How to Switch Broadband Provider in the UK (2026)

One Touch Switch means most UK home broadband customers only contact the provider they are joining. The new provider asks for your address and current-provider details, matches the existing service, tells the old provider and arranges the transfer. Your old broadband should end automatically after the new service starts, unless you deliberately choose to manage the two contracts yourself. A house move is different: use the moving house broadband checklist if you need overlap between the old and new addresses, because Ofcom says One Touch Switch does not apply when you manage that cancellation yourself.

Ofcom introduced the cross-network process on 12 September 2024. It applies when moving between participating fixed broadband networks, not just between providers using the same Openreach line. A first full-fibre installation or a move to a different network can still require an engineer, new wiring or drilling. Your new provider must explain those steps before the start date.

Ofcom closed its dedicated One Touch Switch enforcement programme on 11 June 2026, around three years after opening it when providers missed the original legal deadline. The regulator found the majority of customers now switch successfully using the process, with more than 2 million having used it, and that providers previously attempting workarounds had stopped doing so. In practice this changes little day to day, but it confirms One Touch Switch as the industry's permanent standard rather than a still-bedding-in process, with Ofcom now able to take targeted action against any individual provider found to be obstructing it.

Broadband switching process at a glance

Step 1: Check your contract end date and exit charge

Start with your bill, online account or end-of-contract message. Ofcom says broadband contracts are commonly 12, 18 or 24 months. Providers must send an end-of-contract notification by text, email or letter between 10 and 40 days before the minimum term ends. It must state the end date, notice period, current and post-contract price and the provider's best available deals.

If the minimum term has ended, you can normally leave without an early termination charge. If it has not, ask the old provider for the exact charge on your intended switch date. Do not estimate it as simply the monthly bill multiplied by the months left. Providers use contract-specific calculations that can account for VAT, avoided costs, discounts and bundled products.

A mid-contract switch can still make sense if the new provider offers a switching credit or the saving across the new minimum term exceeds the confirmed exit charge. Compare like with like: exit charge plus setup cost plus every scheduled monthly price against the full cost of staying. Our broadband contract end rights guide explains the notice and tariff information you should receive. If a mobile discount depends on keeping the old broadband, check our broadband and mobile bundle guide before starting either switch.

Step 2: Compare broadband available at your address

Broadband availability and speed can change between neighbouring streets and flats, so a national headline offer is not enough. Use an address-level broadband comparison, then verify the package summary supplied by the provider before ordering. We would start with total contract cost and the guaranteed or estimated speed for the address, not a gift card or an advertised maximum.

Check these points for every shortlisted deal:

• Total price: monthly charges across the minimum term, stated in-contract rises, setup or activation charges and delivery fees.
• Address-specific speed: the download and upload estimate, plus any minimum guaranteed access-line speed the provider gives you.
• Technology and work: FTTP, cable, fixed wireless or another connection, and whether an engineer needs access to the property.
• Contract length: a longer term can reduce flexibility even where the first-month price is lower.
• Router and support: delivery date, whole-home Wi-Fi options, fault contact routes and any equipment charge on departure.
• Price after the term: set a reminder before the minimum term ends rather than drifting onto a higher rolling price.

Use our broadband speed guide if the estimates are hard to compare. Customers receiving Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit should also check broadband social tariffs before taking an ordinary commercial offer.

Step 3: Order from the new provider

Sign up with the gaining provider and say which provider currently supplies the address. Use the account holder's name and address exactly as they appear on the old bill because mismatched details can stop the automated match. The old provider then sends information about the proposed switch, including any early termination charge and services that may be affected.

Do not separately cancel the old broadband during a normal One Touch Switch. Ofcom says the old service ends automatically once the new service is working. A separate cancellation can turn a coordinated transfer into a cease-and-reprovide order, creating avoidable downtime or risking a landline number.

You can choose to manage the switch yourself if you need both connections to overlap, perhaps because uninterrupted access is essential for home working. Tell the new provider when ordering and cancel the old contract separately only after agreeing the plan. One Touch Switch protections do not apply to that self-managed route.

Step 4: Confirm phone, TV, email and accessibility needs

Broadband may sit inside a bundle whose parts do not all transfer. Ask the new and old providers to identify what happens to paid TV, call packages, mobile discounts, security products and extra Wi-Fi equipment. Ofcom says the old provider should explain any services that need separate cancellation. Paying the final broadband bill does not necessarily cancel an attached TV contract.

If you want to keep a landline number, request the transfer during the new order and get confirmation before switch day. Citizens Advice says customers should generally be able to keep a number when changing landline provider unless moving house, but compatibility matters. A broadband-only package or a provider without a suitable digital voice service may not accept the number.

Move away from an old provider-hosted email address before switching if continued access is uncertain. Update banking, government and recovery accounts first, export important messages and give contacts a provider-independent email address. People who rely on a personal alarm, medical device or landline during power cuts should tell the new provider before ordering and confirm how the equipment works with a digital phone service. Use our Digital Voice guide to check provider names, handset setup and power-cut arrangements.

Step 5: Prepare for switch day and close the old account

The new provider gives you a start date and tells you whether an engineer is needed. Keep the old router connected until instructed, but unpack the new equipment early and check that the cables and power supply are present. If an engineer needs access, confirm the appointment window and any landlord permission required for drilling or a new fibre entry point.

Once the replacement service works, test it over Ethernet or close to the router, then check phone service if included. Read the old provider's final bill for the switch date, early termination charge, account credit and any unreturned-equipment fee. Return rented routers, TV boxes or Wi-Fi discs using the provider's stated method and keep the postage receipt. Deadlines differ, so use the instructions sent for your account rather than assuming a universal 30-day period.

How long does it take to switch broadband?

Around 10 working days is a useful planning estimate for a straightforward transfer and is the timeframe currently cited by MoneySavingExpert. It is not a universal Ofcom deadline for completing every order. A new FTTP connection, network change, wayleave, engineer visit or address-matching problem can extend the lead time, so the provider's confirmed activation date is the date to plan around.

The firmer consumer protection concerns disruption on the transfer day. Ofcom says loss of service during a provider-led switch must not last longer than one working day. The new provider must keep you informed and compensate you if the switch goes wrong. Do not cancel essential mobile backup until the fixed connection and any digital phone are tested.

What to do if the broadband switch goes wrong

Contact the new provider first about a delayed activation, failed match or missed installation because it owns the switching order. Keep order confirmations, promised dates, appointment messages and screenshots of service status. Contact the old provider too if it continues billing after the completed switch or closes a service that was meant to remain active.

Ofcom's voluntary Automatic Compensation Scheme covers named residential providers. At the rates verified on 23 August 2026, a delayed start earns £6.46 for each calendar day after the promised date, and a missed engineer appointment or cancellation with less than 24 hours' notice earns £32.31. A reported total loss of service not repaired after two full working days earns £10.34 for each qualifying calendar day. Check that your provider participates and that no exclusion applies.

If payment or a fix does not arrive, use the provider's formal complaints process. Ofcom does not resolve individual complaints, but its guidance points unresolved cases to the provider's approved alternative dispute resolution scheme. Our broadband complaints and ombudsman guide explains the six-week escalation rule, deadlock letters and the evidence to submit.