Telecoms complaints fall in spring as pay-TV grievances drop, Ofcom figures show
The regulator's quarterly figures cover broadband, landline, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV for April to June. Faults and slow connections remain the most common reasons people complain.
The number of complaints Ofcom received about phone, broadband and pay-TV companies fell between April and June compared with the previous three months, according to figures the regulator published on Monday.
Ofcom said the fall came from pay-TV. Complaint levels for broadband, landline and pay-monthly mobile stayed broadly flat.
The regulator publishes the figures every quarter so that people can compare providers before signing a contract. It ranks the largest companies by the number of complaints it receives for every 100,000 subscribers, so providers of very different sizes can be compared.
What people complained about
Across broadband, landline and mobile, the most common reasons for complaining were faults, the quality of service and delays in getting a service up and running. For pay-TV, the main issue was how providers dealt with complaints once they had been made. Ofcom's report lists the figures for each provider, service by service.
How to take a complaint further
Ofcom does not handle individual disputes. The first step is always to complain to the provider, keeping a note of dates and any reference numbers.
If the problem is not sorted out, customers can take it to an independent alternative dispute resolution scheme. Every phone and broadband provider must belong to one of two approved schemes, the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, and both are free for customers to use.
Since 8 April 2026 the usual wait before a complaint can be escalated has been six weeks, down from eight. A customer can go sooner if the provider sends a deadlock letter, which confirms that it will not take the matter further. The shorter wait applies to complaints first raised on or after that date.
