The latest data from UK regulator Ofcom reveals varying performances among major broadband providers in the country. TalkTalk, Vodafone, and EE ranked lowest in customer complaints, falling below the national average. Ofcom highlighted that these three companies generated the highest number of broadband complaints, with TalkTalk and Vodafone experiencing an increase in complaints compared to the previous quarter.
On the brighter side, Plusnet emerged as the least complained-about broadband provider, showcasing a significant difference in performance compared to its BT-owned counterpart, EE. Following Plusnet, Sky secured the second position for fewest issues, while Virgin Media showed notable improvement, now ranking as the third best in terms of customer complaints.
In a breakdown of complaints per 100,000 customers, Plusnet led with 4 complaints, followed by Sky with 6, and Virgin Media with 7. On the other hand, BT, Vodafone, and EE each received 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, with TalkTalk also at 10 complaints.
Ofcom’s monitoring extends beyond broadband, covering other services such as landline and pay-TV complaints. Utility Warehouse led in landline complaints with just 1 per 100,000 customers, while Sky, Virgin Media, and Vodafone performed well in this category. However, TalkTalk ranked lowest with 8 landline complaints per 100,000 customers.
Regarding TV complaints, TalkTalk received the fewest at 2 per 100,000 customers, followed by Sky with 3, Virgin Media with 5, and EE with 6. Notably, overall complaints regarding broadband, landline, mobile, and pay-TV remained consistent with previous figures, indicating stagnation in service improvement.
Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at uswitch.com, expressed concern over the lack of progress in the industry despite stable complaint volumes. He commended Plusnet for its exceptional performance and urged customers to assess their providers as annual price increases approach, emphasizing the importance of seeking value for money in service offerings.
