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The UK's best and worst broadband providers 2025

Now Broadband and TalkTalk racked up the most complaints in the latest analysis, while Plusnet generated the fewest.

TalkTalk and Now Broadband generated the highest number of official broadband complaints, latest figures from Ofcom reveal.

The most common issue raised by TalkTalk customers was service issues, while Now Broadband customers were most likely to contact the regulator about poor complaints handling.

At the other end of the scale, Plusnet was the broadband provider with the fewest complaints.

Remarkably, it was the first time in more than two years that someone other than Sky has finished top in terms of lowest complaints.

Want to switch to a cheaper deal? Compare prices in your area with Uswitch and save up to £181 a year.

How the best & worst firms are ranked

Every three months, Ofcom provides its breakdown of complaints per 100,000 customers that each major provider attracts. 

These stats take some time to put together, so the latest figures that we're discussing in this article cover the period between October and December 2024.

If your provider features near the top of the complaints list, or you simply want a cheaper deal, make sure you compare broadband deals in your area today.

It's straightforward and you could save hundreds, especially if you bundle your broadband with your landline and pay TV provider.

As a final point, while the figures below might sound low, it's worth remembering these aren't just for complaints made to broadband firms: they are issues that have been escalated to the regulator because customers have been unable to get their issues resolved directly with their provider.

The actual number of unhappy customers will be far higher as these only cover the documented, extreme cases.

As a case in point, Ofcom's report claims that one in five broadband customers had a reason to complain to their provider over the last year.

Slow Wi-Fi? Try these seven steps to boost your speeds.

Ofcom broadband complaints (Image: Ofcom)

UK's worst broadband providers

As mentioned earlier, TalkTalk and Now Broadband came joint-last in the tables, racking up 13 complaints per 100,000 customers.

EE racked up the second most official complaints with 12 per 100,000, followed by Vodafone and Virgin Media, which both generated 11 complaints per 100,000.

BT (10) was the only other firm to come in above the industry average of nine.

Your rights if your broadband connection goes down

UK's best broadband providers

At the other end of the league table, Plusnet generated just five customer complaints per 100,000.

This knocked Sky off top spot for the first time in 10 quarters as the provider racked up six complaints per 100,000.

Below are the results over the past six quarters to give you a clearer picture of how well (or not) the various broadband providers treat their customers over time.

Check out the latest deals from Sky, including broadband, TV and landline offers

Complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 broadband customers 

Provider

Q3 2023

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Q3 2024

Q4 2024

TalkTalk

15

13

11

10

14

13

Plusnet

11

9

8

6

8

5

BT

11

11

9

10

10

10

Virgin Media

32

20

18

15

12

11

EE

9

9

14

14

13

12

Sky

5

5

6

5

5

6

Vodafone

15

14

16

12

11

11

Shell Energy

13

14

6

N/A

N/A

N/A

NOW Broadband

18

18

22

18

12

14

Industry average

15

12

11

10

10

9

Switching broadband is a lengthy farce, but it's still absolutely worth it

Should you switch even if you're happy?

The above figures give you a good idea of which firms have the worst track records for treating customers fairly. 

But even if you are with one of the better performers, it's seriously worth considering switching if you've been with them for more than a couple of years.

Why? Research has highlighted how broadband firms are charging existing customers the best part of £200 a year more for the identical service being offered to new customers.

So even if you're happy with your service, you should still ensure you aren't getting ripped off by regularly shopping around for cheap broadband deals.

Also, if you're currently mid-contract and your provider is planning to hike prices, there are new rules that should make it easier for you to ditch them penalty-free, which you can read about here.

 As a final point, if you're in receipt of Universal Credit you should definitely check out social broadband tariffs, which could save you a lot of money. Read more about it here


Which are the best and worst telecoms firms?

So, there you have it, your round-up of the UK's best and worst broadband providers.

Find out which other telecoms firms you should be dodging by reading The UK’s worst pay TV providerThe UK's worst home phone provider and The UK’s best and worst mobile networks.

More on phone and broadband:

The cheapest and best broadband deals

How to save money on your BT phone, broadband and TV deals

How to cut the cost of your Sky TV, broadband and phone bills

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