• Complaints fell to six per 100,000 customers in Q1 2026, compared with a peak of 40 in 2011

• TalkTalk recorded 10 complaints per 100,000, while faults, service and provisioning made up 39% of industry cases


The fact

Complaints to Ofcom about the UK’s major fixed-broadband providers fell to six per 100,000 customers in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest rate since records began. This was down from a peak of 40 per 100,000 in 2011. TalkTalk remained the most complained-about provider, with 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, broadly unchanged from the previous quarter. Vodafone recorded eight, Virgin Media O2 and EE each recorded six, Sky recorded five and Plusnet recorded four.

Among the complaints received by Ofcom, faults, service, and provisioning accounted for the largest share at 39%. Complaint handling made up 26%, followed by billing, pricing and charging at 17%. The figures cover complaints made to the regulator and do not include every case submitted directly to providers or dispute-resolution services.

The assessment

Ofcom's data captures only complaints taken directly to the regulator, so the falling rate may reflect better problem prevention, earlier resolution, or providers handling issues before customers escalate. The category breakdown shows where friction persists. Faults and provisioning issues drive complaints; poor complaint handling leaves them unresolved and pushes customers to contact Ofcom. The data do not show whether the same customers appear in both categories, but the two are closely linked.

TalkTalk's higher rate suggests more of its customer problems still reach the regulator than at rivals. The useful comparison is therefore not how many faults occur, but how effectively each provider resolves them before escalation. For BTW readers, the lower market rate is encouraging, but providers still need to fix faults quickly and handle complaints well enough that customers do not feel the need to escalate.

What to watch

Watch whether the overall complaint rate stays at or below six per 100,000 customers next quarter, and whether TalkTalk narrows the gap with its rivals. The category breakdown will also show whether service faults and complaint handling remain the main reasons customers contact Ofcom.