Broadband Complaints Just Hit a Record Low, But Not Everywhere
Here’s a nice change from the usual broadband headlines. Ofcom’s latest figures show broadband complaints have fallen to their lowest level since records began, down from 40 per 100,000 customers back in 2011 to just six per 100,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
That’s the industry average, though, and averages hide a lot. Look past the headline and the broadband complaints table still has a clear bottom and a clear top, and which end your supplier sits on is worth knowing before you renew anything on autopilot.
Which Providers Get the Most Broadband Complaints in 2026?
TalkTalk tops the table, and has done for a while. It recorded 10 broadband complaints per 100,000 customers in Q1 2026, unchanged from the previous quarter and well above the six per 100,000 industry average.
Vodafone sits second, though it’s the quarter’s biggest improver, with its broadband complaints falling from 11 to eight per 100,000 customers. BT also cut its rate, down from eight to seven per 100,000. Neither is bad. Neither is best in class either.
Which Providers Get the Fewest Broadband Complaints?
Plusnet leads the pack this quarter, with just four broadband complaints per 100,000 customers, comfortably the lowest of the major suppliers. Sky also performs strongly, sitting close behind.
None of this means a switch to a low complaint provider guarantees a perfect experience. It does mean you’re statistically less likely to end up needing to complain about anything in the first place, which is about as close to a free lunch as broadband gets.
Ofcom broadband complaints per 100,000 customers, Q1 2026
- TalkTalk: 10 (unchanged on the quarter)
- Vodafone: 8 (down from 11, biggest improver)
- BT: 7 (down from 8)
- Industry average: 6
- Plusnet: 4 (lowest of the majors)
Figures from Ofcom’s quarterly telecoms complaints report, checked July 2026. Providers not listed did not appear separately in the published table.
What Do Broadband Complaints Actually Measure, and Why Are They Falling?
Ofcom counts complaints referred to it directly by customers, covering issues like faults, billing errors, mis selling and how a provider handled a complaint once raised. It doesn’t capture every gripe, since most get sorted directly with the provider and never reach Ofcom at all.
What it does give you is a consistent, like for like comparison across suppliers, published every quarter using the same method. That’s rare in an industry where marketing claims are easy and independent scorecards are not.
Ofcom credits the drop in broadband complaints to a mix of wider full fibre rollout replacing older, fault prone copper lines, providers investing more in customer service after years of pressure, and automatic compensation schemes that pay you out when repairs or installations run late. The full Ofcom report has the quarter by quarter detail if you want to dig further.
Should Broadband Complaints Change Your Mind About Switching?
Broadband complaints are one input, not the whole decision. Price, speed and whether you’re out of contract and already overpaying usually matter more to your bill than a provider’s complaint rate.
But if you’re comparing two similar deals, a lower broadband complaints history is a reasonable tiebreaker. And if your current supplier sits near the top of the table, that’s one more nudge to actually go through with the switch you’ve been putting off.
Switching is easier than it used to be. Our guide to how one touch switch works covers what happens to your old contract, and if you’d rather not move at all, it’s always worth trying to haggle before you leave.
Before you commit to a new provider, it takes a couple of minutes to check where they sit in the latest broadband complaints table, alongside the price and contract length. Ofcom updates the figures every quarter, so a supplier riding high this year isn’t guaranteed to stay there, but the trend over two or three quarters tells you more than a single snapshot.
What to Do If You Need to Complain About Broadband
Start with your provider directly, in writing if you can, and ask for a deadlock letter if you’re not getting anywhere after a few attempts. Providers have eight weeks to sort a complaint before you can escalate it.
After that, every broadband provider is signed up to one of two independent ombudsman schemes, CISAS or Ombudsman Services, both free to use and both able to order compensation. You don’t need a solicitor and you don’t need to accept a fob off as the final answer.
Keeping a simple record as you go, dates, names, what was promised, makes any escalation faster if it comes to that. Most complaints never need to go that far, but it costs nothing to know the route exists.
Roo reckons the best broadband complaint is the one you never have to make. Checking today takes about as long as waiting on hold would.
Frequently asked questions about broadband complaints
- Where do Ofcom’s broadband complaints figures come from?
- Ofcom publishes a quarterly report counting complaints made directly to it about broadband, mobile, landline and pay TV providers, measured per 100,000 customers so suppliers of different sizes can be compared fairly.
- Which broadband provider has the most complaints in 2026?
- TalkTalk recorded the most broadband complaints in Q1 2026, at 10 per 100,000 customers, unchanged from the previous quarter.
- Which broadband provider has the fewest complaints?
- Plusnet recorded the fewest broadband complaints among major providers in Q1 2026, at four per 100,000 customers, with Sky also performing well.
- Does a high complaints score mean I should switch immediately?
- Not on its own. Weigh it alongside price, contract length and whether you’re out of contract. A high complaint rate is a reasonable tiebreaker, not a reason by itself to pay more elsewhere.
- Do these figures include mobile and landline complaints too?
- Ofcom publishes broadband, mobile, landline and pay TV complaints separately in the same quarterly report, so you can check each service on its own terms.
Complaints data won’t tell you everything about a provider, but it’s a free, independently checked signal that most households never bother to look up. Given it takes about two minutes, that seems like a fairly easy win.
