reference number.
- Set out the problem, what you want done, and any costs the fault has caused you.
- If the complaint is unresolved after eight weeks, or the provider issues a deadlock letter sooner, escalate to its Ofcom-approved ADR scheme, free of charge.
- Check which of the two approved schemes your provider belongs to on its website or in its complaints code.
- Keep evidence throughout: bills, screenshots, fault logs and call notes all strengthen an ADR case.
- If you simply want out, check your contract status: end-of-contract alerts and One Touch Switch make leaving easier than staying unhappy.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is for general information only and does not constitute a recommendation of any provider. Complaint volumes are one measure among several; service quality, pricing and availability vary by location and package. Figures are as published by Ofcom for January to March 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which broadband provider has the most complaints
TalkTalk was the most complained-about broadband provider in Ofcom's January to March 2026 data, with complaints driven by faults, service and provisioning, complaints handling and billing. Plusnet and Sky generated the fewest broadband complaints.
Which mobile network has the fewest complaints
EE, Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three and Vodafone generated the fewest mobile complaints in Q1 2026. Sky Mobile drew the most, mainly over customers' experiences changing provider.
How low are broadband complaints now
Six per 100,000 customers in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest since Ofcom's records began and down from a peak of 40 per 100,000 in 2011.
Can Ofcom handle my complaint about my provider
No. Ofcom cannot resolve individual complaints. Complain to your provider first; after eight weeks or a deadlock letter, escalate free of charge to the provider's Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, whose decision binds the provider.
How often is Ofcom's complaints data published
Quarterly. The latest release covers January to March 2026 and was published on 23 July 2026, with the next quarterly update due in the autumn.
SOURCES
- Ofcom, broadband complaints fall to record low – accessed 23 July 2026
- Ofcom, telecoms and pay-TV complaints data – accessed 23 July 2026
- Ofcom, how to complain about mobile, phone or internet services – accessed 23 July 2026
