TalkTalk has been named the UK's most complained-about broadband provider for the third consecutive quarter, according to new data from Ofcom. The regulator's latest complaints figures cover the period from January to March 2026, revealing that TalkTalk received 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, a figure that has remained consistent across the last three quarters.
Overall complaints fall but broadband steady
While overall complaints across broadband, landline, and pay-TV services fell compared to the previous quarter (October to December 2025), grievances regarding fixed broadband remained at the same level. The industry average for broadband complaints stood at six per 100,000 customers, marking the lowest level ever recorded, down from seven in the preceding quarter.
For context, the highest recorded complaints average reached a peak of 40 per 100,000 back in 2011, according to the Express.
Reasons behind broadband complaints
The main reasons for broadband complaints were 'Faults, service and provisioning' (40%), 'Complaints handling' (27%), and 'Billing, pricing and charges' (19%), compared to industry averages of 39%, 26%, and 17% respectively.
Vodafone and BT follow
Vodafone came in as the second most complained-about provider with eight complaints per 100,000 customers, while BT took third place with seven complaints per 100,000.
At the opposite end of the rankings, Plusnet and Sky attracted the fewest complaints, receiving four and five complaints per 100,000 respectively.
Expert and provider responses
Ernest Doku, broadband and mobiles expert at Uswitch, commented: "Broadband is central to how we live now, so it matters that it just works. Most complaints remain around outages and service, a reminder that reliability alongside cost is what keeps customers consistently happy. A record low is a good lap, not a finish line."
He added: "TalkTalk remains the most complained-about broadband provider, Sky Mobile customers are struggling the most when trying to switch away, and EE and Virgin Media are still fielding the most pay-TV complaints."
Doku also noted: "Plusnet and Sky share the title of least complained-about broadband provider for the quarter, and Plusnet's recent Uswitch Telecoms Award customer service award win backs that up."
A TalkTalk spokesperson said: "We're in the middle of transforming our customer service to better identify and resolve the root causes of complaints, as well as improving how we talk to our customers when things go wrong. While we're naturally disappointed by these results, we continue to invest to deliver a better way to Wi-Fi for all our customers, and know that this is starting to benefit customers, which we expect to see reflected in future quarters."
