The Great British Broadband IQ Test
Ten questions, three minutes, and every answer checked against Ofcom or the company that sets the rule. It covers the facts that save households the most money, so even a low score leaves you better off.
The facts worth knowing are simple: you only contact your new provider to switch, out-of-contract customers pay £7 to £9 a month more, social tariffs start from £12 a month, and your provider owes you money when repairs run late.
What you will learn
- 1How switching works since September 2024
- 2What out-of-contract customers really pay
- 3The compensation and speed rights you already have
Why it matters
Most of what costs households money in broadband comes down to a handful of rules and numbers. Ofcom found that 28% of broadband customers were out of contract in June 2025, and that customers on a current deal paid £7 to £9 a month less. Knowing that alone is worth a phone call or a quick comparison.
The rest of this quiz covers the protections that sit behind every switch: One Touch Switch, the ban on inflation-linked price rises in new contracts, automatic compensation and the right to leave if your speed falls short. None of them work for you if you do not know they exist.
Every answer, explained
Spoilers below. Play first, then open any question to see the answer, the reason and the source.
1. Since September 2024, who do you need to contact to switch broadband to a new provider?
Answer: Only the provider you are moving to
One Touch Switch went live on 12 September 2024. You order with your new provider, they arrange the switch, and your old service should stop automatically. More than 300 providers had signed up by September 2025.
2. In June 2025, roughly what share of UK broadband customers were out of contract?
Answer: 28%
Ofcom put it at 28%. In-contract customers spent £7 to £9 a month less than those who had let their deal roll over, so it is worth checking your end date.
Source: Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement, February 2026
3. On Ofcom's list, how much do the cheapest broadband social tariffs cost?
Answer: £12 a month
Ofcom's list runs from £12 to £25 a month for broadband. Social tariffs are for households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits.
Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs list
4. When is the old analogue landline network due to be retired?
Answer: 31 January 2027
Openreach has said the 31 January 2027 date will not move again. Calls move to digital voice over broadband, and Ofcom says you do not need to do anything until your provider contacts you.
Source: ISPreview, June 2026; Ofcom, Your landline is going digital This answer is reviewed by 31 January 2027.
5. In January 2026, what share of UK homes could order full fibre?
Answer: 82%
82%, or 24.9 million homes, according to Ofcom. That was 1.2 million more than six months earlier. 47% is the share of premises that have actually taken it up.
6. Your broadband breaks and the repair runs late. From 1 April 2026, what do providers in Ofcom's scheme pay for each extra day?
Answer: £10.34
£10.34 a day once the service is still not fixed after two full working days. Providers signed up to automatic compensation pay it without you having to claim.
Source: Ofcom, April 2026 compensation update; Ofcom, Automatic compensation This answer is reviewed by 31 May 2027.
7. What speed does Netflix recommend for one 4K Ultra HD stream?
Answer: 15 Mbps
15 Mbps or higher. Full HD needs 5 Mbps and HD 3 Mbps. A whole busy evening for most households comes to between 15 and 40 Mbps.
8. A 100 Mbps connection downloads a file at up to how many megabytes a second?
Answer: 12.5
Broadband is sold in megabits, and files are measured in megabytes. There are 8 bits in a byte, so 100 divided by 8 is 12.5 megabytes a second at most.
9. Since 17 January 2025, how must any price rise in a new broadband contract be shown?
Answer: In pounds and pence
Ofcom banned inflation-linked and percentage rises in new contracts. Any rise now has to be set out in pounds and pence, prominently, before you sign.
10. Your speed falls below your minimum guaranteed speed and your provider cannot fix it within 30 days. Under Ofcom's speeds code, what can you do?
Answer: Leave without an early exit fee
Providers signed up to Ofcom's Broadband Speeds Code of Practice must let you leave without an early exit fee if they cannot fix the problem within 30 days.
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Questions people ask
- How long does the broadband IQ test take?
- About three minutes. There are ten multiple choice questions, no timer unless you switch one on, and no sign-up.
- Where do the answers come from?
- Every answer is checked against Ofcom, Netflix, Citizens Advice or the BroadbandSwitch.uk Data Lab, and the sources are listed in full at the bottom of the page.
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How we checked this quiz
Every answer was checked on 9 November 2026 against the source listed with it, mostly Ofcom and the companies that publish the figures, and dated figures say when they apply. Questions that depend on a date, such as compensation amounts that rise each April, are hidden automatically once they pass their review date, so the quiz never shows an out-of-date answer. Your scores, badges and streaks are kept on this device only. Anonymous answer counts help us show how other players did, with no names or personal details.
References
- ISPreview. (2026, June 11). Openreach says no big bang in Jan 2027 when UK analogue phones switch off. https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/openreach-says-no-big-bang-in-jan-2027-when-uk-analogue-phones-switch-off.html
- Netflix. (n.d.). Netflix-recommended internet speeds. Netflix Help Center. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306
- Oak National Academy. (n.d.). Measurements of storage [Lesson]. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/programmes/computing-secondary-ks4-gcse-aqa/units/data-compression/lessons/measurements-of-storage
- Ofcom. (2024, July 19). Ofcom bans mid-contract price rises linked to inflation. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/ofcom-bans-mid-contract-price-rises-linked-to-inflation
- Ofcom. (2025, September 12). 1.6 million Brits hit switch on their broadband provider. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/switching-provider/1.6-million-brits-hit-switch-on-their-broadband-provider
- Ofcom. (2026, April 8). Quicker complaints resolution and more money in your pocket when things go wrong. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/accessibility/quicker-complaints-resolution-and-more-money-in-your-pocket-when-things-go-wrong
- Ofcom. (2026, February 26). New Ofcom research reveals how to cut phone and internet bills. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/new-ofcom-research-reveals-how-to-cut-phone-and-internet-bills
- Ofcom. (2026, May 13). Connected Nations update: Spring 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026
- Ofcom. (n.d.). Automatic compensation: What you need to know. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/automatic-compensation-need-know/
- Ofcom. (n.d.). Broadband speeds code of practice. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/broadband-speeds-code-practice
- Ofcom. (n.d.). Your landline is going digital: What you need to know. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/landline-phones/future-of-landline-calls
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