Ofcom's advice on your next step

If you are looking for an internet service -
How do I switch from one ISP to another

Switching ‘to or from’ Cable

Switching ‘to Cable’ –

If you are moving your broadband service ‘to Cable’ then you can do so by simply ceasing your existing DSL-based service and separately ordering the new ‘Cable-based’ service. (I.e. Cease and re-provide). Alternatively you can wait until the new service is working before ceasing the old service. (I.e. Provide then Cease), although with this approach you will incur the increased cost of parallel working for a limited period.

No MAC or Letter Facilitation process applies in this scenario.

Switching ‘from Cable’

If you are intending to switch your telephone and broadband service ‘away from Cable’, you simply approach your chosen supplier(s) and order your new telephone & broadband services.

If you choose to order both services from one supplier, you should ask if they support the ‘Linked orders process’. If they do, you just need to place your order. You will not get any notification letter from your Cable provider advising that the telephone services are switching, you’ll just get a letter confirming your new order with your new provider.

If you decide to use different Service Providers (e.g. SP1 for telephone, SP2 for broadband), and they both support the ‘Linked orders process’, you should explain to the 1st supplier whom you approach (e.g. SP1 for telephone) that you are obtaining your broadband from another supplier (you do not have to say who) and that you will require both services to be delivered on the same day. This will prompt SP1 to give you a ‘Linked Order Reference Number’(LORN) which you must then give to your chosen Broadband supplier (SP2) as soon as possible in order for the 2 orders to be directly linked within the provisioning process.

If your chosen supplier(s) do not support the ‘Linked orders process’, you will need to follow the ‘Sequential orders process’ and order your new telephone service before ordering your broadband. Go to your chosen telephone service provider(s), and once the telephone line is live and working, order the broadband (you will not need a MAC).

In either of the above scenarios, based on how much downtime you are able to tolerate, and how much you are prepared to pay for the cost of parallel working, you are best placed to determine the most appropriate point in time to cease your existing ‘cable-based’ telephone and broadband services. Unlike with other switching processes, you will always have to contact your cable provider to cancel your services as they will not know that your new services have been provisioned.