Report: Complaints about broadband, landline, mobile and pay-TV services

As the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom receives complaints from customers about their landline, fixed broadband, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV services.

To better understand the reasons for dissatisfaction among residential customers in our sectors, we compile that data and determine the number of complaints received by provider and by service. To compare the performance of providers, on a quarterly basis we publish the number of complaints that we received about them relative to the size of their customer bases (i.e. per 100,000 customers).

Overall trends

In the quarter from April to June 2023 (Q2 2023), complaints to Ofcom remained at the same level as the previous quarter (Q1 2023: January to March 2023). Complaints about landline, fixed broadband, mobile pay-monthly and pay-TV all remained unchanged too.

• Vodafone was the most complained about broadband provider, seeing a substantial rise from the previous quarter. Customers’ complaints were mainly driven by their experience with faults, service and provisioning.
• TalkTalk, Shell Energy and Virgin Media were the most complained about landline providers. TalkTalk saw a small decrease, Shell Energy remained static and Virgin Media saw a small increase in their complaints per 100,000 subscribers since the previous quarter. Shell Energy’s complaints were mainly driven by customers’ experience with faults, service and provisioning while TalkTalk and Virgin’s complaints were mainly driven by how customers’ complaints were being handled.
• Sky again generated the fewest complaints per 100,000 subscribers in both broadband and landline.
• BT Mobile was the most complained-about mobile operator, with customers primarily complaining about how their complaints were being handled and issues changing provider. Sky Mobile, EE and Tesco Mobile received the fewest complaints in the mobile sector.
• BT and Virgin Media attracted the most complaints about pay-TV. BT’s complaints were mainly driven by customers’ experience with faults, service and provisioning while Virgin’s complaints were driven mainly by how customers’ complaints were being handled. Sky received the fewest pay-TV complaints.

See below for information about the comparability of certain providers’ number of complaints. Our background and methodology document (PDF, 219.4 KB) goes into more detail.

The chart below shows the relative volume of complaints we have received for broadband, landline, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV services. You can use the slider to filter by year.

Relative volume of complaints per service per 100,000 customers

Taking a year-on-year comparison, the relative volume of complaints for fixed broadband, fixed landline, mobile pay-monthly and pay-TV have all increased slightly.

League tables & key complaints

Fixed broadband

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Complaints October 2023_Broadband ENG

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Broadband complaints per 100,000 subscribers. It illustrates the providers receiving the fewest complaints at the top of the table and those receiving the most complaints are placed at the bottom of the table.

Complaints October 2023_Broadband drivers ENG

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Reasons for complaining about broadband services. It shows the key complaints drivers for the industry average and the worst-performing provider.

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Landline

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Complaints October 2023_Landline ENG

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Landline complaints per 100,000 subscribers. It illustrates the providers receiving the fewest complaints at the top of the table and those receiving the most complaints are placed at the bottom of the table.

Complaints October 2023_Landline drivers ENG

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Reasons for complaining about landline services. It shows the key complaints drivers for the industry average and the worst-performing provider.

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Pay-monthly mobile

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Complaints October 2023_Mobile ENG

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Mobile complaints per 100,000 subscribers. It illustrates the providers receiving the fewest complaints at the top of the table and those receiving the most complaints are placed at the bottom of the table.

Complaints October 2023_Mobile drivers ENG

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Reasons for complaining about mobile services. It shows the key complaints drivers for the industry average and the worst-performing provider.

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Pay-TV

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Complaints October 2023_Pay TV ENG

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Pay TV complaints per 100,000 subscribers. It illustrates the providers receiving the fewest complaints at the top of the table and those receiving the most complaints are placed at the bottom of the table.

Complaints October 2023_Pay-TV drivers ENG

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Reasons for complaining about pay-TV services. It shows the key complaints drivers for the industry average and the worst-performing provider.

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Comparability of complaints per 100,000 subscribers

Where the actual measurable difference between providers’ number of complaints per 100,000 customers is less than 1, we consider their results to be comparable. Within the following sectors, we consider the listed providers to be comparable:

Fixed broadband:

1. Industry Average, NOW Broadband and BT;
2. NOW Broadband, BT and Shell Energy.

Landline:

1. EE and Plusnet;
2. Plusnet, Industry Average, BT and NOW Broadband;
3. BT, NOW Broadband and Vodafone;
4. Virgin Media, Shell Energy and TalkTalk Group

Pay-monthly mobile:

1. Sky Mobile, EE and Tesco Mobile;
2. Tesco Mobile, Vodafone, Industry Average and Three;
3. Industry Average, Three and iD Mobile;
4. Three, iD Mobile, O2 and Virgin Mobile.

Pay-TV:

1. TalkTalk and Industry Average;
2. Virgin Media and BT.

Overall complaints by sector

The chart below shows complaints for all providers in each of the four sectors.

Comparing different providers

To compare two or more providers’ performance, select the service and then the providers you want to compare from the lists on the right.

Complaints by provider

Compare complaints for a provider across multiple sectors by using the options on the right.

More information

The underlying data is available in CSV format (CSV, 12.9 KB). We also include overall trend data for pay-as-you-go mobile complaints.

You can also read the report's background and methodology (PDF, 219.4 KB).

Older reports

• Telecoms and pay TV complaints Q1 2023
• Telecoms and pay TV complaints Q4 2022
• Telecoms and pay TV complaints Q3 2022
• Telecoms and pay TV complaints Q2 2022
• Telecoms and pay TV complaints Q1 2022

Older reports are available via the National Archives.