The UK’s digital regulator, Ofcom, has revealed the best and worst providers of broadband and mobile connectivity. The regulator’s latest report covers the period between January to March and records which providers got the most complaints – to be clear, these are complaints about the companies received by Ofcom.
On the broadband and home phone side of things, the worst company was Shell Energy – people complained primarily about faults, the service, and provisioning. EE and Sky received the fewest broadband complaints, and EE had the fewest landline complaints. If you are looking for a broadband or landline provider that won’t throw up too many issues, this data suggests EE could be a good company to sign-up with.
In the mobile sector, the companies which were complained about most were Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, and O2. Meanwhile, Sky, Tesco Mobile, and EE received the fewest complaints. Many providers like to throw in pay-TV services, Ofcom revealed the state of complaints in that sector too. It said that Virgin Media had the most complaints and Sky had the least.
Discussing the findings, Fergal Farragher, Ofcom’s Consumer Protection Director, said:
“While the overall level of complaints has been consistently low over recent months, the gap between the best and worst providers in the broadband, landline and pay-TV sectors is widening.
The figures highlight how some firms have plenty of work to do to keep their customers happy and catch up with their rivals. If you’re not happy with the service you’re getting, consider shopping around and moving elsewhere.”
Ofcom has done a pretty good job of regulating the broadband space. If your contract rises in price, or you are not being given the speeds you were promised, then you are able to switch provider or move to a new contract without being penalized with an early exit fee. If you are experiencing bad service and want to switch, you may be able to use these avenues to do so.