How to Switch Broadband Provider in the UK

How One Touch Switch works

One Touch Switch (OTS) went live on 12 September 2024 and applies to all UK home broadband and landline providers — Openreach providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk and EE, Virgin Media’s cable network, and independent full-fibre networks such as CityFibre and Hyperoptic.

1. Choose a deal and sign up with the new provider

Compare speeds, prices and contract lengths available at your address. When you sign up, the new provider will ask for your address, your current provider, and your account details — plus your landline number if you want to keep it.

2. Your old provider sends you the switching information

Your new provider notifies your old provider through a shared industry switching hub. Your old provider has one working day to send you a document with the key facts: your disconnection date, any early termination charges, the cost of any equipment you must return, and any bundled services you will lose, such as an email address.

3. Review it, then decide

Read the switching information carefully. If the exit fees are too high, you can pull out — you have a 14-day cooling-off period from signing up with the new provider, during which you can cancel and stay put with no harm done.

4. The switch completes

The switch usually completes 10 to 14 days after you sign up. Your new provider does the line work, your old provider closes the old account, and your service should keep running throughout. On the day, plug in your new router and you are online.

What does switching cost?

Switching itself is free. The only cost is any early termination charge if you leave your current contract before it ends — your old provider must state this in the switching information before you commit. You should not be charged for notice-period charges beyond your switch date: once the new service starts, the old one should stop, and you should not pay for both.

Your rights if the switch goes wrong

Ofcom’s rules are on your side:

• Loss of service should not last more than one working day. If you are left without service for longer, your provider must compensate you.
• Automatic compensation: under Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, you are paid £9.76 a day for every day of total loss of service caused by either provider, plus £29.15 for each missed engineer appointment. Payments are credited automatically to your bill, usually within 30 days.
• If the switch cannot be matched: if your new provider cannot find your account on your old provider’s records, both providers must escalate the case rather than asking you to start again.

Check before you switch

• Check what speeds you can actually get. Use Ofcom’s free checker at checker.ofcom.org.uk — enter your postcode to see the fastest speeds available at your address. Full fibre, part fibre and cable give very different speeds, so check what “fibre” means in the deal you are buying.
• Check your contract end date. If you are out of contract, there is usually no exit fee. If you are still in contract, weigh the early termination charge against the saving.
• Keep your landline number. Tell your new provider you want to keep it when you sign up.
• Return old equipment. If your old provider asks for its router back, return it and keep proof of postage to avoid unreturned-equipment charges.

Social tariffs: cheaper broadband if you are on benefits

If you receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you might qualify for a social tariff — a cheaper broadband or phone deal with no mid-contract price rises, for people on lower incomes. Ask providers about their social tariff, or check Ofcom’s social tariff guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to contact my old broadband provider to switch?
No. Under One Touch Switch you only contact your new provider, and they handle the rest.

How long does it take to switch broadband?
Usually 10 to 14 days from signing up, with service running throughout.

Will I lose internet during the switch?
You should not be without service for more than one working day. If the loss lasts longer, you are entitled to automatic compensation.

Can I switch broadband if I am still in contract?
Yes, but you may have to pay an early termination charge. Your old provider must tell you the amount in the switching information before you commit.