According to consumer group Which?, some of the UK’s biggest broadband providers are failing to deliver a good enough service. The research found that small alternative networks, known as alt-nets, offer better speeds, reliability, and value for money.
Common Problems and Worst Performers
The most frequent issue reported last year was connection dropouts, followed by slow speeds and service outages. In total, 91 percent of broadband customers said they had experienced problems with their service, meaning fewer than one in ten have never had a complaint.
Which? identified Sky as the worst for frequent dropouts that are quickly resolved, with 38 percent of respondents reporting such disruptions. Virgin Media also fared poorly: 30 percent of its customers experienced dropouts, despite paying the highest average bills among major providers. Slow download speeds affected a quarter of households, with nearly a third of Sky customers saying their speeds were not adequate.
Top Performers
Smaller providers performed significantly better. Zen Internet stood out, with high proportions of customers saying they rarely or never encounter issues. Which? said this reflects its wider research showing smaller providers consistently outperform larger rivals on reliability, customer service, and value for money.
Which? Advice and Industry Response
Which? is urging households to check which suppliers are available in their area using the Ofcom broadband checker, and to switch if they are not getting good value. Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “For many broadband customers, these findings will come as no surprise. Our research consistently shows that larger providers are outshone by smaller rivals. Many of the biggest names in broadband have been letting customers down for too long. Delaying improvements and failing to offer a better service will only drive customers to companies that treat them better. Good-quality broadband isn’t a luxury - it is an essential. With plenty of competitive deals available, consumers have more power than ever to vote with their feet and switch.”
A Virgin Media spokesperson responded: “We’re investing millions of pounds every day to give our customers great services, with Ofcom’s latest official data showing Virgin Media is now the least-complained-about broadband provider, with complaints at record lows. Real-world independent data from Opensignal ranks Virgin Media top across every national broadband category – including download speed, upload speed, consistent quality, video experience and reliability – showing that in reality our customers benefit from the UK’s best broadband services.”
