{ "name": "The Telecoms Acronym Decoder", "publisher": "BroadbandSwitch.uk", "url": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html", "licence": "Free to reuse with attribution to BroadbandSwitch.uk", "editor": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewer": "Adrian James", "generated": "2026-07-22", "term_count": 645, "categories": { "10": "Providers, current", "11": "Providers, historic", "12": "Industry bodies", "13": "Online safety", "01": "Connection technology", "02": "Speed and performance", "03": "Switching and contracts", "04": "Regulation and policy", "05": "Network and wholesale", "06": "Voice and the switch-off", "07": "Money and market", "08": "Home network and kit", "09": "Consumer protection" }, "terms": [ { "id": "bands", "term": "2.4 GHz and 5 GHz", "expansion": "Wi-Fi bands", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The two common Wi-Fi frequencies: one travels further, the other carries more.", "long_definition": "The 2.4 GHz band passes through walls better and reaches further but is slower and heavily congested by neighbours and other devices. The 5 GHz band is faster and cleaner but has shorter range. Most routers run both under one network name and move devices between them automatically.", "why_it_matters": "A device stuck on the wrong band is one of the most common causes of unexplained slow Wi-Fi.", "example_in_context": "The laptop had latched onto 2.4 GHz and was capped well below the line speed.", "common_misconception": "That 5 GHz is always better. At the far end of a house, 2.4 GHz often wins.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wifi6", "wifi7", "band-steering", "ssid" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bands" }, { "id": "3gpp", "term": "3GPP", "expansion": "3rd Generation Partnership Project", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The partnership that writes the mobile standards behind 4G, 5G and their successors.", "long_definition": "3GPP unites regional standards bodies to develop mobile specifications, published in numbered releases. Each release defines what a network generation can do, which is why operators refer to release numbers when discussing new capabilities.", "why_it_matters": "When an operator says a feature is coming, they usually mean a standards release is arriving.", "example_in_context": "The capability depended on a specific 3GPP release being implemented.", "common_misconception": "That 5G is a single fixed specification. It evolves across successive releases.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "volte", "5g-sa", "etsi", "gsma" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "3GPP", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#3gpp" }, { "id": "4g-home", "term": "4G home broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A plug-in router using the 4G mobile network, with no installation required.", "long_definition": "A 4G home router works anywhere with adequate mobile coverage. Setup takes minutes, contracts are often short, and performance depends on signal and mast congestion. Many packages carry usage policies that fixed lines do not.", "why_it_matters": "It is the standard answer to needing broadband tomorrow rather than in three weeks.", "example_in_context": "The 4G router covered the four week gap before the fibre install.", "common_misconception": "That it needs a phone line. It needs nothing but power and signal.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "5g-home", "fwa", "fair-use-policy" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4G home broadband", "url": "/4g-home-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Mobile broadband as backup", "url": "/mobile-broadband-as-temporary-backup-while-you-wait-for-installation.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#4g-home" }, { "id": "modem-56k", "term": "56k and baud", "expansion": "V.90, V.92", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The final generation of dial-up modems, reaching around 56 kilobits per second.", "long_definition": "The last dial-up standards achieved roughly 56 kilobits downstream and less upstream, constrained by the analogue line. Baud, frequently used interchangeably, actually measures signalling rate rather than data rate, which is why the two figures diverged.", "why_it_matters": "A modern gigabit connection is roughly eighteen thousand times faster than this.", "example_in_context": "The connection reached around 50 kilobits in practice against a theoretical 56.", "common_misconception": "That baud and bits per second are the same. They diverged as modems improved.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "dial-up", "mbps", "adsl", "bit-vs-byte" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "ITU-T V-series recommendations", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#modem-56k" }, { "id": "5g-home", "term": "5G home broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Fixed wireless over the 5G network, capable of speeds rivalling fibre where coverage is strong.", "long_definition": "5G home broadband can deliver very high speeds where signal is good, with no installation and short contracts. Performance varies more than a fixed line, since it depends on distance to the mast, obstructions and how many others are using it.", "why_it_matters": "In a well-covered area it is a genuine alternative to fibre rather than a stopgap.", "example_in_context": "The 5G connection tested above 400 Mbps in a location with no fibre at all.", "common_misconception": "That 5G performance is consistent. It varies far more than a fixed line.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "4g-home", "fwa", "spectrum", "fair-use-policy" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "5G home broadband", "url": "/5g-home-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "4G and 5G deals", "url": "/4g-and-5g-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#5g-home" }, { "id": "999", "term": "999 access", "expansion": "Emergency call access", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The guaranteed ability to reach emergency services, which providers must maintain.", "long_definition": "Uninterrupted access to emergency services is a core regulatory obligation. As voice moves onto broadband, providers must ensure calls still connect and that caller location information remains available, which is a large part of why the migration is managed so cautiously.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single non-negotiable in the entire switch-off programme.", "example_in_context": "Emergency call access had to be demonstrated before the line was migrated.", "common_misconception": "That a VoIP line cannot reach 999. It can, and must.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "evac", "battery-backup", "digital-voice", "gc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions, emergency call access", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#999" }, { "id": "abtn", "term": "ABTN", "expansion": "Annual Best Tariff Notification", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The yearly reminder your provider must send telling you its cheapest available deal.", "long_definition": "Providers must contact out-of-contract customers once a year to point them at the best tariff they offer. It is a useful prompt, but it only covers that one provider's own range, so it tells you nothing about what a rival would charge you at the same address. Treat it as a reminder to shop around rather than an answer.", "why_it_matters": "An ABTN landing in your inbox is the clearest signal you are paying an out-of-contract price and could save by switching.", "example_in_context": "The ABTN said £38 a month was our best option, but three other providers were cheaper at the same postcode.", "common_misconception": "That the tariff named is the cheapest available anywhere. It is only the cheapest that provider sells.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ecn", "ooc", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#abtn" }, { "id": "access-point", "term": "Access point", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A Wi-Fi transmitter connected by cable, giving mesh-quality coverage without the compromise.", "long_definition": "An access point provides Wi-Fi in one area and connects back to the router by ethernet. Because the link to the network is wired, it avoids the throughput penalty of extenders and the backhaul weakness of wireless mesh nodes.", "why_it_matters": "Where a cable can be run, it beats every wireless coverage solution available.", "example_in_context": "A wired access point upstairs outperformed the wireless mesh it replaced.", "common_misconception": "That it is the same as an extender. The wired backhaul is the whole difference.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mesh", "extender", "ethernet", "backhaul" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#access-point" }, { "id": "account-number", "term": "Account and reference numbers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The identifiers a provider uses to find you, needed for almost every process.", "long_definition": "Providers identify accounts by number, and switching, complaints and fault reporting all move faster with it to hand. For a switch, the landline number or the address as the provider holds it is frequently what the process actually matches on.", "why_it_matters": "Having the account number and the address exactly as held avoids most failed switch requests.", "example_in_context": "The switch matched on the address exactly as the losing provider held it.", "common_misconception": "That your address as you write it will match. Records frequently differ.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "unable-to-switch", "address-record", "escalation", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#account-number" }, { "id": "account-recovery", "term": "Account recovery", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "How you get back into an account, and the weakest point in most people's security.", "long_definition": "Recovery options such as backup email addresses, phone numbers and security questions are frequently easier to compromise than the password itself. Keeping recovery contacts current, and using an address you still control, matters more than password complexity.", "why_it_matters": "An old recovery email you no longer control is a permanent way into your account.", "example_in_context": "The recovery address was an old provider address the user no longer controlled.", "common_misconception": "That a strong password is sufficient. Recovery routes bypass it entirely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "two-factor", "password-manager", "email-migration", "account-security" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#account-recovery" }, { "id": "acd", "term": "ACD", "expansion": "Automatic Call Distribution", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The system deciding which waiting call goes to which available person.", "long_definition": "Automatic call distribution queues incoming calls and allocates them by rules such as longest waiting, skill or priority. It is what produces the position in queue announcement and the reporting behind published answer times.", "why_it_matters": "It is why you are told you are seventh in the queue rather than simply left ringing.", "example_in_context": "The distribution rules routed technical calls to the specialist team first.", "common_misconception": "That queue position is an estimate. It is usually a real count.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ivr", "ccaas", "hunt-group", "pbx" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#acd" }, { "id": "activation-date", "term": "Activation date", "expansion": "Go-live date", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The day your new service starts working, and the day your contract clock begins.", "long_definition": "Activation is when the line is switched on rather than when you ordered or when an engineer visited. Billing, the minimum term and any cooling-off calculations key off this date, so it is the one worth writing down.", "why_it_matters": "Your contract end date is exactly this date plus the minimum term, which is what you need to time your next switch.", "example_in_context": "Activation fell on 3 May, so the 18 month term ran to 3 November the following year.", "common_misconception": "That the engineer visit is the activation date. Activation can follow it by a day or two.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "minimum-term", "activation-date", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#activation-date" }, { "id": "address-record", "term": "Address record", "expansion": "UPRN, address matching", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The database entry that has to exist before anyone can sell you broadband.", "long_definition": "Availability checks match a postcode and address against records held by network operators. Where a property is new, converted or subdivided, the record may be missing or wrong, and no order can proceed until it is corrected. Providers can raise a request to have it created.", "why_it_matters": "An address that no checker recognises is a records problem with a known fix, not a dead end.", "example_in_context": "The converted flat had no separate address record until one was raised.", "common_misconception": "That an unrecognised address means no network. Usually it means no record.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "new-build", "unable-to-switch", "rfs", "in-building-cabling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "New-build order delays", "url": "/new-build-broadband-delays-address-cannot-order-yet.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#address-record" }, { "id": "administration", "term": "Administration", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A formal insolvency process where control passes to an appointed administrator.", "long_definition": "Administration protects a business from creditors while an administrator seeks to rescue it or sell its assets. For a telecoms network there are additional obligations around continuity of service, because customers must not simply lose their connection.", "why_it_matters": "If your provider enters administration, your service does not usually stop overnight.", "example_in_context": "The administrator continued operating the network while a buyer was sought.", "common_misconception": "That administration means immediate shutdown. Continuity is normally maintained during a sale.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "distressed-sale", "covenant", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "If your provider goes bust", "url": "/what-happens-if-your-broadband-provider-goes-out-of-business.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#administration" }, { "id": "adoption", "term": "Adoption", "expansion": "Network adoption in new developments", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The formal handover of a developer's infrastructure to a network operator.", "long_definition": "On new developments, ducting is frequently laid by the builder and must then be inspected and adopted by an operator before services can be provisioned. Delays in adoption are a leading cause of new homes sitting unconnected long after occupation.", "why_it_matters": "It is the specific administrative step that leaves new estates without broadband for months.", "example_in_context": "The ducting was in the ground but not yet adopted, so no orders could proceed.", "common_misconception": "That infrastructure in the ground means service is available. Adoption comes first.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "new-build", "part-r", "rfs", "address-record" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "New-build order delays", "url": "/new-build-broadband-delays-address-cannot-order-yet.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#adoption" }, { "id": "adr", "term": "ADR", "expansion": "Alternative Dispute Resolution", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Independent resolution outside the courts, which every provider must offer access to.", "long_definition": "Providers must belong to an Ofcom-approved ADR scheme, either the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS. ADR is free to the customer, considers evidence from both sides and issues a decision that binds the provider if the customer accepts it.", "why_it_matters": "It puts an independent decision-maker between you and a provider that will not budge.", "example_in_context": "The case was referred to ADR after the provider issued a deadlock letter.", "common_misconception": "That ADR is arbitration you pay for. It is free to consumers and small businesses.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ombudsman", "cisas", "deadlock" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom approved ADR schemes", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#adr" }, { "id": "adsl2plus", "term": "ADSL2+", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The improved copper standard that took ADSL to around 24 Mbps at best.", "long_definition": "ADSL2+ widened the frequency range used on the copper line, raising the theoretical maximum to roughly 24 Mbps close to the exchange. Speeds still fell sharply with distance, and it was superseded by FTTC and then full fibre.", "why_it_matters": "If your speed sits somewhere below 24 Mbps on an old line, this is probably what you are on.", "example_in_context": "The line achieved 14 Mbps on ADSL2+ at that distance from the exchange.", "common_misconception": "That ADSL2+ is a fibre product. It is copper from the exchange.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "adsl", "fttc", "vdsl", "stop-sell" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "ADSL deals", "url": "/adsl-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "ITU-T G.992.5", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#adsl2plus" }, { "id": "affiliate-commission", "term": "Affiliate commission", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Payment a comparison service receives when someone signs up through it.", "long_definition": "Most comparison services earn commission on completed sales, which creates an obvious incentive to rank commercially favourable deals highly. Ofcom's accreditation scheme addresses this by requiring transparency about commercial relationships and how results are ordered.", "why_it_matters": "Understanding how a comparison site is paid tells you what to check in its rankings.", "example_in_context": "The accreditation required disclosure of commercial relationships and ranking methodology.", "common_misconception": "That comparison services are free to run. They are funded by the providers listed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dct", "ofcom", "headline-pricing", "tcv" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#affiliate-commission" }, { "id": "aggregation", "term": "Aggregation node", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Where traffic from many local connections is combined before heading to the core.", "long_definition": "Aggregation points collect traffic from access equipment across an area and hand it onward. Capacity here determines whether a whole neighbourhood slows at peak times, and it is a common location for congestion that individual line tests cannot reveal.", "why_it_matters": "A whole area slowing at the same time each evening points here rather than at your line.", "example_in_context": "Peak congestion traced to insufficient capacity at the aggregation point.", "common_misconception": "That evening slowdowns are always local contention. Aggregation capacity matters too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "backhaul", "core-network", "contention", "exchange" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#aggregation" }, { "id": "airtime", "term": "Airtime fairness", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Stopping one slow device from holding up everything else on the Wi-Fi.", "long_definition": "Wireless is shared, and a slow or distant device occupies airtime disproportionately while transmitting. Airtime fairness allocates time rather than turns, preventing one old device from degrading the whole network.", "why_it_matters": "One ageing device can slow everyone's Wi-Fi, and this is the setting that prevents it.", "example_in_context": "An old tablet at the edge of range was slowing the entire network until the setting was enabled.", "common_misconception": "That slow devices only affect themselves. On shared wireless they affect everyone.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "concurrent-devices", "channel", "qos", "wifi6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#airtime" }, { "id": "alarm-line", "term": "Alarm line", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A phone line dedicated to signalling from a monitored security or fire alarm.", "long_definition": "Monitored alarms have traditionally used a phone line to report to an alarm receiving centre. Because the line is used only occasionally and silently, alarm connections are among the easiest to overlook when a household migrates to digital voice.", "why_it_matters": "An alarm that cannot signal is an alarm that does nothing, and nothing visible tells you it has failed.", "example_in_context": "The alarm line was identified only when the installer audited the property before migration.", "common_misconception": "That the alarm will alert you if its line stops working. Many will not.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "arc", "dp3", "telecare", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Care alarms and switching", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#alarm-line" }, { "id": "altnet", "term": "Altnet", "expansion": "Alternative network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "A challenger provider building and running its own full fibre network.", "long_definition": "Altnets build their own fibre rather than reselling Openreach. The UK has an unusually large number of them, ranging from national builders to networks covering a single town. Their economics turn on take-up: passing a home costs money, connecting one earns it, and the gap between the two is why the sector is consolidating.", "why_it_matters": "An altnet at your address often means a cheaper, faster option than the household names, and frequently symmetric upload speeds.", "example_in_context": "Three altnets have built past the street, so there are five networks to choose from.", "common_misconception": "That altnets are smaller versions of the big providers. Many own infrastructure the incumbents rent.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "take-up", "premises-passed", "inca" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "All UK providers", "url": "/providers.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#altnet" }, { "id": "analogue-line", "term": "Analogue line", "expansion": "POTS, plain old telephone service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A traditional phone line carrying voice as an electrical signal, powered from the exchange.", "long_definition": "Analogue lines carry sound as a continuously varying electrical signal over copper, drawing power from the exchange rather than the home. That independence from household electricity is the property being lost in the migration to digital voice.", "why_it_matters": "Everything people value about an old landline, including working in a power cut, comes from this design.", "example_in_context": "The analogue line kept working through the power cut because it drew power from the exchange.", "common_misconception": "That analogue means poor quality. It means a different signalling method.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": "31 January 2027", "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "digital-voice", "battery-backup", "wlr" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#analogue-line" }, { "id": "anchor-tenant", "term": "Anchor tenant", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The large retail partner whose committed volume makes a wholesale network fundable.", "long_definition": "Lenders want certainty of demand before funding a build. An anchor tenant provides it by committing to sell over the network at scale, which secures financing but also concentrates the network's revenue on a single relationship.", "why_it_matters": "An anchor tenant is what turns a fibre plan into a funded build.", "example_in_context": "The build proceeded once an anchor tenant committed to retail volumes.", "common_misconception": "That an anchor tenant owns the network. It is a customer, not a shareholder.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "wholesale", "nexfibre", "cityfibre", "take-up" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#anchor-tenant" }, { "id": "annual-review", "term": "Annual broadband review", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The habit of checking your bill and options once a year, which is where the savings are.", "long_definition": "Setting a yearly reminder to check the contract end date, current price and available alternatives is the single most effective way to avoid out-of-contract pricing. It takes minutes and is the practical answer to the loyalty penalty.", "why_it_matters": "One diary entry a year is worth more than any amount of complaining about price rises.", "example_in_context": "An annual check caught the contract end date before the standard rate applied.", "common_misconception": "That your provider will alert you in time. Notifications are easily missed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ecn", "ooc", "loyalty-penalty", "recontracting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Compare deals by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#annual-review" }, { "id": "anonymous-call-rejection", "term": "Anonymous call rejection", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Blocking calls from numbers that are withheld.", "long_definition": "Anonymous call rejection refuses calls presenting no number, playing a message inviting the caller to withhold nothing and try again. Combined with network-level nuisance blocking it removes a substantial share of unwanted calls, and both are usually free.", "why_it_matters": "Two free settings together stop most unwanted calls reaching a vulnerable person's phone.", "example_in_context": "Withheld number rejection removed most remaining unwanted calls.", "common_misconception": "That it blocks all nuisance calls. Most now present a number, frequently a spoofed one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nuisance-calls", "caller-display", "call-barring", "number-spoofing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#anonymous-call-rejection" }, { "id": "antenna-orientation", "term": "Antenna orientation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "How external aerials are angled, which changes coverage more than most people expect.", "long_definition": "Wireless antennas radiate in a doughnut shape rather than evenly, so a vertical aerial covers the same floor well and the floor above poorly. Angling one antenna horizontally where a router has several improves coverage between storeys noticeably.", "why_it_matters": "Angling one aerial differently is a free fix for poor upstairs coverage.", "example_in_context": "Angling one antenna horizontally improved coverage on the floor above.", "common_misconception": "That antennas radiate equally in all directions. Orientation matters considerably.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router-placement", "rssi", "beamforming", "mesh" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#antenna-orientation" }, { "id": "aol-uk", "term": "AOL UK", "expansion": "America Online UK", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Dial-up giant turned broadband provider, bought by Carphone Warehouse in 2006 for £370 million.", "long_definition": "AOL was one of the defining names of consumer internet access in the UK. Carphone Warehouse announced the acquisition of AOL's UK access business on 10 October 2006 for £370 million, completing on 9 December 2006. The deal brought over two million customers and made the buyer the largest local loop unbundling operator in the UK. The base was ultimately folded into TalkTalk.", "why_it_matters": "If your email address still ends in aol.com, this is why, and the broadband it came with is long gone.", "example_in_context": "Carphone Warehouse completed the £370 million purchase of AOL's UK access business in December 2006.", "common_misconception": "That AOL still sells UK broadband. It does not.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "talktalk", "tiscali" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "TalkTalk broadband deals", "url": "/talktalk-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#aol-uk" }, { "id": "app-permissions", "term": "App permissions", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "What an application is allowed to access, which is frequently far more than it needs.", "long_definition": "Applications request access to location, camera, microphone, contacts and files. Many requests exceed what the application actually requires, and permissions can be reviewed and revoked at any time without removing the application.", "why_it_matters": "Reviewing permissions on a child's device is more revealing than checking browsing history.", "example_in_context": "The review found several applications with location access they did not need.", "common_misconception": "That permissions granted at install are permanent. They can be revoked at any time.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "privacy", "device-controls", "location-sharing", "family-account" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Apple Screen Time guide", "url": "/online-safety/apple-screen-time/" }, { "anchor": "Google Family Link guide", "url": "/online-safety/google-family-link/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#app-permissions" }, { "id": "ombudsman-services", "term": "Approved scheme membership", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "Which adjudication scheme a provider belongs to, which you do not get to choose.", "long_definition": "Every provider must belong to one of the approved schemes, and which one determines where an unresolved dispute goes. Providers must tell you which scheme applies, and it is stated in the contract information and complaints procedure.", "why_it_matters": "You cannot choose your adjudicator, so check which scheme your provider uses.", "example_in_context": "The complaints procedure identified which approved scheme applied.", "common_misconception": "That you choose the ombudsman. Your provider's membership determines it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "ombudsman", "cisas", "complaints-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom approved ADR schemes", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ombudsman-services" }, { "id": "arc", "term": "ARC", "expansion": "Alarm Receiving Centre", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The staffed centre a telecare pendant calls when someone presses the button.", "long_definition": "When a personal alarm or telecare pendant is triggered, it dials an alarm receiving centre where trained operators answer and arrange help. The switch from analogue phone lines to digital voice changes how those calls are carried, which is why the migration has protected rules for households with telecare.", "why_it_matters": "If anyone in your home relies on a pendant alarm, tell your provider before you switch so the connection is tested.", "example_in_context": "The engineer called the ARC to confirm the pendant still connected after the line was migrated.", "common_misconception": "That a pendant will work regardless. Some older units do not survive the move to digital voice without checks.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "telecare", "digital-voice", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching with a care alarm", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#arc" }, { "id": "area-code", "term": "Area code", "expansion": "Dialling code", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The geographic prefix on a landline number, which limits where it can be transferred.", "long_definition": "UK landline numbers carry a geographic code tied to an area. That is why a number can normally be kept when switching provider but not when moving to a different part of the country, since the number belongs to the area rather than to you.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why a long-held number can move between providers but not between towns.", "example_in_context": "The number transferred between providers but could not follow the move to another region.", "common_misconception": "That a landline number is portable anywhere. Geography constrains it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "number-porting", "home-move", "digital-voice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" }, { "anchor": "Moving home broadband", "url": "/moving-home-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#area-code" }, { "id": "arpu", "term": "ARPU", "expansion": "Average Revenue Per User", "pronunciation": "AR-poo", "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What a provider earns per customer per month, the standard gauge of pricing power.", "long_definition": "ARPU divides revenue by connected customers. Analysts watch it because it separates growth that comes from winning customers from growth that comes from charging existing ones more. A network adding customers while ARPU falls is buying market share; one holding ARPU while volumes flatten is leaning on price.", "why_it_matters": "Rising sector ARPU alongside flat speeds is the statistical fingerprint of the loyalty penalty.", "example_in_context": "Take-up grew 18% while ARPU slipped, so revenue barely moved.", "common_misconception": "That high ARPU means a better service. It measures money collected, not value delivered.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "ebitda", "take-up", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Average UK broadband cost", "url": "/average-monthly-broadband-cost-explained.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#arpu" }, { "id": "asn", "term": "AS number", "expansion": "Autonomous System Number", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The unique identifier for a network that routes its own traffic on the internet.", "long_definition": "Each independently routed network holds an autonomous system number, allocated by a regional registry. It identifies the network in routing announcements and is what allows one operator to distinguish another's traffic from anyone else's.", "why_it_matters": "It is the number that identifies your provider's network in the internet's routing table.", "example_in_context": "The network announced its address ranges under its own autonomous system number.", "common_misconception": "That every company has one. Only networks routing their own traffic do.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "bgp", "ripe", "peering", "ip-address" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "RIPE NCC", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#asn" }, { "id": "asa", "term": "ASA", "expansion": "Advertising Standards Authority", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The advertising regulator, which polices how broadband speeds and the word fibre are used.", "long_definition": "The ASA rules on whether advertising is misleading, including speed claims and the description of part-copper products as fibre. Its rulings have shaped how UK providers must express speeds, which is why adverts now quote an average available to at least half of customers at peak time.", "why_it_matters": "The reason speed adverts are worded so carefully is a series of ASA rulings.", "example_in_context": "The complaint about a fibre claim on a part-copper product went to the ASA.", "common_misconception": "That the ASA sets telecoms rules. It regulates the advertising, not the service.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cap-code", "average-speed", "full-fibre-term", "speeds-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "Advertising Standards Authority", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#asa" }, { "id": "asymmetric", "term": "Asymmetric speed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Download much faster than upload, the standard arrangement on most UK packages.", "long_definition": "Asymmetric provisioning assumes households consume far more than they send, an assumption that predates video calling, cloud backup and home working. On copper it is a technical constraint; on fibre it is usually a product decision.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a 500 Mbps package can still struggle to upload a large file quickly.", "example_in_context": "The package offered 500 Mbps down and 70 Mbps up.", "common_misconception": "That a fast download implies a fast upload. Frequently it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "symmetric", "upload-speed", "adsl", "fttc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#asymmetric" }, { "id": "ata", "term": "ATA", "expansion": "Analogue Telephone Adapter", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A small box letting an ordinary phone work on a digital voice line.", "long_definition": "An analogue telephone adapter converts between a traditional handset and internet-based voice, either as a standalone unit or built into the router as a telephone socket. It is why an old phone can plug into a router and work normally.", "why_it_matters": "It is the component that saves you replacing every phone in the house.", "example_in_context": "The old handset plugged into the adapter built into the router.", "common_misconception": "That digital voice needs a special phone. An adapter handles ordinary ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "voip", "handset-compatibility", "router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ata" }, { "id": "attenuation", "term": "Attenuation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Signal loss over distance, the fundamental limit on copper and a minor one on fibre.", "long_definition": "Attenuation is the weakening of a signal as it travels. On copper it rises sharply with distance and frequency, which is what caps FTTC speeds. On fibre it is very low, which is why full fibre performance does not depend on how far you sit from the exchange.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single physical reason copper speeds vary by address and fibre speeds do not.", "example_in_context": "Attenuation on the long copper run capped the achievable speed well below the package.", "common_misconception": "That fibre has no loss. It has very little, which is the point.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "vdsl", "fttp", "snr", "splice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#attenuation" }, { "id": "auto-renewal", "term": "Auto-renewal", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "A contract that continues automatically unless you actively stop it.", "long_definition": "Many services roll into a further term or onto standard pricing unless cancelled. In broadband the roll is usually onto a monthly standard rate rather than a new fixed term, which is what produces the out-of-contract premium.", "why_it_matters": "Automatic continuation on standard rates is the mechanism behind most overpaying.", "example_in_context": "The contract rolled onto standard monthly pricing without any new agreement.", "common_misconception": "That a contract ending means the service stopping. It usually means the price rising.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ooc", "ecn", "dmcca", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#auto-renewal" }, { "id": "automatic-compensation", "term": "Automatic compensation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Money your provider must pay you, without being asked, when things go wrong.", "long_definition": "Under Ofcom's scheme, participating providers pay set daily amounts for a delayed repair, a missed engineer appointment or a delayed start of service. The payments are meant to arrive as bill credits without you having to claim. The rates are reviewed and rose in April 2026.", "why_it_matters": "Most people never notice they are owed it. Check your bill after any outage or missed appointment.", "example_in_context": "Six days without service triggered a credit at the daily delayed repair rate.", "common_misconception": "That you have to apply. Participating providers are supposed to pay it automatically.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "ombudsman", "cisas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom automatic compensation scheme, rates effective April 2026", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#automatic-compensation" }, { "id": "auto-update", "term": "Automatic firmware updates", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Whether your router patches itself, and how long the manufacturer promises to keep doing so.", "long_definition": "Provider-supplied routers normally update automatically. Retail models vary, and support periods end, after which no further security fixes arrive. Manufacturers must now publish how long a product will receive updates, which is worth checking before buying.", "why_it_matters": "A router past its support period stops receiving security fixes entirely.", "example_in_context": "The published support period showed updates would cease within two years.", "common_misconception": "That a working router remains safe indefinitely. Support periods end.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "firmware", "psti", "byo-router", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#auto-update" }, { "id": "background-usage", "term": "Background usage", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Updates, backups and syncing consuming a connection without anyone using it.", "long_definition": "Operating system updates, game patches, cloud syncing and camera uploads run without prompting and can occupy a connection entirely. Scheduling them outside busy hours resolves a large share of complaints about evening performance.", "why_it_matters": "A game downloading a 90 GB update is why the video call broke, not the broadband.", "example_in_context": "A large game update was consuming the connection during the video call.", "common_misconception": "That an idle household uses no bandwidth. Background activity can saturate a line.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "off-peak", "usage-monitoring", "qos", "upload-saturation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#background-usage" }, { "id": "backhaul", "term": "Backhaul", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The link carrying traffic behind the scenes, whether inside your home or across a network.", "long_definition": "In a home mesh, backhaul is the connection between nodes. In a network, it is the capacity between local equipment and the core. In both cases it is the invisible link that determines whether the visible connection performs.", "why_it_matters": "A mesh with weak backhaul between nodes will disappoint no matter how good the individual units are.", "example_in_context": "Running ethernet backhaul between the mesh nodes doubled throughput at the far node.", "common_misconception": "That backhaul only matters to operators. It decides how well your mesh works too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mesh", "ethernet", "contention" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#backhaul" }, { "id": "backhaul-capacity", "term": "Backhaul capacity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "How much bandwidth links local equipment to the wider network.", "long_definition": "Backhaul carries combined traffic from local access equipment to the core. Under-provisioned backhaul produces area-wide slowdowns at peak that no amount of upgrading an individual line will fix, and it is a recurring constraint for smaller networks growing quickly.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a network can offer gigabit packages and still slow every evening.", "example_in_context": "Gigabit packages performed poorly at peak because backhaul had not kept pace.", "common_misconception": "That advertised speed guarantees the network behind it. Backhaul is the constraint.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "backhaul", "aggregation", "contention", "core-network" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#backhaul-capacity" }, { "id": "backup", "term": "Backup", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "A separate copy of your data that survives loss, theft or ransomware.", "long_definition": "A useful backup is separate from the original, taken automatically and tested occasionally. Cloud backup handles the first two conditions and depends on upload speed, which is why a slow upload becomes a genuine problem once a household starts backing up photographs and video.", "why_it_matters": "It is the one household upload task that reveals how asymmetric your connection really is.", "example_in_context": "The first full cloud backup took several days on a slow upload connection.", "common_misconception": "That syncing is backup. A deleted file syncs the deletion everywhere.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ransomware", "upload-speed", "symmetric", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#backup" }, { "id": "band-steering", "term": "Band steering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The router deciding which Wi-Fi band each device should use.", "long_definition": "Band steering keeps one network name while moving devices between frequencies based on signal and load. It works well most of the time, and occasionally strands a device on a slower band, which is why some routers let you split the bands into separate network names.", "why_it_matters": "If one device is persistently slow while others are fine, band steering is a good first suspect.", "example_in_context": "Splitting the bands into separate names fixed the printer that kept dropping off.", "common_misconception": "That it is a fault when it misbehaves. It is a trade-off between simplicity and control.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "bands", "ssid", "router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#band-steering" }, { "id": "bandwidth", "term": "Bandwidth", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The total capacity of a connection, shared across everything using it at once.", "long_definition": "Bandwidth is how much can flow at once rather than how quickly any single thing arrives. A household streaming, gaming and video calling simultaneously divides the same capacity between them, which is why the number of people matters as much as the headline speed.", "why_it_matters": "For a busy household, capacity matters more than raw speed for any one device.", "example_in_context": "Four simultaneous 4K streams consumed a substantial share of the available bandwidth.", "common_misconception": "That bandwidth and speed are identical. Bandwidth is capacity; speed is what you experience.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "contention", "mbps" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for large households", "url": "/broadband-for-large-households.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bandwidth" }, { "id": "battery-backup", "term": "Battery backup", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A power unit keeping your phone working in a power cut once the line runs through the router.", "long_definition": "An analogue phone drew power from the exchange and worked in a blackout. A digital voice line depends on your router, which depends on mains electricity. Providers offer battery backup units to customers who need a resilient connection, typically those without a mobile or with telecare in the home.", "why_it_matters": "If you have no mobile signal at home, this is the difference between having a phone in a power cut and not.", "example_in_context": "The household received a battery backup unit before the line was migrated.", "common_misconception": "That every home gets one automatically. You usually have to be identified as needing it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "pstn", "vulnerability", "999" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#battery-backup" }, { "id": "bdas", "term": "BDUK", "expansion": "Building Digital UK", "pronunciation": "BEE-duck", "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The government body running broadband subsidy, including Project Gigabit.", "long_definition": "BDUK is the executive agency responsible for delivering public funding into places the market will not reach commercially. It runs Project Gigabit contracts and the voucher schemes, and sits within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.", "why_it_matters": "If you live somewhere rural, a BDUK contract is often the reason fibre eventually arrives.", "example_in_context": "The village was covered by a BDUK regional contract rather than a commercial build.", "common_misconception": "That BDUK builds networks. It funds and contracts others to build them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "dsit", "gbvs", "project-gigabit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bdas" }, { "id": "be-broadband", "term": "Be Broadband", "expansion": "Be There / Be Un Limited", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "ADSL2+ pioneer founded in 2005, bought by O2 in 2006 and sold on to Sky in 2013.", "long_definition": "Be Unlimited, also trading as Be There, was founded in 2005 by Boris Ivanovic and Dana Tobak and was among the first UK ISPs to build an unbundled ADSL2+ network, making it faster and more flexible than BT-based rivals. Telefónica bought it in 2006 for £50 million. BSkyB acquired the combined O2 and Be fixed-line business in March 2013 for £180 million plus a further £20 million on migration, cleared by the Office of Fair Trading on 16 May 2013. Customers were fully migrated by 2014.", "why_it_matters": "Former Be customers ended up at Sky, and the brand no longer exists.", "example_in_context": "The Office of Fair Trading cleared the Sky purchase of the O2 and Be fixed-line business on 16 May 2013.", "common_misconception": "That Be still trades under another name. The brand was retired in 2014.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sky", "llu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Sky broadband deals", "url": "/sky-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia, ISPreview and Office of Fair Trading decision, 2013", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#be-broadband" }, { "id": "beamforming", "term": "Beamforming", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Focusing a wireless signal toward a device rather than broadcasting evenly.", "long_definition": "Beamforming shapes transmission toward where a device actually is, improving signal strength and reducing interference elsewhere. It requires support at both ends and is standard on recent Wi-Fi generations and in mobile networks.", "why_it_matters": "It is part of why a modern router outperforms an older one at the same nominal speed.", "example_in_context": "The router directed signal toward the device rather than radiating evenly.", "common_misconception": "That routers broadcast equally in all directions. Modern ones steer.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mimo", "wifi6", "wifi7", "rssi" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#beamforming" }, { "id": "befibre", "term": "BeFibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre provider operating across parts of northern England.", "long_definition": "BeFibre sells full fibre broadband in its northern England footprint, selling direct to households.", "why_it_matters": "Within its coverage it competes directly on price with the national brands.", "example_in_context": "BeFibre offered gigabit service at the address before the incumbent did.", "common_misconception": "That the household names always arrive first. Regularly they do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "footprint" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "BeFibre deals", "url": "/befibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#befibre" }, { "id": "bgp", "term": "BGP", "expansion": "Border Gateway Protocol", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The protocol networks use to tell each other how to reach parts of the internet.", "long_definition": "BGP exchanges routing information between independent networks, deciding the path traffic takes across the internet. It operates largely on trust, which is why misconfigurations at one operator have occasionally disrupted services worldwide.", "why_it_matters": "When a large chunk of the internet goes dark for an hour, this is usually involved.", "example_in_context": "A routing announcement error briefly made the service unreachable from several networks.", "common_misconception": "That internet routing is centrally managed. It is negotiated between thousands of networks.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "asn", "peering", "transit", "linx" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "IETF standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bgp" }, { "id": "billing-cycle", "term": "Billing cycle", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The monthly period your bill covers, set when the account opened.", "long_definition": "The billing cycle is fixed by activation date rather than the calendar month, which is why bills arrive mid month and why switching part way through produces partial charges at both ends. Some providers allow the date to be moved.", "why_it_matters": "Aligning the billing date with payday is possible with most providers and rarely offered.", "example_in_context": "The cycle ran from the eleventh, reflecting the original activation date.", "common_misconception": "That billing follows the calendar month. It follows your activation date.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pro-rata", "final-bill", "activation-date", "overlap-billing" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#billing-cycle" }, { "id": "billing-error", "term": "Billing error", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "A charge that should not be there, and the most common single complaint in telecoms.", "long_definition": "Billing disputes cover charges for services not received, promotional prices not applied, incorrect price rises and charges continuing after cancellation. Providers must investigate under their complaints procedure, and unresolved cases can go to alternative dispute resolution after eight weeks or at deadlock.", "why_it_matters": "Checking the first bill after any change catches most errors while they are still easy to reverse.", "example_in_context": "The promotional rate had not been applied and was corrected retrospectively.", "common_misconception": "That an incorrect bill must be paid pending investigation. Ask for the disputed amount to be held.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "direct-debit-guarantee", "adr", "deadlock", "final-bill" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#billing-error" }, { "id": "bit-vs-byte", "term": "Bits and bytes", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Speeds are sold in bits, files are stored in bytes, and there are eight bits to a byte.", "long_definition": "Broadband is advertised in megabits per second while file sizes and download managers use megabytes. Dividing the advertised speed by eight converts one to the other, which explains the apparent gap between what you bought and what you see.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single most common reason people believe their broadband is underperforming when it is not.", "example_in_context": "A 4 GB game on a 100 Mbps line takes roughly five to six minutes at full speed.", "common_misconception": "That a download manager showing 12 MB/s on a 100 Mbps line indicates a fault. That is full speed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mbps", "gbps", "download-time" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bit-vs-byte" }, { "id": "blown-fibre", "term": "Blown fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Installing fibre by floating it through a duct on compressed air rather than pulling it.", "long_definition": "Blown fibre uses airflow to carry a lightweight cable along a pre-installed tube, allowing long runs with fewer access points and less strain on the fibre. It is quicker than pulling and makes later upgrades easier, since additional fibre can be blown into spare tubes.", "why_it_matters": "It is part of why a fibre install is often a couple of hours rather than a couple of days.", "example_in_context": "The lead-in was blown through the existing duct without any excavation.", "common_misconception": "That fibre installation always requires digging. Frequently it requires only air.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "duct-and-pole", "drop-cable", "splice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#blown-fibre" }, { "id": "blueyonder", "term": "Blueyonder", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Telewest's cable broadband brand, launched in March 2000 and retired at the Virgin Media rebrand.", "long_definition": "Blueyonder was the internet service brand used by Telewest across its cable regions, launched in March 2000. It disappeared when NTL:Telewest rebranded all consumer services as Virgin Media on 8 February 2007, with customers permitted to keep their existing blueyonder email addresses.", "why_it_matters": "It is what cable broadband was called across half the country before Virgin Media existed.", "example_in_context": "Blueyonder launched in March 2000 and was retired at the February 2007 Virgin Media rebrand.", "common_misconception": "That Blueyonder was a separate company. It was Telewest's service brand.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "telewest", "ntl", "vmo2", "cable-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#blueyonder" }, { "id": "bonding", "term": "Bonding", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Combining two or more connections to increase capacity or add resilience.", "long_definition": "Bonding aggregates multiple lines, or a fixed line with a mobile connection, into a single logical connection. It is used where no single connection is fast or reliable enough, most often by rural businesses.", "why_it_matters": "Where one line is not enough and fibre has not arrived, two combined can be.", "example_in_context": "A fixed line was bonded with a mobile connection to provide capacity and failover.", "common_misconception": "That bonding doubles speed for everything. Some traffic types benefit far more than others.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "efm", "fwa", "leased-line", "sla" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband with 4G backup", "url": "/business-broadband-with-4g-backup.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bonding" }, { "id": "bundle-unbundling", "term": "Breaking a bundle", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Removing one service from a package, which usually reprices everything else.", "long_definition": "Bundles are priced as a whole, so dropping television or a call package frequently raises the price of what remains rather than reducing the bill by the advertised value of the removed element. The saving should be calculated on the new total.", "why_it_matters": "Dropping the television package rarely saves what the television package appeared to cost.", "example_in_context": "Removing the television element repriced the broadband upward.", "common_misconception": "That removing a service saves its listed price. The remainder is usually repriced.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dual-play", "tcv", "effective-price", "call-package" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband and TV deals", "url": "/broadband-and-tv-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bundle-unbundling" }, { "id": "bridge-mode", "term": "Bridge mode", "expansion": "Modem mode", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Turning off a router's routing functions so another router can take over.", "long_definition": "Bridge mode makes a supplied router act purely as a modem, passing the connection through to your own equipment. It is the standard way to use a better router while keeping the provider's line termination, and it avoids the problems that come from running two routers in sequence.", "why_it_matters": "It is how you replace a supplied router without creating a second layer of address translation.", "example_in_context": "The supplied unit was placed in bridge mode so the replacement router handled everything.", "common_misconception": "That plugging a second router in is enough. Without bridge mode you get double translation.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "double-nat", "router", "modem", "pppoe" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bridge-mode" }, { "id": "byo-router", "term": "Bring your own router", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Using your own equipment instead of the one your provider supplies.", "long_definition": "Most providers allow a third party router, though some restrict it or withdraw support if you do. A better router improves Wi-Fi coverage, control and update reliability, and you keep it when you switch, which supplied routers usually must be returned.", "why_it_matters": "On a fast line, your own router is frequently the biggest single improvement available.", "example_in_context": "The replacement router doubled measured Wi-Fi throughput on the same connection.", "common_misconception": "That providers forbid it. Most permit it, though support may be limited.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router", "bridge-mode", "pppoe", "router-return" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Router return charges", "url": "/router-return-charges-explained-after-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#byo-router" }, { "id": "broadband-forum", "term": "Broadband Forum", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The industry body defining how broadband networks and home routers are managed.", "long_definition": "The Broadband Forum develops specifications for broadband architecture and device management, including the remote management protocols providers use to configure and update the routers in customers' homes.", "why_it_matters": "It is why your provider can update your router remotely without visiting.", "example_in_context": "The router was managed remotely using Broadband Forum specifications.", "common_misconception": "That remote management is proprietary to each provider. Much of it is standardised.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "router", "firmware", "itu" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Broadband Forum", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#broadband-forum" }, { "id": "brsk", "term": "brsk", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "BRISK", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A UK altnet retail brand, part of the Substantial Group, sold to Virgin Media O2 in the Netomnia deal.", "long_definition": "brsk built full fibre across parts of the Midlands and northern England, focusing on areas underserved by the incumbents. It formed part of the Substantial Group and moved to Virgin Media O2 as part of the Netomnia transaction.", "why_it_matters": "Where brsk has built, it is often among the cheapest gigabit options at the address.", "example_in_context": "brsk was live on the street a year before Openreach fibre arrived.", "common_misconception": "That brsk is a reseller. It built its own network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "nexfibre", "vmo2" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "brsk broadband deals", "url": "/brsk-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#brsk" }, { "id": "bt", "term": "BT", "expansion": "British Telecommunications", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The former state monopoly, still the largest UK telecoms group and parent of Openreach.", "long_definition": "BT Group owns Openreach, which runs the largest access network, and sells retail services under the BT, EE and Plusnet brands. Openreach is a legally separate company within the group and serves BT's competitors on the same terms.", "why_it_matters": "BT is very often the most expensive way to buy a connection that dozens of others sell over the same line.", "example_in_context": "The BT package used the same Openreach line as several cheaper alternatives.", "common_misconception": "That BT owns the line and therefore must be cheapest. Usually the reverse is true.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "ee", "plusnet", "digital-voice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "BT broadband deals", "url": "/bt-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "BT vs Sky", "url": "/bt-vs-sky-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bt" }, { "id": "bufferbloat", "term": "Bufferbloat", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Latency collapsing under load because oversized buffers queue traffic instead of dropping it.", "long_definition": "When a connection is saturated, excessively large buffers hold packets in a queue rather than signalling congestion. Latency rises sharply, so a large upload can make calls and gaming unusable even though the connection is delivering full speed. Modern queue management in the router largely fixes it.", "why_it_matters": "It is why the connection feels broken during a big upload while the speed test looks perfect.", "example_in_context": "Latency rose from 12 ms to over 400 ms during a large upload until queue management was enabled.", "common_misconception": "That it indicates insufficient speed. It is a queuing problem, not a capacity one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "latency", "qos", "router", "upload-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bufferbloat" }, { "id": "buffering", "term": "Buffering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A stream pausing to build up a reserve of data, usually a symptom rather than a cause.", "long_definition": "Video players download ahead of what you are watching. When arrival falls behind playback the buffer empties and the picture stops. The underlying cause is usually Wi-Fi, contention or packet loss rather than insufficient headline speed.", "why_it_matters": "Buffering on a fast connection points at your home network, not your package.", "example_in_context": "Buffering stopped entirely once the television was moved onto ethernet.", "common_misconception": "That buffering means you need a faster package. Usually you need a better connection to the device.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "packet-loss", "contention", "throughput", "wifi7" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for streaming", "url": "/broadband-for-streaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#buffering" }, { "id": "build-cost", "term": "Build cost per premises", "expansion": "CPP", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "What it costs to run the network past one home, the number every fibre business plan turns on.", "long_definition": "Cost per premises passed varies enormously with density, whether existing ducts and poles can be reused, and how much civils is required. Dense urban terraces are cheapest; scattered rural properties are the most expensive by a wide margin.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why fibre reached city flats years before it reached a village of the same population.", "example_in_context": "Urban cost per premises came in at a fraction of the rural equivalent.", "common_misconception": "That build cost is broadly uniform. It can vary by an order of magnitude.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "civils", "greenfield", "capex", "premises-passed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#build-cost" }, { "id": "bulldog", "term": "Bulldog", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "An early unbundled broadband provider that grew fast, and whose consumer base passed to Pipex.", "long_definition": "Bulldog was among the first UK providers to build a business on local loop unbundling, offering higher speeds than the incumbent could at the time. It expanded rapidly and ran into well-documented service difficulties. Its consumer base was acquired by Pipex, and from there passed through Tiscali into TalkTalk.", "why_it_matters": "It is a cautionary example of building faster than the ability to support customers.", "example_in_context": "Bulldog's consumer base was acquired by Pipex and eventually reached TalkTalk.", "common_misconception": "That early unbundling was straightforwardly successful. Several early entrants did not survive.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "llu", "pipex", "be-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#bulldog" }, { "id": "burst-speed", "term": "Burst and sustained speed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A brief fast start followed by a lower steady rate.", "long_definition": "Some services allow a short burst above the normal rate before settling to the sustained speed. It makes web pages and small files feel quick while larger transfers run at the steady rate, and it can make short speed tests report more than the connection sustains.", "why_it_matters": "A very short speed test can report a figure the connection cannot actually maintain.", "example_in_context": "The brief test captured the burst rather than the sustained rate.", "common_misconception": "That a fast test result reflects sustained capability. Short tests may capture only the burst.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "speed-test", "throughput", "traffic-management", "goodput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#burst-speed" }, { "id": "business-continuity", "term": "Business continuity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Planning for how a business keeps operating when connectivity fails.", "long_definition": "A continuity plan identifies what stops working when the connection does, what the alternatives are and who acts. For most small firms it comes down to a mobile backup, a documented failover process and knowing whether card payments have an offline mode.", "why_it_matters": "The time to work out whether you can take payments offline is not during an outage.", "example_in_context": "The plan documented mobile failover and an offline payment process.", "common_misconception": "That continuity planning is for large organisations. Small firms lose more proportionally.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "failover", "second-line", "sla", "outage" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband with 4G backup", "url": "/business-broadband-with-4g-backup.html" }, { "anchor": "Card machines and EPOS", "url": "/broadband-for-card-machines-and-epos.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#business-continuity" }, { "id": "onecom", "term": "Business telecoms resellers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Companies selling connectivity and telephony from wholesale providers under their own name.", "long_definition": "A large part of the UK business telecoms market is served by resellers who buy wholesale from operators such as Openreach, Gamma or Virgin Media Business and package it with support and equipment. Service quality therefore depends on the reseller as much as the network.", "why_it_matters": "When choosing a business supplier, the support arrangement matters more than the network name.", "example_in_context": "The reseller packaged wholesale connectivity with local support and equipment.", "common_misconception": "That buying from a reseller means worse service. It frequently means better support.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "whitelabel", "gamma", "daisy", "sla" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#onecom" }, { "id": "cable-and-wireless", "term": "Cable & Wireless", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A historic British telecoms group whose UK operations were bought by Vodafone in 2012.", "long_definition": "Cable & Wireless was a long-established international telecoms company with substantial UK network operations. It acquired Thus, and with it Demon Internet, on 1 October 2008. The group split in March 2010, and Vodafone acquired Cable & Wireless Worldwide in July 2012 for £1.044 billion, bringing Thus and Demon with it.", "why_it_matters": "Parts of Vodafone's UK fixed network heritage trace back through this company.", "example_in_context": "Vodafone acquired Cable & Wireless Worldwide in July 2012 for £1.044 billion.", "common_misconception": "That Vodafone's UK fixed network history begins with mobile. Much of it was acquired.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "vodafone", "bulldog", "leased-line" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Vodafone deals", "url": "/vodafone-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cable-and-wireless" }, { "id": "cable-broadband", "term": "Cable broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Broadband over the coaxial television network, available only where cable was laid.", "long_definition": "Cable uses the coaxial network built by the former regional franchises, now operated by Virgin Media O2. It reaches only the areas originally cabled, which is why availability is a patchwork rather than national, and why some streets have it while the next does not.", "why_it_matters": "Cable availability is decided by decisions taken in the 1990s, not by anything about your address today.", "example_in_context": "One side of the road was cabled and the other never was.", "common_misconception": "That cable will eventually reach everywhere. New build now goes to fibre instead.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "docsis", "vmo2", "ntl", "telewest", "hfc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cable-broadband" }, { "id": "cable-cut", "term": "Cable damage", "expansion": "Cable cut, third party damage", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Accidental damage to buried cable, the commonest cause of large area outages.", "long_definition": "Cables are cut by construction, utility work and agricultural machinery. Repair involves locating the break, excavating and splicing, which can take many hours or days. It is the single most frequent cause of an outage affecting a whole street or town.", "why_it_matters": "A widespread outage with no explanation is usually somebody's digger.", "example_in_context": "The area outage traced to a cable severed during unrelated roadworks.", "common_misconception": "That major outages are usually equipment failures. Physical damage causes most of them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "outage", "splice", "otdr", "diverse-routing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cable-cut" }, { "id": "cable-modem", "term": "Cable modem", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The device terminating a coaxial cable connection, usually combined with the router.", "long_definition": "A cable modem converts the signal on the coaxial network into ethernet. On Virgin Media connections it is normally built into the supplied hub, which can be placed in modem mode if you prefer to use your own router behind it.", "why_it_matters": "On cable, using your own router means putting the supplied hub into modem mode.", "example_in_context": "The supplied hub was switched to modem mode so a separate router could be used.", "common_misconception": "That cable equipment cannot be replaced. The routing part usually can.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "docsis", "bridge-mode", "router", "cable-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cable-modem" }, { "id": "cable-quality", "term": "Cable quality and length", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Poor or excessively long cable runs quietly limiting a fast connection.", "long_definition": "Ethernet is specified to 100 metres, and cheap or damaged cable can fall back to a lower speed without any error being reported. A connection that mysteriously runs at 100 Mbps on a gigabit line is frequently a cable rather than anything upstream.", "why_it_matters": "A gigabit line running at exactly 100 Mbps is nearly always a cable problem.", "example_in_context": "Replacing the damaged patch lead restored full gigabit speed.", "common_misconception": "That a working cable is a good cable. It can silently negotiate a lower speed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "cat6", "ethernet-speeds", "ethernet", "structured-cabling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cable-quality" }, { "id": "metal-theft", "term": "Cable theft", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Copper stolen for scrap value, causing outages that fibre has largely ended.", "long_definition": "Copper cable has recoverable scrap value and has been stolen from networks for years, causing area outages and expensive repairs. Fibre has negligible scrap value, so the replacement of copper removes the incentive entirely.", "why_it_matters": "It is one genuine advantage of fibre that nobody advertises: nobody wants to steal it.", "example_in_context": "The area outage was caused by cable theft rather than equipment failure.", "common_misconception": "That all cable is a theft target. Fibre has almost no scrap value.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "copper-recovery", "cable-cut", "outage", "line-plant" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#metal-theft" }, { "id": "cablelabs", "term": "CableLabs", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The research body behind DOCSIS, the standard cable broadband runs on.", "long_definition": "CableLabs is the research and development organisation founded by cable operators, responsible for the DOCSIS specifications that define how broadband is carried over coaxial cable networks.", "why_it_matters": "Every speed increase Virgin Media has delivered over cable traces to a DOCSIS revision.", "example_in_context": "The upgrade implemented a newer DOCSIS specification developed by CableLabs.", "common_misconception": "That cable upgrades require new cables. Most come from new specifications on existing ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "docsis", "cable-broadband", "hfc" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "CableLabs", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cablelabs" }, { "id": "cac", "term": "CAC", "expansion": "Customer acquisition cost", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What it costs to win one customer, counting marketing, incentives and installation.", "long_definition": "Acquisition cost combines advertising, commissions, cashback, free months and the physical cost of connecting a property. It is recovered over the months that follow, which is why providers care so much about how long customers stay.", "why_it_matters": "It is the reason introductory prices exist and the reason they end.", "example_in_context": "The acquisition cost took roughly eleven months of margin to recover.", "common_misconception": "That introductory discounts are generosity. They are an investment with a payback period.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "ltv", "churn", "payback", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Loyalty Penalty context", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cac" }, { "id": "call-barring", "term": "Call barring", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Blocking outgoing calls to specified number types, usually free to set up.", "long_definition": "Barring prevents calls to premium rate, international or other categories, and is normally free. It is useful where a line is shared, accessible to visitors, or used by someone who might be targeted by a call-back scam.", "why_it_matters": "On a vulnerable person's line it is a free and effective protection against premium rate fraud.", "example_in_context": "Premium rate barring was applied free of charge on the elderly relative's line.", "common_misconception": "That barring blocks incoming nuisance calls. It restricts outgoing ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nuisance-calls", "scam-call", "vulnerability", "call-package" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-barring" }, { "id": "call-divert", "term": "Call divert", "expansion": "Call forwarding", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Sending incoming calls to another number automatically.", "long_definition": "Diverting forwards calls to a mobile or another line, either always, when busy or when unanswered. Charges usually apply for the forwarded leg. It is the standard way to keep a long-held landline number useful once the household has moved to mobiles.", "why_it_matters": "It lets you keep a number people have used for decades without staying by the phone.", "example_in_context": "Calls to the landline were diverted to a mobile during the day.", "common_misconception": "That diverting is free. The forwarded leg is normally chargeable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "voicemail", "digital-voice", "call-package", "number-porting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-divert" }, { "id": "call-handling", "term": "Call handling agreements", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Arrangements determining what happens to a call a business cannot answer.", "long_definition": "Businesses configure overflow to voicemail, a mobile, an answering service or another site. Where the configuration is wrong, calls simply ring out, and lost calls are considerably more expensive than the connectivity carrying them.", "why_it_matters": "For a small business, unanswered calls cost far more than the phone line does.", "example_in_context": "Overflow was configured to a mobile so calls were not lost outside office hours.", "common_misconception": "That an unanswered call is a minor loss. For most small firms it is the largest one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "hunt-group", "call-divert", "acd", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-handling" }, { "id": "call-package", "term": "Call package", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Bundled call allowances added to a line, frequently paid for and rarely used.", "long_definition": "Call packages bundle allowances for landline, mobile or international calls into the monthly price. With most calling now on mobiles, these are among the most commonly retained and least used items on a broadband bill.", "why_it_matters": "An unused call package on an old bundle is one of the easiest savings available.", "example_in_context": "The anytime call package was still being paid for on a line that made no outgoing calls.", "common_misconception": "That removing it affects your broadband. They are separate elements.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "line-rental", "dual-play", "ooc", "effective-price" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch without a landline", "url": "/switch-without-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-package" }, { "id": "call-screening", "term": "Call screening", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Filtering calls before they ring, using network or handset features.", "long_definition": "Screening ranges from network-level blocking of known nuisance numbers to handsets that ask unrecognised callers to state their business before ringing. Combined with withheld number rejection it removes most unwanted calls without missing genuine ones.", "why_it_matters": "It is the most effective single protection for someone repeatedly targeted by scam calls.", "example_in_context": "Unrecognised callers were asked to identify themselves before the phone rang.", "common_misconception": "That screening blocks legitimate callers. Genuine callers simply identify themselves.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nuisance-calls", "anonymous-call-rejection", "scam-call", "call-barring" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-screening" }, { "id": "call-waiting", "term": "Call waiting and three-way calling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Handling a second call during a first, and joining three people together.", "long_definition": "Call waiting signals an incoming call while you are already speaking and allows switching between them. Three-way calling connects a third party. Both are standard features that carry over to digital voice, sometimes with different activation codes.", "why_it_matters": "These features usually survive migration, though the codes to control them may change.", "example_in_context": "The features continued to work after migration with updated activation codes.", "common_misconception": "That migration removes call features. Most carry across.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "call-divert", "voicemail", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#call-waiting" }, { "id": "caller-display", "term": "Caller display", "expansion": "Caller ID", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Showing the incoming number, now generally free and carried over to digital voice.", "long_definition": "Caller display shows the calling number before you answer. It was once a paid add-on and is now widely included as standard, and it continues to work on digital voice lines. Displayed numbers can be spoofed, so it identifies rather than authenticates a caller.", "why_it_matters": "It is useful for screening, and useless as proof of who is actually calling.", "example_in_context": "The displayed number matched a bank, but the call was fraudulent.", "common_misconception": "That a displayed number cannot be faked. It routinely is.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "scam-call", "nuisance-calls", "digital-voice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#caller-display" }, { "id": "cap-code", "term": "CAP Code", "expansion": "UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The rulebook the ASA enforces, covering claims made in broadband advertising.", "long_definition": "The CAP Code sets the standards non-broadcast advertising must meet, including substantiation of speed and price claims and clarity about what a package actually includes. Its broadcast counterpart, the BCAP Code, covers television and radio.", "why_it_matters": "It is the document that decides whether a broadband advert is allowed to say what it says.", "example_in_context": "The speed claim was assessed against the substantiation requirements of the CAP Code.", "common_misconception": "That the CAP Code is law. It is a self-regulatory code with statutory backstops.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "asa", "average-speed" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Committee of Advertising Practice", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cap-code" }, { "id": "capacity-vs-throughput", "term": "Capacity and throughput", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "What a connection could carry versus what it actually delivers to you.", "long_definition": "Capacity is the theoretical maximum of the link; throughput is what reaches your device after overhead, contention, wireless losses and whatever limits the far end imposes. The gap between the two is where nearly every speed complaint originates.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every disappointment about broadband speed lives in the gap between these two.", "example_in_context": "Capacity was unchanged while measured throughput varied throughout the day.", "common_misconception": "That the advertised figure describes what arrives. It describes the link, not the delivery.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "bandwidth", "goodput", "overhead" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#capacity-vs-throughput" }, { "id": "capacity-planning", "term": "Capacity planning", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Adding network capacity ahead of demand rather than after complaints.", "long_definition": "Operators monitor utilisation and add capacity before segments saturate. Networks that plan well are invisible; those that do not become visible every evening at the same time, which is why peak-time performance is a reasonable proxy for how well a provider is run.", "why_it_matters": "Consistent evening performance says more about a provider than its advertised speed.", "example_in_context": "Capacity was added before the segment reached saturation.", "common_misconception": "That congestion is inevitable. It is a planning outcome.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "contention", "backhaul-capacity", "aggregation", "peak-time" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#capacity-planning" }, { "id": "capex", "term": "Capex", "expansion": "Capital expenditure", "pronunciation": "CAP-ex", "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Money spent building assets, which in fibre means almost everything.", "long_definition": "Capital expenditure covers construction, equipment and connections: assets that will earn over many years. Fibre is unusually capital intensive, with the spending front-loaded years before the revenue arrives, which is the source of most of the sector's financial strain.", "why_it_matters": "The gap between spending now and earning later is what makes fibre a funding story rather than an engineering one.", "example_in_context": "Capital expenditure peaked two years before the network reached break-even take-up.", "common_misconception": "That capex and cost are interchangeable. Capex buys an asset; opex keeps it running.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "opex", "capital-intensity", "cash-burn", "build-cost" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#capex" }, { "id": "capital-intensity", "term": "Capital intensity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How much must be invested to generate a pound of revenue, and fibre scores very high.", "long_definition": "Capital intensive businesses need large upfront investment relative to the income they eventually produce. Fibre is among the most capital intensive activities in telecoms, which makes it highly sensitive to interest rates and to how long take-up takes to arrive.", "why_it_matters": "It is why rising interest rates hit fibre builders harder than almost any other sector.", "example_in_context": "Capital intensity left the business acutely exposed when borrowing costs rose.", "common_misconception": "That capital intensity is a weakness. It is also the barrier keeping competitors out.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "capex", "leverage", "cash-burn", "infra-fund" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#capital-intensity" }, { "id": "captive-portal", "term": "Captive portal", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The sign-in page that appears when joining public Wi-Fi.", "long_definition": "A captive portal intercepts the first web request on a network and redirects it to a login or terms page. Public networks use them for authentication and consent, and they are also where fraudulent networks harvest details from people expecting a familiar sign-in.", "why_it_matters": "A public network asking for card details or a password you use elsewhere is a warning sign.", "example_in_context": "The portal requested credentials that a legitimate public network would never need.", "common_misconception": "That a portal proves the network is genuine. Fake networks copy them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "phishing", "vpn", "https", "guest-network" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#captive-portal" }, { "id": "carrier-aggregation", "term": "Carrier aggregation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Combining several frequency bands at once to increase a device's speed.", "long_definition": "Carrier aggregation lets a handset use multiple spectrum bands simultaneously, adding their capacity together. It is a large part of why real-world 4G and 5G speeds improved without new masts, and it requires support in both the network and the device.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why a newer phone is faster than an older one on exactly the same network.", "example_in_context": "Aggregating three bands roughly tripled the achievable speed on the same mast.", "common_misconception": "That speed depends only on the network generation. Device capability matters as much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "spectrum", "mimo", "5g-sa", "bands" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#carrier-aggregation" }, { "id": "cash-burn", "term": "Cash burn", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How fast a business consumes cash before it earns enough to sustain itself.", "long_definition": "A network under construction spends far more than it takes in. Burn rate measures how quickly reserves deplete and, combined with available funding, determines how long the business can continue on its current course.", "why_it_matters": "Burn rate and runway together predict which networks will need to raise, merge or sell.", "example_in_context": "The monthly burn implied a need to refinance within the year.", "common_misconception": "That burning cash indicates failure. For an infrastructure build it is the expected pattern.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "runway", "capex", "refinancing", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cash-burn" }, { "id": "cat", "term": "CAT", "expansion": "Competition Appeal Tribunal", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The specialist court that hears collective consumer claims in telecoms and beyond.", "long_definition": "The CAT hears appeals against regulatory decisions and, increasingly, opt-out collective actions brought on behalf of consumers. Large claims about overcharging and loyalty pricing are heard here rather than in the ordinary courts.", "why_it_matters": "Collective claims at the CAT are one of the few routes through which mass overcharging gets tested.", "example_in_context": "The claim was certified at the CAT on behalf of out-of-contract customers.", "common_misconception": "That the CAT sets prices. It adjudicates, it does not regulate.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "cma", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cat" }, { "id": "cat6", "term": "Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a", "expansion": "Ethernet cable categories", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Cable grades determining how much speed a wired run can carry and how far.", "long_definition": "Cat5e handles gigabit comfortably over normal household distances. Cat6 and Cat6a support higher speeds and longer runs with better interference resistance, which matters when networks move beyond a gigabit.", "why_it_matters": "If you are running cable through walls once, running the better grade costs little extra now.", "example_in_context": "Cat6 was used throughout so the wiring would not need replacing at multi-gigabit speeds.", "common_misconception": "That a higher category speeds up a gigabit line. It provides headroom for later.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ethernet", "backhaul" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "TIA and ISO cabling standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cat6" }, { "id": "cbt", "term": "CBT", "expansion": "Connectorised Block Terminal", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The small box on a pole or wall where individual home connections plug into the fibre network.", "long_definition": "A connectorised block terminal provides pre-terminated ports so an engineer can connect a property by plugging in rather than splicing on site. It is the reason a fibre connection can often be completed in a single short visit.", "why_it_matters": "If the terminal serving your street is full, your install may wait for capacity rather than for an engineer.", "example_in_context": "The terminal had spare ports, so activation needed only a lead-in and a connector.", "common_misconception": "That every fibre connection requires splicing on site. Most now plug in.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "drop-cable", "splitter", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cbt" }, { "id": "ccaas", "term": "CCaaS", "expansion": "Contact Centre as a Service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A cloud-hosted contact centre platform handling calls, queues and routing.", "long_definition": "Contact centre platforms delivered as a service provide call queuing, routing, recording and reporting without on-site hardware, scaling up and down with demand. It is the contact centre equivalent of hosted telephony.", "why_it_matters": "It is why customer service teams can be distributed across homes rather than one building.", "example_in_context": "The team handled queued calls from home through a hosted contact centre platform.", "common_misconception": "That contact centres need a physical site. Most no longer do.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ucaas", "ivr", "acd", "voip" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ccaas" }, { "id": "cdn", "term": "CDN", "expansion": "Content Delivery Network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Servers placed close to users so popular content does not travel far.", "long_definition": "Content delivery networks cache video, software updates and web assets inside or near consumer networks. A large share of household traffic never leaves the provider's own infrastructure as a result, which is why streaming performs better than a raw distance calculation would suggest.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a video from the other side of the world starts instantly.", "example_in_context": "The streaming service cached content inside the provider's network.", "common_misconception": "That streaming traffic crosses the world each time. Usually it comes from a few miles away.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "peering", "transit", "buffering", "latency" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for streaming", "url": "/broadband-for-streaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cdn" }, { "id": "cease-and-reprovide", "term": "Cease and reprovide", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Ending one service and starting another, rather than transferring the existing line.", "long_definition": "Where a switch crosses between incompatible networks, the old service is ceased and a new one provided rather than handed over. This is the switch type most likely to involve a gap in service, an engineer visit, or both.", "why_it_matters": "It is why moving from cable to fibre, or between two different networks, can mean a day or two without broadband.", "example_in_context": "Moving from Virgin Media to an Openreach line required a cease and reprovide.", "common_misconception": "That every switch is seamless. Cross-network moves often are not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ots", "gaining-provider", "activation-date" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching without downtime", "url": "/business-broadband-switching-without-downtime.html" }, { "anchor": "How to switch", "url": "/switch-broadband-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cease-and-reprovide" }, { "id": "ceop", "term": "CEOP", "expansion": "Child Exploitation and Online Protection", "pronunciation": "SEE-op", "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The National Crime Agency command handling child protection online, with a public reporting route.", "long_definition": "CEOP works on child protection online and operates a public reporting mechanism for concerns about a child's safety online. It also publishes education resources for families and schools through its Thinkuknow programme.", "why_it_matters": "It is the route to report a concern about a child's online safety directly to law enforcement.", "example_in_context": "The concern was reported through the CEOP reporting route.", "common_misconception": "That reporting requires certainty. Concerns can be reported for assessment.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "iwf", "osa", "cyberbullying" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" }, { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ceop" }, { "id": "cgnat", "term": "CGNAT", "expansion": "Carrier-Grade Network Address Translation", "pronunciation": "SEE-gee-nat", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Sharing one public address between many customers, which breaks incoming connections.", "long_definition": "With addresses in short supply, some providers place customers behind carrier-grade translation so several households share a public address. Outgoing traffic works normally, but anything relying on an incoming connection, such as hosting a server, some gaming setups or remote CCTV access, may not.", "why_it_matters": "If port forwarding does nothing and remote access will not work, CGNAT is the usual explanation.", "example_in_context": "Remote access to the CCTV failed because the line sat behind CGNAT.", "common_misconception": "That it is a fault. It is a design choice, and providers can often move you off it on request.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "static-ip", "port-forwarding", "ipv6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" }, { "anchor": "Static IP business broadband", "url": "/static-ip-business-broadband-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cgnat" }, { "id": "chamber", "term": "Chamber", "expansion": "Manhole, jointing chamber", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The underground access box where cables are jointed and routes branch.", "long_definition": "Chambers are the covered pits in pavements and roads that give engineers access to ducts and joints. Blocked, flooded or collapsed chambers are a routine cause of build delay, because a route that looks viable on a map is only viable if the chambers can actually be opened.", "why_it_matters": "A blocked chamber is one of the commonest reasons a fibre build stalls on an otherwise ready street.", "example_in_context": "Two collapsed chambers added six weeks to the build on that road.", "common_misconception": "That build delays are usually about paperwork. Physical obstruction is just as common.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "duct-and-pole", "civils", "street-works" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#chamber" }, { "id": "channel-partner", "term": "Channel partners", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Companies selling another provider's services under a partnership arrangement.", "long_definition": "Wholesale providers reach small businesses through networks of partners who sell, install and support their services. The partner holds the customer relationship, which is why support quality can vary enormously between customers of the same underlying platform.", "why_it_matters": "Two businesses on the identical platform can receive completely different support.", "example_in_context": "Support quality differed sharply between partners selling the same platform.", "common_misconception": "That the platform determines your experience. The partner usually matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "gamma", "onecom", "whitelabel", "managed-service" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#channel-partner" }, { "id": "channel-width", "term": "Channel width", "expansion": "20, 40, 80 and 160 MHz", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "How much spectrum a Wi-Fi connection uses, trading speed against range and interference.", "long_definition": "Wider channels carry more data but are more vulnerable to interference and reduce effective range. In a crowded block, a narrower channel frequently performs better than a wider one, which is why automatic settings sometimes choose what looks like the slower option.", "why_it_matters": "In a flat surrounded by other networks, narrower can genuinely be faster.", "example_in_context": "Reducing the channel width improved stability in a block with many overlapping networks.", "common_misconception": "That wider is always better. In congested areas it often is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "channel", "bands", "wifi6", "dfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#channel-width" }, { "id": "charge-control", "term": "Charge control", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "A regulated cap on what a dominant operator may charge for a wholesale product.", "long_definition": "Where a provider holds significant market power, Ofcom can cap the price of specified wholesale products, often on a glide path reducing in real terms each year. Charge controls apply to legacy services more than to new full fibre, which was deliberately left less regulated to encourage investment.", "why_it_matters": "Wholesale caps set the floor beneath which retail prices cannot realistically go.", "example_in_context": "The charge control set a declining ceiling on the wholesale price over the review period.", "common_misconception": "That charge controls limit your bill. They limit what your provider pays the network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "smp", "wftmr", "tar", "cost-orientation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom market reviews", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#charge-control" }, { "id": "provider-ownership", "term": "Checking who owns your provider", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Establishing the company actually behind a brand, which is public information.", "long_definition": "Companies House records show a provider's registered company, ownership, filed accounts and directors. For a small provider or an unfamiliar brand this is the quickest way to establish who you would actually be contracting with and how the business is performing.", "why_it_matters": "For an unfamiliar provider, ten minutes of public records tells you a great deal.", "example_in_context": "The public records showed the trading brand and the registered company differed.", "common_misconception": "That trading names identify companies. The registered entity is frequently different.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "provider-types", "administration", "provider-failure", "borderlink" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" }, { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-ownership" }, { "id": "churn", "term": "Churn", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The rate at which customers leave, and the quiet drain on every network's economics.", "long_definition": "Churn measures customers lost over a period as a share of the base. Because winning a customer carries an acquisition cost recovered over many months, high churn can make a growing customer base unprofitable.", "why_it_matters": "Providers with low churn can afford to price better, because they recover acquisition costs over longer relationships.", "example_in_context": "Monthly churn of 1.5% meant replacing nearly a fifth of the base each year.", "common_misconception": "That churn only matters to the provider. It shapes the prices they can sustain.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cac", "arpu", "take-up", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#churn" }, { "id": "circuit-packet", "term": "Circuit and packet switching", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Two ways of moving information: reserving a path, or sending labelled fragments.", "long_definition": "Circuit switching reserves a dedicated path for the duration of a call, which is how the analogue telephone network worked. Packet switching breaks data into fragments routed independently and reassembled, which is how the internet works. The entire switch-off programme is the move from one to the other.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single technical idea underneath the whole retirement of the phone network.", "example_in_context": "The migration moved voice from a reserved path to independently routed packets.", "common_misconception": "That the switch-off is about replacing old equipment. It replaces a way of working.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "voip", "packet-loss", "digital-voice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" }, { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#circuit-packet" }, { "id": "cisas", "term": "CISAS", "expansion": "Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme", "pronunciation": "SEE-sass", "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "One of two approved schemes that settle disputes between customers and providers.", "long_definition": "If a complaint is unresolved after eight weeks, or your provider issues a deadlock letter, you can take it to the alternative dispute resolution scheme your provider belongs to. CISAS is one; the Communications Ombudsman is the other. The decision binds the provider if you accept it.", "why_it_matters": "It is free to you, and it is the step most people never take.", "example_in_context": "After eight weeks with no fix, the case went to CISAS.", "common_misconception": "That you choose the scheme. You use whichever one your provider belongs to.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ombudsman", "ofcom", "automatic-compensation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom approved ADR schemes", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cisas" }, { "id": "citizens-advice", "term": "Citizens Advice", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The national advice charity, and a persistent voice on the loyalty penalty.", "long_definition": "Citizens Advice provides free advice on consumer matters including telecoms contracts, complaints and debt. Its research on loyalty pricing across essential services helped put the issue on the regulatory agenda.", "why_it_matters": "For free, independent help with a broadband dispute or affordability problem, this is a starting point.", "example_in_context": "The loyalty penalty across essential services was highlighted in Citizens Advice research.", "common_misconception": "That its advice is limited to benefits. Consumer and telecoms issues are well covered.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "adr", "social-tariff", "debt-disconnection" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "Citizens Advice", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#citizens-advice" }, { "id": "cityfibre", "term": "CityFibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A wholesale-only full fibre network builder, selling through retail partners rather than direct.", "long_definition": "CityFibre builds fibre in towns and cities across the UK and sells wholesale access to retail providers such as Vodafone and Zen rather than selling to households under its own name. It is one of the largest alternative networks by premises passed.", "why_it_matters": "You may be on CityFibre without knowing it, because the bill carries your retailer's name.", "example_in_context": "The line is CityFibre, sold through Vodafone.", "common_misconception": "That you can buy broadband from CityFibre directly. It is wholesale only.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "openreach", "vodafone" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cityfibre" }, { "id": "civils", "term": "Civils", "expansion": "Civil engineering works", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The digging, ducting and reinstatement that makes up most of the cost of building fibre.", "long_definition": "Civils covers excavation, duct laying, chamber construction and putting the surface back afterwards. It is labour and permit intensive and typically the single largest share of the cost of passing a premises, which is why reusing existing infrastructure matters so much to the economics.", "why_it_matters": "When people ask why fibre took so long to reach them, the answer is nearly always civils cost.", "example_in_context": "Civils accounted for the majority of the cost per premises passed.", "common_misconception": "That fibre is expensive because of the fibre. The cable is cheap; the digging is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "duct-and-pole", "street-works", "build-cost", "premises-passed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#civils" }, { "id": "client-isolation", "term": "Client isolation", "expansion": "AP isolation", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Preventing devices on the same network from seeing each other.", "long_definition": "Client isolation stops devices communicating directly, which is standard on public networks and useful on a home guest network. It also breaks casting to a television and network printing, which is why it should not be enabled on a main household network.", "why_it_matters": "If casting to the television stops working on guest Wi-Fi, this setting is why.", "example_in_context": "Casting failed on the guest network because devices were isolated from each other.", "common_misconception": "That isolation is always desirable. It breaks casting and printing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "guest-network", "iot-device", "smart-tv-network", "firewall" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#client-isolation" }, { "id": "cma", "term": "CMA", "expansion": "Competition and Markets Authority", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The UK competition regulator, which reviews telecoms mergers and market conduct.", "long_definition": "The CMA examines whether mergers substantially lessen competition. In telecoms it has reviewed several fibre consolidations, and can clear a deal, clear it with remedies, or block it. A Phase 2 reference means an in-depth investigation.", "why_it_matters": "Consolidation approved at the CMA reduces the number of networks competing for your address.", "example_in_context": "The deal went to a Phase 2 CMA investigation.", "common_misconception": "That the CMA regulates broadband prices. Ofcom is the sector regulator.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "cat", "nexfibre" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cma" }, { "id": "cni", "term": "CNI", "expansion": "Critical National Infrastructure", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Traffic, rail and utility systems with protected rules during the phone network migration.", "long_definition": "Some services running over old phone lines control traffic signals, level crossings and utility monitoring. These are treated as critical national infrastructure and follow protected migration rules rather than the standard consumer timetable.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why some lines stay analogue longer than the headline switch-off date suggests.", "example_in_context": "The level crossing circuit was flagged as CNI and migrated separately.", "common_misconception": "That everything moves on the same date. Protected categories do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "dsit", "evac" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cni" }, { "id": "codec", "term": "Codec", "expansion": "Coder-decoder", "pronunciation": "KOH-deck", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The method used to compress speech for transmission, which decides how a call sounds.", "long_definition": "A codec converts speech into data and back. Older narrowband codecs reproduce a limited frequency range and account for the familiar sound of a telephone call. Wideband codecs carry far more of the voice, which is why some internet calls sound noticeably clearer than a traditional landline.", "why_it_matters": "It is why digital voice calls can sound better than the analogue line they replaced.", "example_in_context": "The wideband codec carried noticeably more of the speaker's voice range.", "common_misconception": "That all phone calls sound the same by necessity. The codec determines it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "hd-voice", "voip", "sip", "mos" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#codec" }, { "id": "switch-blocker", "term": "Common switching blockers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The handful of practical things that stop people leaving, most of which are solvable.", "long_definition": "The recurring obstacles are a provider email address, an outstanding device or equipment balance, a bundled television subscription, an exit fee and simple uncertainty about the process. Each has a straightforward answer, and together they explain most of the inertia in the market.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every reason people give for not switching has a practical solution.", "example_in_context": "The email address and the bundled television were resolved before the switch proceeded.", "common_misconception": "That people stay because switching is difficult. It is usually one specific obstacle.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "email-migration", "exit-fee", "bundle-unbundling", "switching-rates" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" }, { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switch-blocker" }, { "id": "switching-myths", "term": "Common switching myths", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The beliefs that stop people switching, most of which stopped being true years ago.", "long_definition": "That you must contact your old provider, that you need a code, that you will lose your number, that you will be without service for days, and that switching means an engineer visit. Under current rules none of these is generally true.", "why_it_matters": "Most reasons people give for not switching describe a system that no longer exists.", "example_in_context": "None of the commonly cited obstacles applied under current switching rules.", "common_misconception": "That switching works as it did a decade ago. It changed substantially.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ots", "mac-code", "number-porting", "switch-blocker" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-myths" }, { "id": "comms-act", "term": "Communications Act 2003", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The statute that created Ofcom and underpins UK telecoms regulation.", "long_definition": "The Communications Act 2003 established Ofcom and gave it the duties and powers under which it regulates telecoms, broadcasting and spectrum. Later legislation has amended and extended it, but it remains the foundation on which the General Conditions and most enforcement action rest.", "why_it_matters": "Every Ofcom rule you rely on ultimately derives its force from this Act.", "example_in_context": "Ofcom's enforcement powers flow from duties set out in the Communications Act 2003.", "common_misconception": "That Ofcom writes its own remit. Parliament set it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "gc", "osa" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Communications Act 2003", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#comms-act" }, { "id": "ombudsman", "term": "Communications Ombudsman", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "One of the two approved schemes settling unresolved disputes with your provider.", "long_definition": "The Communications Ombudsman investigates complaints that a provider has not resolved after eight weeks or has issued a deadlock letter on. It is free to consumers and small businesses, and its decisions bind the provider once accepted.", "why_it_matters": "It is the free, independent escalation route most people never realise they have.", "example_in_context": "The unresolved billing dispute went to the Communications Ombudsman after eight weeks.", "common_misconception": "That you can go straight there. You must complain to your provider first.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cisas", "adr", "deadlock", "complaints-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom approved ADR schemes", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ombudsman" }, { "id": "community-fibre", "term": "Community Fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A London-focused full fibre altnet, frequently among the cheapest gigabit options in the capital.", "long_definition": "Community Fibre builds and sells its own full fibre across Greater London, with a particular focus on social housing and apartment blocks. It sells direct to households.", "why_it_matters": "In London it often undercuts the national providers substantially at the same speed.", "example_in_context": "Community Fibre was live in the block, so no Openreach install was needed.", "common_misconception": "That it operates nationally. It is a London network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "hyperoptic", "wayleave" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Community Fibre deals", "url": "/community-fibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Greater London deals", "url": "/greater-london-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#community-fibre" }, { "id": "tariff-comparison", "term": "Comparing tariffs fairly", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Matching packages on speed, term, upfront cost and scheduled rises before comparing price.", "long_definition": "A fair comparison holds the variables constant: the same speed tier, the same contract length, setup fees included and any scheduled increases counted. Comparing an 18 month deal with no setup fee against a 24 month one with a £30 charge tells you very little.", "why_it_matters": "Most comparisons that look decisive are comparing two different things.", "example_in_context": "Once term and setup costs were matched, the apparent price gap largely disappeared.", "common_misconception": "That the lowest monthly figure identifies the best deal. It rarely does alone.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tcv", "effective-price", "headline-pricing", "setup-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Lowest total cost deals", "url": "/lowest-total-cost-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk ranking methodology", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tariff-comparison" }, { "id": "complaints-record", "term": "Complaint reference and audit trail", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The formal record that proves when a complaint started and what happened since.", "long_definition": "A complaint reference fixes the start date from which the eight week adjudication clock runs. Without one, a provider can treat months of calls as enquiries rather than a complaint, and the escalation route never opens.", "why_it_matters": "Without a reference, months of phone calls may not count as a complaint at all.", "example_in_context": "The reference fixed the date from which the escalation period ran.", "common_misconception": "That repeated contact constitutes a complaint. It must be logged as one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "escalation", "complaints-code", "deadlock", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions, complaints handling", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#complaints-record" }, { "id": "complaints-code", "term": "Complaints Code of Practice", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The rules on how providers must handle your complaint and tell you about escalation.", "long_definition": "Providers must have a published complaints procedure, handle complaints fairly and promptly, and tell customers about their right to go to ADR after eight weeks or at deadlock. Ofcom publishes complaints volumes by provider, which is a useful comparison signal in itself.", "why_it_matters": "Complaint volumes published by Ofcom are one of the few independent service quality measures available.", "example_in_context": "The provider's published complaints procedure set out the escalation path and timescales.", "common_misconception": "That complaints handling is a matter of company policy. Much of it is regulated.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "deadlock", "gc", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions, complaints handling", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#complaints-code" }, { "id": "concurrent-devices", "term": "Concurrent devices", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How many things are using the connection at once, which matters more than the headline speed.", "long_definition": "A modern household runs phones, televisions, consoles, laptops, speakers and a growing number of background devices simultaneously. Most consume little individually, but the count affects the router's capacity to manage connections as much as it affects bandwidth.", "why_it_matters": "For a busy household, an older router struggling with device count is a commoner limit than speed.", "example_in_context": "Thirty-two devices were connected before anyone sat down to stream anything.", "common_misconception": "That idle devices consume nothing. They still occupy connections and airtime.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bandwidth", "wifi6", "router", "iot-device" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for large households", "url": "/broadband-for-large-households.html" }, { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#concurrent-devices" }, { "id": "connect-fibre", "term": "Connect Fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre network building in towns and villages across central and eastern England.", "long_definition": "Connect Fibre builds and sells full fibre in smaller communities, focusing on places where existing services were slow and no other builder had committed.", "why_it_matters": "Its footprint targets exactly the places national builders passed over.", "example_in_context": "Connect Fibre built through the village while the exchange remained copper only.", "common_misconception": "That all altnets chase cities. Several deliberately do the opposite.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "greenfield", "footprint" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Connect Fibre deals", "url": "/connect-fibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#connect-fibre" }, { "id": "device-list", "term": "Connected device list", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The router page showing everything currently on your network.", "long_definition": "The device list names every connected item, which is the quickest way to spot something unrecognised, find a device that keeps disconnecting, or count how many things are actually sharing the connection. Naming devices as you add them makes it far more useful.", "why_it_matters": "Naming devices as they join turns an unreadable list into a genuinely useful diagnostic.", "example_in_context": "The list revealed a forgotten device consuming bandwidth continuously.", "common_misconception": "That an unfamiliar name means an intruder. Randomised addresses cause most of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mac-address", "concurrent-devices", "router", "iot-device" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#device-list" }, { "id": "connected-nations", "term": "Connected Nations", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Ofcom's flagship report on UK broadband and mobile coverage, with spring and autumn updates.", "long_definition": "Connected Nations is the authoritative statistical picture of what is available where: full fibre and gigabit coverage, mobile geographic and premises coverage, and the remaining gaps. It is published annually with interim updates, and is the source most credible UK coverage figures trace back to.", "why_it_matters": "When a coverage figure is quoted anywhere, this is usually where it came from originally.", "example_in_context": "The Spring 2026 update put full fibre coverage at 82% of UK homes.", "common_misconception": "That coverage means availability at your specific address. Always check the postcode.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "fttp", "premises-passed", "gigabit-capable" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Connected Nations 2025", "url": "/reports/connected-nations-2025/" }, { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, published 13 May 2026", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#connected-nations" }, { "id": "drop-count", "term": "Connection drops", "expansion": "Resyncs", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How often a line disconnects and re-establishes, a key indicator of instability.", "long_definition": "Frequent disconnections indicate a physical or interference problem rather than a capacity one. On copper they also trigger line management, which reduces speed to restore stability, so drops cost speed as well as availability.", "why_it_matters": "Repeated drops are the clearest possible evidence when reporting a fault.", "example_in_context": "The line dropped eleven times overnight, which the router statistics recorded.", "common_misconception": "That brief drops are unimportant. They cause line management to reduce your speed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "router-stats", "dlm", "rein", "fault-reporting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#drop-count" }, { "id": "consistent-speed", "term": "Consistent speed", "expansion": "95th percentile", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A measure of the speed you reliably get rather than the best you ever see.", "long_definition": "Consistency measures such as percentile figures describe what a connection delivers most of the time rather than at its peak. For household experience it is a better guide than a maximum, because reliability matters more than a single fast result.", "why_it_matters": "A line that is usually adequate beats one that is occasionally spectacular.", "example_in_context": "The connection rarely hit its peak but delivered a consistent figure at almost all times.", "common_misconception": "That the highest observed speed describes the connection. Consistency matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "average-speed", "peak-time", "speed-test", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#consistent-speed" }, { "id": "consolidation", "term": "Consolidation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Networks merging or being acquired, reducing the number of independent builders.", "long_definition": "Consolidation combines networks to share costs, raise take-up on existing assets and satisfy lenders. It improves the economics of the surviving businesses and reduces the number of competing options at any given address.", "why_it_matters": "Fewer networks competing for your street eventually means less pressure on the price you pay.", "example_in_context": "Four networks in the town became two within eighteen months.", "common_misconception": "That consolidation is a sign of failure. It is the predictable second act of an overbuilt market.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "roll-up", "distressed-sale", "cma" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#consolidation" }, { "id": "consultation", "term": "Consultation and statement", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The two-stage process by which regulators propose, gather views and then decide.", "long_definition": "Ofcom publishes a consultation setting out proposals, invites responses over a defined period, then issues a statement with its decision and reasoning. Responses are normally published, which makes them a useful public record of what each part of the industry actually argued for.", "why_it_matters": "Consultation responses reveal industry positions that never appear in a press release.", "example_in_context": "The statement followed a consultation in which the altnets and the incumbent took opposing views.", "common_misconception": "That consultations are formalities. Proposals do change between the two documents.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "market-review", "ofcom", "tar" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Ofcom consultation process", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#consultation" }, { "id": "consumer-champion", "term": "Consumer journalism and advice services", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Independent sources that publicise unresolved cases and pressure providers.", "long_definition": "Newspaper consumer columns, broadcast programmes and independent advice services take up cases and frequently resolve them where formal routes have stalled. They select cases illustrating a wider issue rather than acting as a general complaints route.", "why_it_matters": "A case illustrating a broader problem may be taken up where an individual one is not.", "example_in_context": "The case was taken up because it illustrated a wider industry problem.", "common_misconception": "That media routes replace formal complaints. Keep the regulated process running.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "escalation", "citizens-advice", "which" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#consumer-champion" }, { "id": "content-ratings", "term": "Content ratings", "expansion": "PEGI and BBFC", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Age classifications for games and video used by console and platform controls.", "long_definition": "PEGI classifies video games across Europe and the UK; the BBFC classifies film and video. Console and platform parental controls use these ratings to permit or block content automatically, which makes them the practical mechanism behind most age restrictions on a games console.", "why_it_matters": "Setting a rating ceiling on a console applies automatically to everything installed afterwards.", "example_in_context": "The console was set to block content rated above the child's age.", "common_misconception": "That ratings cover online interaction. They classify content, not who your child talks to.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "device-controls", "parental-controls", "age-assurance" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gaming console controls", "url": "/online-safety/gaming-console-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#content-ratings" }, { "id": "contention", "term": "Contention", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Sharing network capacity with neighbours, which is why evening speeds dip.", "long_definition": "Broadband capacity is shared between users on the same segment of network. When many people are online at once, each connection gets a smaller slice. Well-designed networks add capacity ahead of demand; poorly managed ones show it as a nightly slowdown.", "why_it_matters": "A line that tests fast at 10am and crawls at 8pm has a contention problem, not a speed problem.", "example_in_context": "Peak-time throughput fell to a third of the daytime figure.", "common_misconception": "That paying for a faster package fixes it. Contention is about the shared segment, not your headline speed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "latency", "jitter" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" }, { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#contention" }, { "id": "contention-ratio", "term": "Contention ratio", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A historic figure describing how many customers shared one connection's capacity.", "long_definition": "Providers once quoted ratios such as 50 to 1 for consumer and 20 to 1 for business services, indicating how many users shared a link. Modern networks manage capacity dynamically and the figure has fallen out of use, though the underlying idea of shared capacity remains entirely real.", "why_it_matters": "The number disappeared from advertising, but sharing capacity did not.", "example_in_context": "Older business packages were sold on a lower contention ratio than consumer ones.", "common_misconception": "That contention no longer exists. It is simply no longer quoted as a ratio.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "contention", "bandwidth", "peak-time", "traffic-management" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#contention-ratio" }, { "id": "contract-end-date", "term": "Contract end date", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The single most useful fact about your broadband, and the one most people cannot state.", "long_definition": "Your contract end date determines when you can leave without charge and when the price will rise. It is available in your online account and on the end-of-contract notification, and knowing it converts switching from a reaction into a plan.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing this one date is what turns switching from a scramble into something you control.", "example_in_context": "Knowing the date allowed the switch to be arranged before the standard rate applied.", "common_misconception": "That the provider will remind you in good time. The window is easily missed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ecn", "minimum-term", "annual-review", "exit-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch before your contract ends", "url": "/switch-broadband-before-contract-ends-and-still-save-money.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#contract-end-date" }, { "id": "conversations", "term": "Conversations, not just controls", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The recognition that technical filters work best alongside talking to children about them.", "long_definition": "Controls reduce accidental exposure and do very little about anything deliberate. Children who understand why limits exist, and who believe they can report something without losing their device, are considerably safer than children behind a filter they were never consulted about.", "why_it_matters": "A child who fears losing their phone will not tell you when something goes wrong.", "example_in_context": "The agreement was that reporting a problem would never result in the device being confiscated.", "common_misconception": "That controls are sufficient on their own. They are one layer of several.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "parental-controls", "screen-time", "cyberbullying", "ceop" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" }, { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#conversations" }, { "id": "core-network", "term": "Core network", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The high-capacity backbone carrying aggregated traffic between regions.", "long_definition": "The core is the set of high-capacity links and routers connecting a network's regions and its interconnects with others. Access networks reach homes; the core moves the combined traffic between cities and out to the wider internet.", "why_it_matters": "An underprovisioned core shows up as slow evenings across a whole region, not just one street.", "example_in_context": "The regional slowdown traced to a congested core link rather than local contention.", "common_misconception": "That congestion is always local. Core and backhaul congestion affect whole areas.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "pop", "backhaul", "transit", "contention" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#core-network" }, { "id": "switching-cost-benefit", "term": "Cost of switching", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What leaving actually costs, counted properly against what staying costs.", "long_definition": "The real cost of switching combines any exit charge, setup fees and time, set against the saving over the new term. Where a provider has been charging an out-of-contract price for a year or more, the saving usually exceeds the cost by a wide margin.", "why_it_matters": "The arithmetic almost always favours switching once you have been out of contract a while.", "example_in_context": "The exit charge was recovered within three months of the new lower price.", "common_misconception": "That an exit charge makes switching uneconomic. Usually it is recovered quickly.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "exit-fee", "tcv", "switching-savings", "payback" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Exit and setup fees", "url": "/exit-fees-and-setup-fees.html" }, { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-cost-benefit" }, { "id": "cotswold-fibre", "term": "Cotswold Fibre and rural specialists", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Small operators building fibre in specific rural districts.", "long_definition": "A number of very small builders serve individual rural districts, frequently founded by people who lived with poor connectivity themselves. They typically cover a few thousand premises and are the only full fibre option in their area.", "why_it_matters": "In many rural districts the only fibre available comes from an operator nobody has heard of.", "example_in_context": "The district was served by a builder covering only a few thousand premises.", "common_misconception": "That small operators offer inferior service. Many outperform national providers locally.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "b4rn", "county-broadband", "altnet", "borderlink" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cotswold-fibre" }, { "id": "covenant", "term": "Covenant", "expansion": "Debt covenant", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A condition in a loan agreement that, if breached, hands control to the lenders.", "long_definition": "Covenants set financial tests a borrower must keep meeting, such as a maximum ratio of debt to earnings. Breaching one typically triggers renegotiation on the lender's terms, and it is frequently the moment at which control of a struggling network changes hands.", "why_it_matters": "Covenant breaches, not insolvency, are usually what precipitates a forced sale.", "example_in_context": "The covenant test was breached and lenders took the lead on restructuring.", "common_misconception": "That a breach means immediate collapse. It usually means the lenders now decide.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "leverage", "refinancing", "distressed-sale", "administration" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#covenant" }, { "id": "coverage-map", "term": "Coverage map", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A prediction of where a network reaches, and a prediction rather than a guarantee.", "long_definition": "Coverage maps are modelled from mast locations, terrain and building data rather than measured everywhere. They are usually accurate outdoors and considerably less reliable indoors, where wall construction and window coatings have a large effect.", "why_it_matters": "An address showing good outdoor coverage can still have no usable indoor signal.", "example_in_context": "The map showed strong outdoor coverage at an address with no signal indoors.", "common_misconception": "That coverage maps describe indoor signal. They largely describe outdoor.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom-checker", "notspot", "mast", "wifi-calling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#coverage-map" }, { "id": "cp", "term": "CP", "expansion": "Communication Provider", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Any company selling you a phone or broadband service.", "long_definition": "Communication provider is the regulatory term for the company you buy from, as distinct from the network operator whose infrastructure carries the service. Your CP is who your contract is with, who bills you and who you complain to.", "why_it_matters": "When guidance says contact your provider, it means your CP, not Openreach.", "example_in_context": "The fault sat on the Openreach network but had to be raised through the CP.", "common_misconception": "That you can call the network operator directly. Households deal with their CP.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "ofcom", "gc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cp" }, { "id": "cpi", "term": "CPI", "expansion": "Consumer Prices Index", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The main official measure of UK inflation, used in some mid-contract price rise clauses.", "long_definition": "CPI tracks the changing cost of a representative basket of goods and services. Some broadband contracts historically raised prices by CPI plus a fixed percentage each April, though Ofcom rules have since required rises to be set out in pounds and pence at the point of sale.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing which index your contract used tells you how a past rise was calculated.", "example_in_context": "The old contract rose by CPI plus 3.9% every April.", "common_misconception": "That CPI and RPI are interchangeable. RPI usually runs higher.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "rpi", "real-terms", "mid-contract-rise" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "In-contract price rises 2026", "url": "/in-contract-price-rises-2026.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cpi" }, { "id": "credit-check", "term": "Credit check", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The affordability search most providers run before agreeing a contract.", "long_definition": "Providers usually run a credit search before accepting a new customer, which may leave a footprint on your file. A poor result can mean refusal, an upfront payment or a restricted package. Some providers and most prepaid or mobile-based options do not check at all.", "why_it_matters": "If credit is a barrier, there are routes to a connection that do not depend on passing a search.", "example_in_context": "The application was accepted with an upfront payment rather than being refused outright.", "common_misconception": "That a refusal from one provider means refusal everywhere. Criteria vary widely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "deposit", "social-tariff", "rolling-contract" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "No credit check broadband", "url": "/no-credit-check-broadband-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#credit-check" }, { "id": "cross-subsidy", "term": "Cross-subsidy", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Using profit from one group of customers to fund cheaper prices for another.", "long_definition": "Cross-subsidy funds introductory offers from the margins earned on long-standing customers. It is the structural mechanism behind loyalty pricing: the discount offered to new customers is paid for by those who never switch.", "why_it_matters": "The cheap deal a new customer receives is funded by someone who has stayed put for years.", "example_in_context": "Introductory discounts were funded by margins on out-of-contract customers.", "common_misconception": "That introductory offers are absorbed by the provider. Other customers fund them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "cac", "ooc", "ltv" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cross-subsidy" }, { "id": "cuckoo", "term": "Cuckoo", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A UK broadband retailer no longer bookable through comparison channels.", "long_definition": "Cuckoo sold broadband over the Openreach network with a simple single-tariff approach. It is no longer listed as a bookable provider in our comparison data.", "why_it_matters": "If you are still with Cuckoo, check what you are paying against live market rates.", "example_in_context": "Cuckoo was removed from the bookable provider set during the April 2026 accuracy audit.", "common_misconception": "That removal from comparison means the service has ceased. It means it is no longer bookable through our channels.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk accuracy audit, April 2026", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cuckoo" }, { "id": "provider-migration", "term": "Customer base transfers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "What happens when your provider sells its customers to another company.", "long_definition": "Where a customer base is sold, existing contract terms normally continue until they expire, and customers should be notified. A change of provider imposed this way may open a right to leave if terms change to your detriment.", "why_it_matters": "Being sold to another provider can open an exit right if your terms change.", "example_in_context": "Existing contract terms continued after the base transferred to a new owner.", "common_misconception": "That a sale immediately changes your contract. Terms normally continue until they expire.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "shell-broadband", "right-to-exit", "terms-change", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "If your provider goes bust", "url": "/what-happens-if-your-broadband-provider-goes-out-of-business.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-migration" }, { "id": "cyber-hygiene", "term": "Cyber hygiene", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The small routine habits that prevent most household security problems.", "long_definition": "Unique passwords held in a password manager, two-factor authentication on important accounts, prompt updates on devices and routers, and a separate network for smart devices. None of it is complicated, and together it removes the great majority of realistic household risk.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every home compromise traces back to one of these four things being skipped.", "example_in_context": "Two-factor authentication on the email account blocked the attempted takeover.", "common_misconception": "That security requires technical expertise. The effective measures are all routine.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "phishing", "router-password", "firmware", "iot-device" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cyber-hygiene" }, { "id": "cyberbullying", "term": "Cyberbullying", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Bullying carried out through messaging, social platforms or games.", "long_definition": "Because it travels with the device, cyberbullying does not stop at the end of the school day. Platforms carry reporting and blocking tools, schools have duties, and keeping a record of what happened is useful before anything is deleted. Support organisations offer confidential help for children and parents alike.", "why_it_matters": "Recognising it early matters more than any technical control, and support is available for both parties.", "example_in_context": "Messages were recorded and reported to the platform and the school.", "common_misconception": "That blocking one account resolves it. Recording and reporting matter more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ceop", "conversations", "device-controls" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" }, { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" }, { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#cyberbullying" }, { "id": "dark-fibre", "term": "Dark fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Unlit fibre leased to a customer who supplies their own equipment.", "long_definition": "Dark fibre is physical fibre without any service running over it. The customer provides the equipment at each end and therefore controls the capacity entirely, which suits operators and large organisations rather than households.", "why_it_matters": "It is how some networks and large users obtain capacity without building their own routes.", "example_in_context": "The operator leased dark fibre and lit it with its own equipment.", "common_misconception": "That it is unused spare fibre going to waste. Dark simply means no service is running on it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "leased-line", "pia", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dark-fibre" }, { "id": "das", "term": "DAS", "expansion": "Distributed Antenna System", "pronunciation": "DASS", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "An in-building antenna network carrying mobile signal deep inside large structures.", "long_definition": "Distributed antenna systems pipe mobile signal through a building using cabling and multiple small antennas, providing coverage in basements, car parks, hospitals and offices where outdoor signal cannot reach. They are installed by the building owner rather than the network.", "why_it_matters": "If a large building has good mobile signal throughout, someone paid to install this.", "example_in_context": "The hospital installed a distributed antenna system to give coverage in the lower floors.", "common_misconception": "That indoor coverage is the network's responsibility. In large buildings it usually is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "small-cell", "mast", "wifi-calling" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#das" }, { "id": "data-breach", "term": "Data breach", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Personal data exposed or stolen from an organisation holding it.", "long_definition": "Breaches range from an exposed database to a full compromise. Organisations must report qualifying breaches to the Information Commissioner within 72 hours and tell affected individuals where risk is high. Free services let you check whether an address appears in known breaches.", "why_it_matters": "If a service you used was breached, changing that password everywhere it was reused is the urgent step.", "example_in_context": "The address appeared in a known breach, so the reused password was changed everywhere.", "common_misconception": "That a breach means your bank is at risk. It depends entirely on what was exposed and reused.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "password-manager", "uk-gdpr", "ico", "phishing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#data-breach" }, { "id": "demand-growth", "term": "Data demand growth", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How much more households consume each year, and why networks keep upgrading.", "long_definition": "Average household data consumption has risen consistently, driven by higher video resolutions, more connected devices and cloud services. Networks plan capacity against that trend rather than against current use, which is why upgrades continue despite most households never using their full connection.", "why_it_matters": "It is why networks keep building capacity that current households appear not to need.", "example_in_context": "Capacity was planned against projected growth rather than present consumption.", "common_misconception": "That spare capacity is waste. It is planning against a consistent upward trend.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "capacity-planning", "headroom", "streaming-bitrate", "concurrent-devices" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#demand-growth" }, { "id": "data-poverty", "term": "Data poverty", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Being unable to afford enough connectivity to meet everyday needs.", "long_definition": "Data poverty describes households rationing connectivity: relying on limited mobile data, disconnecting between paydays, or having a connection too slow for schoolwork or job applications. It is distinct from having no connection at all and is considerably more widespread.", "why_it_matters": "A household rationing mobile data is very often eligible for a social tariff that would cost less.", "example_in_context": "The family relied on limited mobile data while eligible for a discounted home package.", "common_misconception": "That having a connection means being connected adequately. Rationing is common.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-divide", "social-tariff", "uc", "data-cap" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#data-poverty" }, { "id": "dct", "term": "DCT", "expansion": "Digital Comparison Tool", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The category of comparison service Ofcom accredits against a published standard.", "long_definition": "Ofcom operates an accreditation scheme for comparison services covering accuracy, transparency, independence and how commercial relationships are disclosed. Accredited tools display the Ofcom accreditation mark.", "why_it_matters": "Accreditation tells you a comparison site has been independently checked, not just self-declared as impartial.", "example_in_context": "The site applied for Ofcom DCT accreditation with a named data partner.", "common_misconception": "That all comparison sites are accredited. Most are not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Methodology and trust", "url": "/methodology-and-trust-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dct" }, { "id": "ddi", "term": "DDI", "expansion": "Direct Dial-In", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Individual phone numbers reaching people directly without going through a switchboard.", "long_definition": "Direct dial-in allocates a number to each extension so callers reach a person without an operator. Numbers are usually supplied in ranges and can be ported between providers, which matters when a business changes supplier.", "why_it_matters": "When a business changes phone provider, whether the direct numbers port across is the key question.", "example_in_context": "The direct dial range ported to the new provider with the main number.", "common_misconception": "That extension numbers are internal only. Direct dial numbers are public ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pbx", "number-porting", "sip", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ddi" }, { "id": "ddos", "term": "DDoS", "expansion": "Distributed Denial of Service", "pronunciation": "DEE-doss", "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Overwhelming a service with traffic from many sources so it stops responding.", "long_definition": "A distributed denial of service attack floods a target with traffic from numerous compromised devices, exhausting capacity so legitimate users cannot connect. Providers offer mitigation services, and poorly secured household smart devices are frequently conscripted into the attacking networks.", "why_it_matters": "An insecure smart camera in a home can end up as part of an attack on someone else.", "example_in_context": "The mitigation service absorbed the flood and the site stayed reachable.", "common_misconception": "That it involves breaking into the target. It simply overwhelms it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "iot-device", "malware", "transit", "core-network" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ddos" }, { "id": "deadlock", "term": "Deadlock letter", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Written confirmation your provider has done all it will, which unlocks the ombudsman early.", "long_definition": "A deadlock letter states that the provider considers the complaint closed. Receiving one lets you escalate to ADR immediately rather than waiting the full eight weeks, and providers are obliged to issue one on request when they have reached their final position.", "why_it_matters": "Asking for a deadlock letter can save you nearly two months of waiting.", "example_in_context": "The deadlock letter allowed escalation to the ombudsman after three weeks.", "common_misconception": "That you must wait eight weeks regardless. A deadlock letter removes the wait.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "ombudsman", "cisas", "complaints-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom complaints handling requirements", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#deadlock" }, { "id": "decoy-pricing", "term": "Decoy pricing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A deliberately unattractive middle option that makes another package look sensible.", "long_definition": "Offering three tiers where the middle is poor value steers customers toward the top one. It is a standard technique in package design and is why the range of speeds offered rarely maps cleanly onto what households actually need.", "why_it_matters": "The tier that looks obviously best value may have been positioned to look that way.", "example_in_context": "The middle tier was priced so the top one appeared better value.", "common_misconception": "That package tiers reflect natural usage bands. They are designed to steer choices.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-tier", "anchoring", "headline-pricing", "dark-patterns" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#decoy-pricing" }, { "id": "dect", "term": "DECT", "expansion": "Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications", "pronunciation": "DECT", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The standard behind cordless home phones, which mostly keep working after migration.", "long_definition": "DECT handsets talk wirelessly to a base station. After a digital voice migration the base station plugs into the router rather than the wall socket, but the handsets themselves generally continue to work unchanged.", "why_it_matters": "Your cordless phones almost certainly do not need replacing when your line migrates.", "example_in_context": "The DECT base was moved to the router port and the handsets carried on as before.", "common_misconception": "That migration means buying new phones. Usually it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "pstn", "router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "ETSI DECT standard", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dect" }, { "id": "deepfake", "term": "Deepfake", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Synthetic video, image or audio convincingly imitating a real person.", "long_definition": "Generated media can now imitate a person's face or voice convincingly. It is used in fraud, including cloned voices in phone scams, and in creating intimate images without consent, which UK law addresses. Agreeing a family phrase for verifying unexpected calls is a practical countermeasure.", "why_it_matters": "A distressed voice on the phone asking for money urgently may not be who it sounds like.", "example_in_context": "The family agreed a verification phrase for any unexpected call requesting money.", "common_misconception": "That the technology is beyond ordinary criminals. It is widely available.", "status": "emerging", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "scam-call", "phishing", "osa", "misinformation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#deepfake" }, { "id": "demon", "term": "Demon Internet", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Britain's pioneering consumer ISP, founded in 1992 and closed by Vodafone in 2019.", "long_definition": "Demon Internet launched in 1992 and was for many households the first way onto the internet at home. It was owned by Thus, which Cable & Wireless acquired on 1 October 2008. Cable & Wireless split in March 2010 and Demon fell under Cable & Wireless Worldwide, which Vodafone bought in July 2012 for £1.044 billion. Vodafone announced closure in January 2019, migrating roughly 15,000 remaining customers, mostly small businesses.", "why_it_matters": "It is the answer to what happened to the first ISP a great many British households ever used.", "example_in_context": "Vodafone announced Demon's closure in January 2019 with around 15,000 customers remaining.", "common_misconception": "That the brand still operates. It closed in 2019.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "freeserve", "pipex" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#demon" }, { "id": "device-controls", "term": "Device controls", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Restrictions set on a phone, tablet or console rather than on the network.", "long_definition": "Operating systems and consoles include their own controls covering app installation, purchases, content ratings and time limits. They travel with the device onto mobile data and other networks, which is exactly where network filtering stops working.", "why_it_matters": "Network filtering and device controls cover different gaps, which is why both are needed.", "example_in_context": "Device controls continued to apply when the phone left the house and used mobile data.", "common_misconception": "That the home filter covers the phone everywhere. It stops at your front door.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "network-filtering", "parental-controls", "screen-time", "content-ratings" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Apple Screen Time guide", "url": "/online-safety/apple-screen-time/" }, { "anchor": "Google Family Link guide", "url": "/online-safety/google-family-link/" }, { "anchor": "Gaming console controls", "url": "/online-safety/gaming-console-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#device-controls" }, { "id": "device-limit", "term": "Device limitation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "When the phone or laptop, not the connection, is what is slow.", "long_definition": "Older devices, ageing wireless adapters and low-powered hardware frequently cannot process data at the rate a modern connection delivers. Testing from two different devices separates a device limitation from a connection problem in under a minute.", "why_it_matters": "Testing on a second device is the fastest way to rule your equipment in or out.", "example_in_context": "The newer laptop achieved twice the speed of the older one on the same connection.", "common_misconception": "That every device should reach the line speed. Many cannot.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-test", "throughput", "wifi5", "concurrent-devices" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#device-limit" }, { "id": "devices-and-sleep", "term": "Devices and sleep", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Why connected devices in bedrooms affect sleep, and what the router can do about it.", "long_definition": "Late device use displaces sleep and disrupts settling, and the effect is more about content and interaction than screen light alone. A router schedule removing access overnight is more effective than negotiating each evening, and applies to every device.", "why_it_matters": "A router schedule ends the nightly negotiation and covers the console as well.", "example_in_context": "An overnight access schedule removed the need to negotiate each evening.", "common_misconception": "That screen light is the main problem. Content and interaction matter more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "schedule-controls", "screen-time", "device-controls", "conversations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" }, { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#devices-and-sleep" }, { "id": "dhcp", "term": "DHCP", "expansion": "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The router service that hands each device a local address automatically.", "long_definition": "DHCP assigns internal addresses to devices as they join the network so nothing has to be configured manually. Reservations can be set so a particular device always receives the same internal address, which is useful for printers, cameras and anything you forward ports to.", "why_it_matters": "A DHCP reservation is what stops your printer disappearing after a router restart.", "example_in_context": "A reservation kept the camera on the same internal address after every reboot.", "common_misconception": "That devices keep their address permanently. Without a reservation it can change.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "nat", "router", "port-forwarding" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IETF standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dhcp" }, { "id": "dial-tone", "term": "Dial tone", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The continuous tone confirming a line is ready, and the sound the switch-off ends.", "long_definition": "Dial tone was generated by the exchange to confirm the line was live and ready. On a digital voice service the tone is produced locally by the router or adapter, so it confirms the equipment is working rather than that the network is reachable.", "why_it_matters": "On digital voice, hearing dial tone no longer proves the network is actually available.", "example_in_context": "The adapter produced dial tone locally regardless of whether the connection was up.", "common_misconception": "That dial tone proves the line works. On digital voice it proves the adapter works.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "digital-voice", "ata", "quiet-line-test" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dial-tone" }, { "id": "dial-up", "term": "Dial-up", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Internet access over a normal phone call, occupying the line while connected.", "long_definition": "Dial-up established a call to the provider each time, converting data into audible tones over the voice line. It occupied the telephone, was billed by the minute until unmetered packages arrived, and topped out at around 56 kilobits per second.", "why_it_matters": "It is the reference point that makes every subsequent speed increase comprehensible.", "example_in_context": "Connecting occupied the telephone line and was charged by the minute.", "common_misconception": "That dial-up was simply slow broadband. It was a phone call carrying data.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "modem-56k", "adsl", "pstn", "freeserve" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dial-up" }, { "id": "dig-once", "term": "Dig once", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Coordinating works so one excavation serves several purposes.", "long_definition": "Dig once policies encourage utilities and operators to share excavations, laying spare duct while a road is already open. It reduces cost and disruption substantially, and requires coordination that is frequently harder to achieve than the engineering itself.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a road dug up for water should ideally leave fibre duct behind it.", "example_in_context": "Spare duct was laid while the road was already open for other works.", "common_misconception": "That repeated roadworks are unavoidable. Coordination avoids many of them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "civils", "street-works", "barrier-busting", "duct-and-pole" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dig-once" }, { "id": "digital-divide", "term": "Digital divide", "expansion": "Digital exclusion", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The gap between those with reliable connectivity and skills and those without.", "long_definition": "Digital exclusion combines affordability, availability, devices and confidence. As services move online by default, the cost of exclusion rises: households without connectivity pay more for essentials, and children without home broadband are measurably disadvantaged at school.", "why_it_matters": "Social tariffs exist because of this, and take-up remains far below eligibility.", "example_in_context": "The household qualified for a social tariff but had never been told it existed.", "common_misconception": "That it is purely about availability. Affordability and skills matter as much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "social-tariff", "data-poverty", "uso", "uc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#digital-divide" }, { "id": "digital-footprint", "term": "Digital footprint", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The trail of information you leave online, deliberately and otherwise.", "long_definition": "A digital footprint includes what you post, what others post about you and what services record automatically. It matters for children in particular because material posted young persists into adulthood, and it is a more useful conversation with a teenager than a list of prohibitions.", "why_it_matters": "It is the most productive way to discuss online behaviour with a child who resents controls.", "example_in_context": "The conversation focused on permanence rather than on restricting the app.", "common_misconception": "That deleting a post removes it. Copies and archives frequently persist.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "conversations", "privacy", "social-media", "screen-time" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" }, { "anchor": "Social media safety", "url": "/online-safety/social-media-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#digital-footprint" }, { "id": "digital-legacy", "term": "Digital legacy", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "What happens to accounts, numbers and stored files after someone dies.", "long_definition": "Telecoms accounts, email and cloud storage all need addressing after a death, and each provider handles it differently. A record of which accounts exist, kept somewhere findable, spares the family a great deal of difficulty at the worst possible moment.", "why_it_matters": "A short list of accounts left somewhere findable saves a family weeks of difficulty.", "example_in_context": "A record of the accounts allowed each to be closed or transferred straightforwardly.", "common_misconception": "That next of kin can access accounts automatically. Each provider has its own process.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bereavement", "third-party-access", "account-security", "joint-account" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#digital-legacy" }, { "id": "digital-resilience", "term": "Digital resilience", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Building a child's ability to handle online problems rather than only preventing them.", "long_definition": "Resilience means a child knows what to do when something goes wrong, feels able to tell someone and understands why limits exist. It complements technical controls, which cannot follow a child onto every device and network they will ever use.", "why_it_matters": "Filters end at your front door. Resilience travels with the child everywhere.", "example_in_context": "The child reported the problem rather than concealing it, because the response was agreed in advance.", "common_misconception": "That controls are sufficient. They cover your network and nothing beyond it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "conversations", "warning-signs", "parental-controls", "cyberbullying" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#digital-resilience" }, { "id": "digital-voice", "term": "Digital Voice", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A landline that plugs into your router instead of a wall socket.", "long_definition": "Digital Voice is BT's brand name, now used generically for landline calls carried over broadband rather than the analogue phone network. The handset connects to the router. Calls work as before, but the line depends on power and on the broadband connection, which is why battery backup matters for vulnerable households.", "why_it_matters": "Every UK landline is moving this way before the analogue network retires on 31 January 2027.", "example_in_context": "The phone was moved to Digital Voice and now plugs into the router.", "common_misconception": "That your number changes. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "voip", "sip", "evac" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#digital-voice" }, { "id": "direct-debit-guarantee", "term": "Direct Debit Guarantee", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The banking protection entitling you to a refund of an incorrect direct debit.", "long_definition": "The guarantee covers every direct debit in the UK. If an incorrect amount is taken, or taken on the wrong date, your bank must refund it promptly, and you can cancel a direct debit at any time by telling your bank. It sits alongside your rights against the provider rather than replacing them.", "why_it_matters": "If a provider takes the wrong amount, your bank can put it back while the dispute is sorted out.", "example_in_context": "The overcharged payment was refunded by the bank under the guarantee.", "common_misconception": "That you must resolve it with the provider first. The bank refund is independent of that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "billing-error", "final-bill", "debt-disconnection" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Direct Debit Guarantee", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#direct-debit-guarantee" }, { "id": "directional-drilling", "term": "Directional drilling", "expansion": "Moling", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Boring underground between two points without digging up what lies between.", "long_definition": "Directional drilling launches a steerable bore from one pit and recovers it at another, pulling duct through behind it. It is used to cross roads, driveways and gardens without excavating the surface, and it is why a lead-in can be installed without disturbing a lawn.", "why_it_matters": "It is how fibre crosses your driveway without anyone digging it up.", "example_in_context": "The duct was bored under the driveway between two small pits.", "common_misconception": "That every underground connection requires an open trench. Most crossings are bored.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "civils", "drop-cable", "micro-trenching", "duct-and-pole" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#directional-drilling" }, { "id": "discount-rate", "term": "Discount rate", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How much less a future pound is worth than one today, and why interest rates changed everything.", "long_definition": "Future cash is worth less than present cash, and the discount rate quantifies by how much. When rates rose, distant returns became worth substantially less in today's terms, which is the mechanism by which the fibre investment case deteriorated across the sector at once.", "why_it_matters": "It is precisely how rising interest rates turned a growth story into a consolidation one.", "example_in_context": "Higher rates reduced the present value of returns that were years away.", "common_misconception": "That rate rises only affect borrowing costs. They also devalue future returns.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "irr-npv", "wacc", "valuation", "capital-intensity" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#discount-rate" }, { "id": "distressed-sale", "term": "Distressed sale", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A sale forced by running out of money rather than chosen for strategic reasons.", "long_definition": "When funding runs out, a network sells on whatever terms are available. Valuations in distressed sales are typically far below earlier funding rounds, which resets the price expectations for every comparable business in the sector.", "why_it_matters": "One distressed sale re-prices an entire sector by establishing what buyers will actually pay.", "example_in_context": "The sale completed well below the valuation of the previous funding round.", "common_misconception": "That distressed means the network is poor. Often the assets are good and the balance sheet is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "runway", "covenant", "consolidation", "ev-ebitda" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#distressed-sale" }, { "id": "distribution-point", "term": "Distribution point", "expansion": "DP", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The pole top or underground box where the network splits out to individual properties.", "long_definition": "A distribution point is the last shared piece of network before the drop to each property, on a pole top or in a footway box. Its capacity determines how many homes on a street can be connected before further work is required.", "why_it_matters": "If your neighbours can order and you cannot, this is frequently where capacity ran out.", "example_in_context": "The distribution point had no spare capacity until additional work was completed.", "common_misconception": "That availability is decided per street. It can vary house by house.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "cbt", "drop-cable", "telegraph-pole", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "New-build order delays", "url": "/new-build-broadband-delays-address-cannot-order-yet.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#distribution-point" }, { "id": "diverse-routing", "term": "Diverse routing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Two physically separate paths so one cable cut cannot sever a connection.", "long_definition": "Diverse routing runs a service over two paths that do not share ducts, chambers or buildings. It is sold with resilient business connections and is meaningless if both routes converge somewhere, which is why genuine diversity has to be verified rather than assumed.", "why_it_matters": "Two connections entering a building through the same duct are not resilient.", "example_in_context": "The audit found both supposedly diverse routes shared a single chamber.", "common_misconception": "That two providers means resilience. They frequently share the same physical route.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "failover", "leased-line", "sla", "single-point-failure" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#diverse-routing" }, { "id": "dmz", "term": "DMZ", "expansion": "Demilitarised zone", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Exposing one device fully to the internet, which is rarely a good idea at home.", "long_definition": "Placing a device in the DMZ forwards all incoming traffic to it, bypassing the firewall entirely. It is sometimes suggested as a quick fix for connection problems and is almost always the wrong answer, since forwarding the specific ports needed achieves the same result far more safely.", "why_it_matters": "If support asks you to put a device in the DMZ, ask which specific ports it needs instead.", "example_in_context": "Forwarding two specific ports achieved the same result without exposing the device.", "common_misconception": "That it is a normal troubleshooting step. It removes protection entirely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "port-forwarding", "firewall", "upnp", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dmz" }, { "id": "dns", "term": "DNS", "expansion": "Domain Name System", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The system translating website names into the numeric addresses computers use.", "long_definition": "Every time you type an address, DNS looks up the corresponding IP address. Your provider supplies DNS servers by default, but you can change them at the router. Because DNS sees every domain you request, the choice of DNS provider has both performance and privacy implications, and it is also how most free filtering services work.", "why_it_matters": "Changing DNS at the router is the simplest way to apply content filtering across every device in the house at once.", "example_in_context": "Pointing the router at a filtering DNS service covered every device, including the games consoles.", "common_misconception": "That changing DNS speeds up your broadband. It can speed up lookups, not throughput.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "router", "dns-filtering" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Free DNS filtering", "url": "/online-safety/free-dns-filtering/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dns" }, { "id": "dns-filtering", "term": "DNS filtering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Blocking unwanted sites by refusing to look up their addresses, applied across every device at once.", "long_definition": "Filtering at the DNS level intercepts name lookups and refuses those on a blocklist. Set at the router, it covers every device on the network including consoles and smart televisions that have no parental controls of their own. Several reputable services offer it free.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single most effective home safety measure that takes ten minutes and costs nothing.", "example_in_context": "Setting filtering DNS on the router covered every device including the consoles.", "common_misconception": "That it replaces conversations and device controls. It is one layer among several.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dns", "router", "iwf", "parental-controls" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Free DNS filtering", "url": "/online-safety/free-dns-filtering/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dns-filtering" }, { "id": "docsis", "term": "DOCSIS", "expansion": "Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification", "pronunciation": "DOCK-sis", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The standard behind cable broadband, used in the UK by Virgin Media.", "long_definition": "DOCSIS carries broadband over the coaxial cable television network. Successive versions raised speeds substantially, and DOCSIS 3.1 supports gigabit downloads. Upload capacity has historically lagged, which is why cable packages are usually strongly asymmetric.", "why_it_matters": "It is why Virgin Media can offer very fast downloads on cable while uploads trail full fibre.", "example_in_context": "The cable line delivered 1 Gbps down and a small fraction of that up.", "common_misconception": "That cable is a type of fibre. The final run is coaxial copper.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "cable-broadband", "vmo2", "hfc", "asymmetric" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "CableLabs DOCSIS specifications", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#docsis" }, { "id": "doh", "term": "DoH", "expansion": "DNS over HTTPS", "pronunciation": "dough", "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Encrypted name lookups that improve privacy and can quietly bypass home filtering.", "long_definition": "DNS over HTTPS encrypts name lookups inside ordinary web traffic. It protects against interception, and because it also hides lookups from the router it can bypass network-level and DNS-based filtering. Browsers may enable it by default, so a filter that worked last month may silently stop working.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single most common reason home content filtering appears to stop functioning.", "example_in_context": "The browser enabled encrypted lookups by default and the router filter stopped taking effect.", "common_misconception": "That filtering, once set, keeps working indefinitely. Browser defaults can undo it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dns", "dns-filtering", "network-filtering", "vpn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Free DNS filtering", "url": "/online-safety/free-dns-filtering/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#doh" }, { "id": "double-nat", "term": "Double NAT", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Two routers each translating addresses, which breaks incoming connections.", "long_definition": "Running a second router behind the supplied one creates two layers of address translation. Ordinary browsing works, but port forwarding, some gaming features and remote access fail because traffic has to traverse two translations. Bridge mode on the first device resolves it.", "why_it_matters": "If port forwarding does nothing after adding your own router, this is almost always the reason.", "example_in_context": "Remote access failed until the supplied router was switched to bridge mode.", "common_misconception": "That two routers simply extend the network. They create a nested one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "bridge-mode", "nat", "port-forwarding", "cgnat" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#double-nat" }, { "id": "download-speed", "term": "Download speed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How fast data arrives, and the figure almost every advert leads with.", "long_definition": "Download speed governs streaming quality, how quickly pages and games load and how many devices can be served at once. It is the headline number in advertising, which is why upload, latency and stability get overlooked despite mattering just as much day to day.", "why_it_matters": "It is the right number to compare packages on, and the wrong number to judge a connection on alone.", "example_in_context": "The 900 Mbps download made no difference to the video calls, which needed upload.", "common_misconception": "That more download always improves the experience. Beyond a point it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "upload-speed", "average-speed", "bandwidth" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#download-speed" }, { "id": "download-time", "term": "Download time", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How long a file takes, which follows from speed, file size and the eight-to-one conversion.", "long_definition": "Download time is file size divided by real throughput, remembering that speeds are quoted in bits and files measured in bytes. Large game installs are the everyday case where the arithmetic matters, and where the remote server frequently limits things more than your line does.", "why_it_matters": "It is the practical translation of a speed figure into something you actually experience.", "example_in_context": "A 120 GB game install took under half an hour on a gigabit line.", "common_misconception": "That your line is always the limiting factor. The server at the other end often is.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bit-vs-byte", "mbps", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#download-time" }, { "id": "dp3", "term": "DP3", "expansion": "Dual Path, grade three", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Alarm signalling over two separate routes so a single failure cannot silence it.", "long_definition": "Graded alarm signalling standards require that a monitored alarm can still report if one communication path fails. Dual path arrangements combine two routes, historically a phone line plus a radio or mobile connection, so cutting one does not defeat the system.", "why_it_matters": "It matters wherever an alarm relied on a phone line that is now being retired.", "example_in_context": "The intruder alarm was re-graded to a dual path signalling arrangement.", "common_misconception": "That an alarm on broadband is inherently less secure. Dual path exists precisely to address that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "arc", "alarm-line", "pstn", "telecare" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Care alarms and switching", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dp3" }, { "id": "drop-cable", "term": "Drop cable", "expansion": "Lead-in", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The final short run of cable from the street into your property.", "long_definition": "The lead-in connects the network in the street to the entry point on your building, arriving either overhead from a pole or underground through a duct. It is the part of the network specific to your address and usually the only part installed on the day.", "why_it_matters": "Once your lead-in exists, switching to another provider on the same network needs no new install.", "example_in_context": "The overhead drop cable was installed in under an hour.", "common_misconception": "That every switch needs a new lead-in. Only a change of network does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ont", "blown-fibre", "telegraph-pole", "cbt" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#drop-cable" }, { "id": "dsa", "term": "DSA", "expansion": "Data Sharing Agreement", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Arrangements letting councils tell phone providers which households have telecare.", "long_definition": "Local authorities hold records of telecare users that providers do not. Data sharing agreements allow that information to be passed across so vulnerable households can be flagged before their line is migrated, rather than discovered afterwards.", "why_it_matters": "It is the mechanism meant to stop a pendant alarm failing silently after a migration nobody flagged.", "example_in_context": "The council shared telecare addresses under a data sharing agreement.", "common_misconception": "That providers already know who has telecare. Without an agreement, most do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "telecare", "arc", "pstn", "vulnerability" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dsa" }, { "id": "dsit", "term": "DSIT", "expansion": "Department for Science, Innovation and Technology", "pronunciation": "DEE-sit", "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The government department behind the gigabit programme and the phone network migration charters.", "long_definition": "DSIT sets digital infrastructure policy, sponsors BDUK, and co-ordinates the voluntary charters under which providers manage the move off the analogue phone network. It co-leads telecare policy with the Department of Health and Social Care.", "why_it_matters": "The deadlines and protections around the switch-off are set here, not by your provider.", "example_in_context": "DSIT convened the charter signatories ahead of the migration.", "common_misconception": "That DSIT regulates providers. Ofcom does that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "bdas", "ofcom", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dsit" }, { "id": "dslam", "term": "DSLAM and MSAN", "expansion": "Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer", "pronunciation": "DEE-slam", "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The equipment aggregating many copper broadband lines onto the network.", "long_definition": "A DSLAM terminates copper broadband lines and combines their traffic onto the core network. A multi-service access node performs the same role for both voice and broadband. Both sit in exchanges or street cabinets and both become redundant as full fibre replaces copper.", "why_it_matters": "It is the equipment at the far end of your copper line that full fibre makes unnecessary.", "example_in_context": "The cabinet housed the equipment aggregating traffic from the surrounding streets.", "common_misconception": "That the green cabinet contains it. Usually a separate powered cabinet does.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "pcp", "exchange", "olt", "vdsl" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dslam" }, { "id": "dtmf", "term": "DTMF", "expansion": "Dual Tone Multi-Frequency", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The tones a keypad makes, and why menu options sometimes fail on internet calls.", "long_definition": "Keypad presses are conveyed as tone pairs. Because compression can distort them, internet-based calls usually signal them separately rather than as audio. A mismatch between methods is why a menu occasionally does not register the number you pressed.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why an automated menu sometimes ignores what you press on a digital line.", "example_in_context": "The menu failed to register presses until the signalling method was changed.", "common_misconception": "That menu failures are the automated system's fault. Frequently it is signalling.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ivr", "codec", "voip", "sip" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dtmf" }, { "id": "dual-play", "term": "Dual-play", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Broadband plus a home phone line on one bill; triple-play adds pay TV.", "long_definition": "Bundling language inherited from the cable industry. Dual-play means two services on one contract, usually broadband and phone. Triple-play adds television. Bundles can save money but they also lengthen the effective switching decision, because leaving means moving several services at once.", "why_it_matters": "Bundles are where loyalty pricing hides best, because the headline is one number rather than three.", "example_in_context": "The dual-play bundle looked cheap until the line rental was itemised.", "common_misconception": "That a bundle is always cheaper. Sometimes buying separately wins.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ooc", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband and phone deals", "url": "/broadband-and-phone-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband and TV deals", "url": "/broadband-and-tv-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dual-play" }, { "id": "duct-and-pole", "term": "Duct and pole", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The underground pipes and overhead poles that carry cable, and the cheapest way to build fibre.", "long_definition": "Ducts are the buried plastic pipes fibre is pulled through; poles carry it overhead. Reusing an existing duct and pole network avoids the enormous cost of digging new routes, which is why access to Openreach's estate transformed the economics of UK fibre building.", "why_it_matters": "It is why fibre arrived on your street without the road being dug up.", "example_in_context": "The build used existing ducts for 80% of the route and dug only where they were blocked.", "common_misconception": "That new fibre always means new civil works. Most of it reuses what is already there.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pia", "civils", "telegraph-pole", "chamber" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#duct-and-pole" }, { "id": "duct-sharing", "term": "Duct sharing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Several operators running cable through the same underground route.", "long_definition": "Where a duct has spare capacity, multiple operators can install cables through it under access arrangements. It reduces cost and disruption substantially, and creates a shared physical dependency that undermines any claim of route diversity.", "why_it_matters": "Two providers sharing one duct means one digger takes out both.", "example_in_context": "Both connections ran through the same duct despite being sold as diverse.", "common_misconception": "That different providers means different routes. They frequently share the same duct.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pia", "diverse-routing", "duct-and-pole", "cable-cut" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#duct-sharing" }, { "id": "dynamic-ip", "term": "Dynamic IP", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A public address that can change, which is the default on almost all home broadband.", "long_definition": "Dynamic addressing lets providers allocate addresses from a pool as connections come and go. In practice a home address often stays the same for long periods, then changes after an outage or a router restart.", "why_it_matters": "It is fine for ordinary use and quietly awkward for anything you want to reach from outside.", "example_in_context": "The address held steady for months, then changed after a line fault.", "common_misconception": "That it changes daily. It usually does not, but it can change without warning.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "static-ip", "ip-address", "cgnat" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#dynamic-ip" }, { "id": "ebitda", "term": "EBITDA", "expansion": "Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation", "pronunciation": "ee-BIT-dah", "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A profit measure that excludes the biggest costs of building fibre.", "long_definition": "EBITDA strips out financing costs and the accounting spread of capital spending. For fibre builders that is a large exclusion, because digging and installing is precisely where the money goes. It is useful for comparing operating performance and misleading if read as cash generation.", "why_it_matters": "A network can report healthy EBITDA while consuming cash at speed.", "example_in_context": "EBITDA turned positive while the business remained heavily cash negative.", "common_misconception": "That EBITDA means profit. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "ev-ebitda", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ebitda" }, { "id": "echo", "term": "Echo and echo cancellation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Hearing your own voice returned, usually caused at the far end of a call.", "long_definition": "Echo occurs when sound from a speaker is picked up again by a microphone, or through electrical reflection on a line. Cancellation removes it, and because it is generated at the other end, the person hearing echo is rarely the person causing it.", "why_it_matters": "If you hear echo, the problem is usually at the other end of the call.", "example_in_context": "The echo was resolved by adjusting the far end, not the complaining party's equipment.", "common_misconception": "That echo means your own line is faulty. It is normally generated at the other end.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "codec", "mos", "voip", "latency" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#echo" }, { "id": "ecn", "term": "ECN", "expansion": "End-of-Contract Notification", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The alert telling you your minimum term is about to end.", "long_definition": "Providers must notify you between 10 and 40 days before your minimum term ends, setting out what you pay now, what you will pay after, and their best available deals. It is the single most useful piece of post arriving from your provider all year.", "why_it_matters": "The ECN is your warning that an out-of-contract price is coming. Act on it and you avoid the rise entirely.", "example_in_context": "The ECN said the price would go from £26 to £45 in six weeks.", "common_misconception": "That it is marketing. It is a regulatory requirement.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "abtn", "ooc", "exit-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch before your contract ends", "url": "/switch-broadband-before-contract-ends-and-still-save-money.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ecn" }, { "id": "economies-of-scale", "term": "Economies of scale", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Costs per customer falling as a network grows, which is why the sector consolidates.", "long_definition": "Fixed costs such as billing, support platforms and network operations spread across more customers as a business grows. In infrastructure the effect is pronounced, which is why small operators struggle to match large ones on price whatever their build quality.", "why_it_matters": "It is the structural reason a small network cannot match a large one on price indefinitely.", "example_in_context": "Fixed platform costs spread across a larger base reduced cost per customer.", "common_misconception": "That small operators are inefficient. They face genuinely higher unit costs.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "consolidation", "unit-economics", "roll-up", "ladder-pricing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#economies-of-scale" }, { "id": "ee", "term": "EE", "expansion": "Everything Everywhere", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "BT Group’s principal consumer brand, selling home broadband over Openreach.", "long_definition": "EE was formed from the UK operations of Orange and T-Mobile and later became part of BT Group. It now serves as BT Group’s main consumer brand across mobile and broadband, selling over the Openreach network.", "why_it_matters": "The customer lineage running from Freeserve through Orange ends up here.", "example_in_context": "Orange Home Broadband customers were folded into EE.", "common_misconception": "That EE is mobile only. It sells home broadband as well.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "orange-home", "freeserve", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "EE broadband deals", "url": "/ee-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ee" }, { "id": "effective-price", "term": "Effective price", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What you actually pay per month once every cost and incentive is counted.", "long_definition": "The effective price spreads setup fees, cashback, gift cards, free months and scheduled increases across the whole contract. It is regularly several pounds away from the advertised monthly figure in either direction.", "why_it_matters": "It is the only number that lets you compare two deals honestly.", "example_in_context": "A £27 headline became an effective £31 once the April rise and setup fee were included.", "common_misconception": "That advertised and effective prices are close. They frequently are not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tcv", "setup-fee", "mid-contract-rise", "switching-credit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Lowest total cost deals", "url": "/lowest-total-cost-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk ranking methodology", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#effective-price" }, { "id": "emergency-location", "term": "Emergency call location", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "How emergency services learn where a call is coming from, which digital voice complicates.", "long_definition": "An analogue line was tied to a fixed address, so location was implicit. A digital voice line can be plugged in anywhere with broadband, so providers hold a registered address and must have arrangements for keeping it accurate. Taking the equipment elsewhere without updating it is a genuine risk.", "why_it_matters": "If you take a digital voice handset to a holiday home, the address held may still be your house.", "example_in_context": "The registered address had to be updated after the equipment was moved.", "common_misconception": "That the network always knows where a call originates. On a portable line, it knows what it was told.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "999", "digital-voice", "voip", "battery-backup" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#emergency-location" }, { "id": "emergency-routing", "term": "Emergency call routing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "How a 999 call finds the right control room, and why the registered address matters.", "long_definition": "Emergency calls are routed to the control room covering the caller's location. On a fixed analogue line that was implicit; on an internet-based line it depends on the address registered with the provider, which is why keeping it current is a safety matter rather than an administrative one.", "why_it_matters": "An out-of-date registered address could send help to the wrong place entirely.", "example_in_context": "The registered address determined which control room received the call.", "common_misconception": "That location is always detected automatically. On a portable line it is the registered one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "999", "emergency-location", "digital-voice", "voip" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#emergency-routing" }, { "id": "en81-28", "term": "EN 81-28", "expansion": "European lift-safety standard 81-28", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The rule requiring two-way emergency voice in a lift that survives a power cut.", "long_definition": "Lift emergency telephones must connect to help and keep working when mains power fails. Many were wired to analogue phone lines, so the migration to digital voice creates a compliance task for building owners.", "why_it_matters": "If you manage or live in a block with a lift, this is a switch-off issue nobody sends a letter about.", "example_in_context": "The lift line was migrated to a resilient connection to stay compliant with EN 81-28.", "common_misconception": "That the lift company handles it automatically. Responsibility usually sits with the building owner.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "dp3", "evac" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#en81-28" }, { "id": "e2ee", "term": "End-to-end encryption", "expansion": "E2EE", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Messages readable only by sender and recipient, not even by the service carrying them.", "long_definition": "End-to-end encryption scrambles a message on the sending device and unscrambles it only on the receiving one, so the platform itself cannot read it. It protects private communication and simultaneously limits what platforms can detect, which is the heart of a long-running policy argument in the UK.", "why_it_matters": "It is why your messaging app cannot hand over message content even when asked.", "example_in_context": "The platform could supply account details but not message content.", "common_misconception": "That encrypted means anonymous. Who messaged whom is often still visible.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "https", "osa", "vpn", "privacy" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#e2ee" }, { "id": "engineer-charges", "term": "Engineer visit charges", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "What you pay if a visit finds the fault was inside your property.", "long_definition": "Where an engineer finds the problem lies in internal wiring, equipment or something else the customer is responsible for, a charge normally applies. Testing at the master socket beforehand, and checking your own equipment, usually establishes which side of the boundary a fault sits on.", "why_it_matters": "Ten minutes of testing before the visit can avoid a charge running into three figures.", "example_in_context": "Testing at the master socket beforehand confirmed the fault was external.", "common_misconception": "That engineer visits are always free. Internal faults are usually chargeable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "master-socket", "fault-reporting", "ssfp", "missed-appointment" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" }, { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#engineer-charges" }, { "id": "equinox", "term": "Equinox", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Openreach's discounted full fibre wholesale pricing offer, which pulls retail demand toward the incumbent.", "long_definition": "Equinox offers retail providers lower wholesale prices for full fibre in return for volume commitments. Because it makes Openreach fibre cheaper to resell, altnets argue it makes their own wholesale offers harder to sell. Ofcom has reviewed it more than once.", "why_it_matters": "It is one reason the cheapest deal at your address is often on Openreach even where an altnet has built.", "example_in_context": "Equinox pricing shifted the retail economics toward Openreach lines.", "common_misconception": "That it is a consumer tariff. It is a wholesale offer between companies.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "smp", "wftmr", "altnet" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#equinox" }, { "id": "equity-injection", "term": "Equity injection", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Existing or new shareholders putting in more money, usually at a lower valuation.", "long_definition": "When cash runs short, shareholders may inject further equity. Where the new money comes in at a lower valuation than earlier rounds, existing holders are diluted, which is why a rescue funding is frequently reported as bad news despite securing the business.", "why_it_matters": "A funding round can secure a network's future and destroy most of its earlier value.", "example_in_context": "The new equity secured the business at a valuation well below the previous round.", "common_misconception": "That new funding is always positive news. The terms determine that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "valuation", "runway", "distressed-sale", "refinancing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#equity-injection" }, { "id": "escalation", "term": "Escalation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Moving a complaint up beyond the first person who could not resolve it.", "long_definition": "Providers publish complaints procedures with defined stages. Asking for a complaint reference, requesting escalation in writing and noting the eight week point are the steps that convert a circular conversation into a case with a route out to adjudication.", "why_it_matters": "Getting a written complaint reference is what starts the clock toward free adjudication.", "example_in_context": "The written reference established the date from which the eight week period ran.", "common_misconception": "That repeated calls constitute a complaint. Ask for it to be logged formally.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "complaints-code", "deadlock", "adr", "ombudsman" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#escalation" }, { "id": "esim", "term": "eSIM", "expansion": "Embedded SIM", "pronunciation": "EE-sim", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A SIM built into the device and activated by download rather than by inserting a card.", "long_definition": "An eSIM is soldered into the handset and provisioned electronically, so a plan can be activated in minutes without waiting for post. Many devices support several profiles at once, which makes running a work and personal number, or adding a travel plan abroad, considerably simpler.", "why_it_matters": "It removes the wait for a SIM card and makes switching or adding a second number near-instant.", "example_in_context": "The travel plan was activated on an eSIM profile within minutes of landing.", "common_misconception": "That an eSIM locks you to one provider. Profiles can be swapped freely on supported devices.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sim", "imei", "roaming", "pac-code" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#esim" }, { "id": "ethernet", "term": "Ethernet", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "EE-ther-net", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A wired network connection, still the fastest and steadiest link in any home.", "long_definition": "Ethernet carries data over cable rather than radio, avoiding interference, congestion and distance loss. A cable run to a desk or a games console removes almost every variable that makes Wi-Fi unpredictable.", "why_it_matters": "For working from home or competitive gaming, one cable does more than any router upgrade.", "example_in_context": "Moving the console to ethernet cut latency and eliminated the packet loss entirely.", "common_misconception": "That Wi-Fi has caught up with cable. For consistency it has not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cat6", "router", "latency", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for home working", "url": "/broadband-for-home-working.html" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE 802.3", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ethernet" }, { "id": "ethernet-speeds", "term": "Ethernet port speeds", "expansion": "100 Mb, 1 Gb, 2.5 Gb, 10 Gb", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The rate a wired port supports, which frequently caps a fast connection.", "long_definition": "Older equipment carries 100 Mb ports, most current kit is gigabit, and multi-gigabit ports are appearing as connections exceed 1 Gbps. A single 100 Mb port anywhere in the chain limits everything passing through it, regardless of what the line delivers.", "why_it_matters": "On a gigabit line, one old switch or port silently caps the whole connection.", "example_in_context": "An old switch in the chain limited the whole run to 100 Mbps.", "common_misconception": "That all network ports are equivalent. A single slow port caps the path.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ethernet", "network-switch", "multi-gigabit", "cat6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gigabit deals", "url": "/gigabit-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ethernet-speeds" }, { "id": "etsi", "term": "ETSI", "expansion": "European Telecommunications Standards Institute", "pronunciation": "ET-see", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The European standards body behind DECT, GSM and much modern mobile technology.", "long_definition": "ETSI produces standards for telecommunications and related technologies across Europe and beyond, including DECT cordless telephony and foundational work on the mobile standards that became GSM and their successors.", "why_it_matters": "The cordless phone in your hall works to an ETSI standard.", "example_in_context": "DECT handsets are built to ETSI specifications.", "common_misconception": "That European standards stopped applying in the UK. These remain in general use.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "dect", "volte", "itu" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "ETSI", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#etsi" }, { "id": "ev-ebitda", "term": "EV/EBITDA", "expansion": "Enterprise value to EBITDA", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The multiple used to value a network against its earnings.", "long_definition": "Enterprise value divided by EBITDA gives a rough comparison of what a business costs relative to what it earns before financing and capital charges. In fibre it is the shorthand in which consolidation deals get argued about.", "why_it_matters": "Falling multiples across the sector are what make consolidation likely rather than optional.", "example_in_context": "The deal implied a multiple well below the previous funding round.", "common_misconception": "That a low multiple means a bad business. It often means a hard funding market.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "ebitda", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ev-ebitda" }, { "id": "evac", "term": "EVAc", "expansion": "Emergency Voice Access", "pronunciation": "EE-vak", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The last-ditch lifeboat line: calls to emergency services only.", "long_definition": "A minimal service that keeps 999 access available where a full voice service cannot be provided. It exists as a backstop within the migration off the analogue network rather than as a product anyone chooses.", "why_it_matters": "It is the floor beneath the switch-off, the guarantee that emergency calls still connect.", "example_in_context": "The property was placed on EVAc while a permanent solution was arranged.", "common_misconception": "That it is a normal phone service. It is emergency calls only.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "pdpl", "sotap", "cni" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#evac" }, { "id": "ex-directory", "term": "Ex-directory", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Keeping a number out of published directories and enquiry services.", "long_definition": "An ex-directory number is withheld from directory listings and enquiry services. It remains a working number and can still be identified by caller display at the receiving end, so it limits publication rather than conferring anonymity.", "why_it_matters": "It reduces how easily a number is found, without making calls from it anonymous.", "example_in_context": "The number was withheld from listings but still displayed on outgoing calls.", "common_misconception": "That ex-directory hides your number when you call. That is a separate withholding setting.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "caller-display", "nuisance-calls", "uk-gdpr" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ex-directory" }, { "id": "exchange-closure", "term": "Exchange closure programme", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The planned reduction of the exchange estate as fibre replaces copper.", "long_definition": "Thousands of exchanges served the copper network; the fibre network needs far fewer. Closures are phased, with services rehomed beforehand, and they release substantial property while requiring competitors with equipment inside to relocate it.", "why_it_matters": "It is the largest infrastructure rationalisation in UK telecoms since the network was built.", "example_in_context": "Services were rehomed before the local exchange was closed and released.", "common_misconception": "That closures happen suddenly. They are phased over many years with services moved first.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "exchange", "ohp", "rehoming", "llu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#exchange-closure" }, { "id": "executive-complaint", "term": "Executive complaints", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Escalating to a chief executive's office, which frequently reaches a team with real authority.", "long_definition": "Most large providers operate a small team handling correspondence addressed to senior executives, with authority ordinary customer service lacks. It is not a formal route and should not replace the regulated complaints process, though it frequently resolves cases that have stalled.", "why_it_matters": "For a case going nowhere, this team can usually act where the front line cannot.", "example_in_context": "The stalled case was resolved by a team handling executive correspondence.", "common_misconception": "That it replaces the complaints process. Keep the formal complaint running alongside.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "escalation", "deadlock", "adr", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#executive-complaint" }, { "id": "exit-fee", "term": "Exit fee", "expansion": "Early termination charge", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "What you pay to leave before your minimum term ends.", "long_definition": "Leaving inside the minimum term usually means paying the remaining monthly charges, sometimes discounted to reflect costs the provider no longer incurs. Once you are out of contract there should be nothing to pay, though notice periods may still apply.", "why_it_matters": "Sometimes paying the exit fee and switching still saves money over the remaining term. Do the arithmetic before assuming you are stuck.", "example_in_context": "Four months remained, so the exit charge was weighed against a £19 monthly saving elsewhere.", "common_misconception": "That an exit fee always makes switching uneconomic. Often it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ecn", "ooc", "cooling-off" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Exit and setup fees", "url": "/exit-fees-and-setup-fees.html" }, { "anchor": "Switch before your contract ends", "url": "/switch-broadband-before-contract-ends-and-still-save-money.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#exit-fee" }, { "id": "factory-reset", "term": "Factory reset", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Returning a router to its original settings, which erases everything you configured.", "long_definition": "A factory reset clears all configuration including Wi-Fi name and password, port forwarding, filtering and any parental controls. It is a legitimate troubleshooting step and worth treating as a last resort, since reconnecting every device afterwards takes longer than the reset itself.", "why_it_matters": "It also erases any content filtering you set, which is worth knowing before someone suggests it.", "example_in_context": "The reset cleared the parental controls along with everything else.", "common_misconception": "That it is the same as restarting. A restart keeps settings; a reset destroys them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router", "router-password", "network-filtering", "firmware" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#factory-reset" }, { "id": "failover", "term": "Failover", "expansion": "Automatic backup connection", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A second connection that takes over automatically when the main one fails.", "long_definition": "Failover switches traffic to a backup link, often a mobile connection, when the primary fails. Done properly it is automatic and takes seconds; done badly it requires someone to notice and intervene. For a business that trades online, it is the difference between an inconvenience and lost revenue.", "why_it_matters": "For any business taking payments, an automatic backup pays for itself the first time it works.", "example_in_context": "The mobile backup took over within seconds and trading continued through the fault.", "common_misconception": "That a spare router is failover. Without automatic switching, it is just a spare router.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sd-wan", "bonding", "outage", "sla" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband with 4G backup", "url": "/business-broadband-with-4g-backup.html" }, { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#failover" }, { "id": "fair-use-policy", "term": "Fair use policy", "expansion": "FUP", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Small print letting a provider act against very heavy use on an unlimited package.", "long_definition": "Fair use clauses attach to packages sold as unlimited, allowing action against usage the provider considers excessive. On fixed broadband they are largely historic, though they persist on some mobile and fixed wireless products where capacity is genuinely constrained.", "why_it_matters": "On a 4G or 5G home broadband package, unlimited rarely means entirely without limits.", "example_in_context": "The mobile-based package carried a fair use clause the fixed products did not.", "common_misconception": "That unlimited always means unlimited. Check the small print on wireless products.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "throttling", "traffic-management", "fwa", "5g-home" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4G home broadband", "url": "/4g-home-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "5G home broadband", "url": "/5g-home-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fair-use-policy" }, { "id": "family-account", "term": "Family accounts", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Linked accounts letting a parent manage settings and approvals across devices.", "long_definition": "Platform family accounts group children's devices under a parent's account, allowing purchase approval, content limits and time controls to be set centrally. They work best set up when a device is first given rather than imposed later.", "why_it_matters": "Setting this up when the device is new is far easier than introducing it afterwards.", "example_in_context": "Controls were configured centrally when the device was first set up.", "common_misconception": "That controls must be set on each device separately. Family accounts centralise them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "device-controls", "screen-time", "in-app-purchase", "conversations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Apple Screen Time guide", "url": "/online-safety/apple-screen-time/" }, { "anchor": "Google Family Link guide", "url": "/online-safety/google-family-link/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#family-account" }, { "id": "fast-roaming", "term": "Fast roaming", "expansion": "802.11k, v and r", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Standards letting a device move between access points without dropping the connection.", "long_definition": "Roaming standards help devices discover and switch to a better access point smoothly. Without them a device clings to a weak signal long after a stronger one is available, which is the classic symptom of walking upstairs and finding nothing loads.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a proper mesh keeps working as you walk through the house and an extender does not.", "example_in_context": "The device held onto the weak downstairs signal until roaming support was enabled.", "common_misconception": "That devices always pick the strongest signal. Many are reluctant to switch.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mesh", "access-point", "extender", "rssi" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fast-roaming" }, { "id": "fault-reporting", "term": "Fault reporting", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Raising a problem with your provider, which starts the clock on repair and compensation.", "long_definition": "Faults must be reported to your provider rather than the network operator, and the date you report is what compensation entitlements are calculated from. Providers will normally run remote line tests first, so having your own speed test history and observations to hand shortens the process considerably.", "why_it_matters": "Reporting promptly is what starts the compensation clock. Waiting a fortnight costs you a fortnight.", "example_in_context": "The fault was logged on the second day, so compensation accrued from that point.", "common_misconception": "That you should wait to see whether it clears. Report it and let the record start.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "automatic-compensation", "cp", "priority-fault", "outage" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fault-reporting" }, { "id": "fax", "term": "Fax", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A machine sending documents over a phone line, which frequently does not survive digital voice.", "long_definition": "Fax encodes a page as audio tones designed for the analogue network. Digital voice compresses audio in ways that can corrupt those tones, so fax machines often fail after migration. Document scanning and email are the standard replacement, and some sectors have needed formal alternatives.", "why_it_matters": "If a business or practice still relies on fax, it needs a plan before the line migrates.", "example_in_context": "The fax machine failed after migration despite the phone service working normally.", "common_misconception": "That fax works because the phone does. Voice and fax behave differently on digital lines.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "digital-voice", "voip", "alarm-line" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fax" }, { "id": "fcs", "term": "FCS", "expansion": "Federation of Communication Services", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The trade body for communications resellers, integrators and business providers.", "long_definition": "FCS represents companies supplying communications services to businesses, including resellers, systems integrators and managed service providers. It has been an active voice on the retirement of ISDN and the migration of business telephony.", "why_it_matters": "It represents the part of the industry serving small businesses through the ISDN switch-off.", "example_in_context": "FCS raised concerns on behalf of resellers about the ISDN cease timetable.", "common_misconception": "That it represents consumers. Its members serve business customers.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "isdn", "sip", "ispa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "Federation of Communication Services", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fcs" }, { "id": "fibre-first", "term": "Fibre First and build programmes", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Named operator programmes committing to build full fibre to a target number of premises.", "long_definition": "Operators announce build programmes with targets and named locations, which set expectations for investors, councils and residents. Targets are periodically revised, and a location appearing in a programme is a plan rather than a delivery date.", "why_it_matters": "Being named in a build programme is not the same as being able to order.", "example_in_context": "The town appeared in the build programme two years before it was orderable.", "common_misconception": "That an announced programme means imminent availability. Plans and delivery differ.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "premises-passed", "rfs", "footprint", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fibre-first" }, { "id": "fibrus", "term": "Fibrus", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "FY-brus", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre network operating in Northern Ireland and parts of northern England.", "long_definition": "Fibrus builds full fibre in Northern Ireland and in rural areas of northern England, including under publicly supported contracts to reach premises the market would not serve commercially.", "why_it_matters": "In Northern Ireland and rural Cumbria it is frequently the network reaching addresses others skipped.", "example_in_context": "The rural property was connected under a publicly supported Fibrus build.", "common_misconception": "That Northern Ireland lags on fibre. Its coverage compares well.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "bdas", "project-gigabit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibrus deals", "url": "/fibrus-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Belfast deals", "url": "/belfast-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fibrus" }, { "id": "final-bill", "term": "Final bill", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The closing invoice after you leave, where most switching disputes actually happen.", "long_definition": "A final bill covers service up to the closure date plus any outstanding charges, and frequently arrives after you have started paying the new provider. Because broadband is usually billed in advance, a refund is as likely as a charge, and unreturned equipment fees commonly appear here.", "why_it_matters": "More switching complaints concern the final bill than the switch itself.", "example_in_context": "The final bill showed a partial refund offset by an unreturned router charge.", "common_misconception": "That leaving ends the billing relationship immediately. One more invoice is normal.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router-return", "overlap-billing", "exit-fee", "billing-error" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router return charges", "url": "/router-return-charges-explained-after-switch.html" }, { "anchor": "Exit and setup fees", "url": "/exit-fees-and-setup-fees.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#final-bill" }, { "id": "firewall", "term": "Firewall", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The router function blocking unwanted incoming connections by default.", "long_definition": "A firewall filters traffic by rules, and the household version blocks unsolicited incoming connections while allowing outgoing ones. It is on by default on essentially every home router, and each port forwarding rule is a deliberate hole punched through it.", "why_it_matters": "Every port you forward is a small reduction in the protection this provides.", "example_in_context": "The forwarding rule created a deliberate exception in the firewall.", "common_misconception": "That a firewall stops malware. It filters connections, not what you install.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nat", "port-forwarding", "router", "malware" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#firewall" }, { "id": "firmware", "term": "Firmware", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The software inside your router, which needs keeping current for security.", "long_definition": "Router firmware controls everything the device does. Provider-supplied routers usually update themselves automatically; retail routers often do not. Out-of-date firmware is one of the more common weaknesses in an otherwise well-run home network.", "why_it_matters": "An unpatched router sits between every device in your home and the internet.", "example_in_context": "The retail router had not been updated in two years and needed a manual patch.", "common_misconception": "That routers update themselves as a matter of course. Many do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router", "wpa3", "port-forwarding" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#firmware" }, { "id": "first-utility", "term": "First Utility Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "The energy supplier whose 2017 broadband launch became Shell Energy and then TalkTalk.", "long_definition": "First Utility launched broadband in 2017 as an energy supplier bundling connectivity. Shell acquired the business in 2018 and rebranded it Shell Energy, which later took on the Post Office broadband base before the whole customer base moved to TalkTalk in 2024.", "why_it_matters": "It is the start of a chain that ended with a great many households at TalkTalk without ever choosing it.", "example_in_context": "First Utility broadband launched in 2017 and became Shell Energy after the 2018 acquisition.", "common_misconception": "That the Shell brand built the broadband business. It bought it.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "shell-broadband", "post-office-broadband", "talktalk" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#first-utility" }, { "id": "first-week-checks", "term": "First week checks", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "What to verify once a new service goes live, while everything can still be fixed easily.", "long_definition": "Test the speed by cable, check the first bill against what was agreed, confirm any promised credit or reward has been applied or claimed, and note the contract end date. Problems raised in the first weeks are resolved far more easily than those raised months later.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every later dispute would have been trivial to fix in the first fortnight.", "example_in_context": "The missing promotional credit was corrected easily when raised immediately.", "common_misconception": "That a working connection means everything is correct. Billing frequently is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "welcome-pack", "switching-credit", "contract-end-date", "speed-test-method" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#first-week-checks" }, { "id": "fixed-line", "term": "Fixed line", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Any connection delivered by cable to a fixed address, as opposed to mobile.", "long_definition": "Fixed line covers copper, cable and fibre connections tied to a property. The distinction from mobile matters for regulation, for coverage measurement and for whether a service moves with you when you change address.", "why_it_matters": "It is the dividing line most telecoms rules and statistics are organised around.", "example_in_context": "The coverage figures separated fixed line services from mobile entirely.", "common_misconception": "That fixed line means a telephone line. It covers any fixed connection.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fwa", "fttp", "cable-broadband", "connected-nations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fixed-line" }, { "id": "footprint", "term": "Footprint", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The geographic area a network covers or plans to cover.", "long_definition": "Footprint describes where a network has built or committed to build. Overlapping footprints mean competition and choice; non-overlapping ones mean a local monopoly regardless of how many providers exist nationally.", "why_it_matters": "How many networks cover your address matters far more than how many exist in the UK.", "example_in_context": "Three footprints overlapped in the town centre and none reached the outlying villages.", "common_misconception": "That national coverage figures describe your street. They rarely do.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "premises-passed", "greenfield" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#footprint" }, { "id": "fcf", "term": "Free cash flow", "expansion": "FCF", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Cash left after running the business and paying for its capital spending.", "long_definition": "Free cash flow subtracts capital expenditure from operating cash generation. For fibre builders it is negative for years during construction, and the point at which it turns positive is the single most watched milestone in the sector.", "why_it_matters": "It is the moment a network stops consuming its owners' money and starts returning it.", "example_in_context": "Free cash flow turned positive once the build slowed and connections accumulated.", "common_misconception": "That profit and free cash flow are the same. A profitable builder can still burn cash.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "capex", "ebitda", "cash-burn", "runway" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fcf" }, { "id": "freedom2surf", "term": "Freedom2Surf", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "An independent ISP absorbed by Pipex and then Tiscali, ending up within TalkTalk.", "long_definition": "Freedom2Surf was one of the independent providers gathered up during the mid-2000s consolidation, passing into the Pipex group and then to Tiscali, whose UK business TalkTalk acquired in 2009. The name survives only as a legacy brand within TalkTalk Business.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of several names TalkTalk inherited without most customers ever noticing.", "example_in_context": "Freedom2Surf was named among the Tiscali brands transferring to TalkTalk in 2009.", "common_misconception": "That these brands were closed on acquisition. Several ran on for years as legacy names.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pipex", "tiscali", "nildram", "talktalk" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Comms Business, October 2009", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#freedom2surf" }, { "id": "freeserve", "term": "Freeserve", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "The Dixons-backed provider that launched free dial-up internet on 22 September 1998.", "long_definition": "Freeserve launched on 22 September 1998 as a joint venture involving Dixons Stores Group, removing the monthly subscription and earning instead from a share of call charges. It passed one million subscribers within six months and two million by 2000. France Télécom's Wanadoo acquired it in 2000 for £1.65 billion, and the company was renamed Wanadoo UK plc on 28 April 2004.", "why_it_matters": "It is where a very large share of Britain first got online, and the customer lineage runs to EE today.", "example_in_context": "Freeserve became Wanadoo UK plc in April 2004, then Orange, then EE.", "common_misconception": "That it simply disappeared. The customer base was carried forward through three rebrands.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "orange-home", "ee", "demon" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "EE broadband deals", "url": "/ee-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#freeserve" }, { "id": "fttc", "term": "FTTC", "expansion": "Fibre To The Cabinet", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Fibre to the street cabinet, copper for the last stretch to the home.", "long_definition": "FTTC runs fibre from the exchange to the green cabinet in the street, then uses the existing copper phone line for the final run. Speed depends heavily on how far you are from that cabinet. It was the workhorse of the UK's first fibre decade and is now being replaced by full fibre.", "why_it_matters": "FTTC is usually sold as 'fibre broadband', which is why people are surprised their speed drops with distance.", "example_in_context": "The cabinet was 900 metres away, so the line synced at 42 Mbps rather than 80.", "common_misconception": "That FTTC is full fibre. The last stretch is copper.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "adsl", "sogea" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "FTTC deals", "url": "/fttc-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fttc" }, { "id": "ftth", "term": "FTTH", "expansion": "Fibre to the Home", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The same thing as FTTP, used more commonly outside the UK.", "long_definition": "Fibre to the home and fibre to the premises describe an identical arrangement, with premises being the broader term covering businesses as well as houses. UK usage favours FTTP; international usage favours FTTH.", "why_it_matters": "When comparing UK coverage with other countries, you are usually comparing the same measure under two names.", "example_in_context": "International comparisons quote FTTH where UK figures quote FTTP.", "common_misconception": "That they are different technologies. They are the same thing with two names.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "full-fibre-term", "connected-nations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Full fibre deals", "url": "/fttp-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ftth" }, { "id": "fttp", "term": "FTTP", "expansion": "Fibre To The Premises", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Full fibre, all the way into the building, with no copper in the path.", "long_definition": "FTTP runs fibre from the exchange directly into your home. Speed does not degrade with distance the way copper does, upload speeds are far higher, and faults are less weather-sensitive. It now reaches 82% of UK homes according to Ofcom's Spring 2026 Connected Nations update.", "why_it_matters": "It is the only technology where the speed you buy is close to the speed you consistently get.", "example_in_context": "The FTTP install replaced the copper line entirely.", "common_misconception": "That any product called 'fibre' is FTTP. Most FTTC packages are also marketed as fibre.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fttc", "gpon", "premises-passed", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Full fibre deals", "url": "/fttp-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" }, { "anchor": "Gigabit deals", "url": "/gigabit-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, published 13 May 2026", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fttp" }, { "id": "full-fibre-term", "term": "Full fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Fibre running the entire way to the property, with no copper in the path at all.", "long_definition": "Full fibre is the plain description of FTTP: an unbroken optical path from the network to the building. The distinction matters because part-copper products have long been advertised as fibre, and full fibre is the phrase used to separate the two.", "why_it_matters": "When comparing packages, full fibre is the term that reliably excludes part-copper products.", "example_in_context": "The package was described as full fibre, confirming no copper in the connection.", "common_misconception": "That fibre and full fibre mean the same in advertising. They have not historically.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "fttc", "asa", "gigabit-capable" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Full fibre deals", "url": "/fttp-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre vs standard broadband", "url": "/compare-full-fibre-vs-standard-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#full-fibre-term" }, { "id": "fwa", "term": "FWA", "expansion": "Fixed Wireless Access", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Home broadband delivered over a mobile or point-to-point wireless link rather than a cable.", "long_definition": "FWA covers 4G and 5G home broadband as well as dedicated wireless networks serving rural areas. It needs no fixed line installation, which makes it fast to set up, and performance depends on signal quality and how busy the local mast is.", "why_it_matters": "For a rental, a house move gap or a rural address with no fibre, it is often the quickest usable option.", "example_in_context": "The 5G router was working within an hour of arriving, with no engineer needed.", "common_misconception": "That wireless broadband is always slower. Good 5G frequently outperforms rural copper.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "4g-home", "5g-home", "spectrum", "satellite" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4G and 5G deals", "url": "/4g-and-5g-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Stopgap broadband while you wait", "url": "/moving-renting/4g-and-5g-stopgap-broadband-while-you-wait.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fwa" }, { "id": "gaining-provider", "term": "Gaining provider", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The company you are moving to, which under One Touch Switch runs the whole process.", "long_definition": "Switching in the UK is gaining-provider led. The company you are joining collects your details, checks what you currently have, sends the switch request through the industry hub and arranges the end of your old service. You have no obligation to contact the provider you are leaving.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a modern switch involves one phone call or one web form, not two.", "example_in_context": "The gaining provider raised the request and the old contract closed automatically.", "common_misconception": "That both providers need contacting. Only the gaining one does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "losing-provider", "ots", "totsco" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "How to switch", "url": "/switch-broadband-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom One Touch Switch rules", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gaining-provider" }, { "id": "gbps", "term": "Gbps", "expansion": "Gigabits per second", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "One thousand megabits per second, the unit used for gigabit packages.", "long_definition": "A gigabit connection carries 1,000 Mbps. Reaching it in practice requires a wired connection and capable hardware at both ends, since Wi-Fi and older devices frequently cannot sustain those rates.", "why_it_matters": "Buying gigabit without gigabit-capable kit means paying for capacity you cannot receive.", "example_in_context": "The line delivered 940 Mbps over ethernet and around 600 Mbps over Wi-Fi.", "common_misconception": "That a gigabit package makes every device faster. Most devices never approach it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mbps", "throughput", "gigabit-capable", "ethernet" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gigabit deals", "url": "/gigabit-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gbps" }, { "id": "gbvs", "term": "GBVS", "expansion": "Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Public vouchers funding hard-to-reach connections, closing March 2028.", "long_definition": "The voucher scheme contributes public money toward the cost of connecting premises where a commercial build would not otherwise happen, often bundled across a group of neighbours to fund a shared spur.", "why_it_matters": "In rural areas a voucher is frequently the difference between fibre arriving and not.", "example_in_context": "Eleven households pooled vouchers to fund the spur to the hamlet.", "common_misconception": "That vouchers pay the customer. They pay the supplier building the connection.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": "March 2028", "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bdas", "project-gigabit", "dsit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gbvs" }, { "id": "gc", "term": "General Conditions", "expansion": "General Conditions of Entitlement", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The binding rulebook every UK phone and broadband provider must follow.", "long_definition": "The General Conditions are the core regulatory obligations attached to providing communications services in the UK. They cover contract information, switching, complaints handling, emergency call access, protection of vulnerable customers and much else. Most individual consumer rights in broadband can be traced to a specific numbered condition.", "why_it_matters": "When a provider says something is not their policy, the General Conditions often say otherwise.", "example_in_context": "The complaints handling obligation sits in the General Conditions rather than in company policy.", "common_misconception": "That they are voluntary guidance. They are enforceable obligations.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "comms-act", "vulnerability", "complaints-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Methodology and trust", "url": "/methodology-and-trust-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gc" }, { "id": "written-confirmation", "term": "Getting it in writing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Confirming by email what was agreed on a call, which turns a promise into evidence.", "long_definition": "Verbal assurances are difficult to rely on later. A short email summarising what was agreed, sent the same day, creates a contemporaneous record that adjudicators weigh heavily, particularly where a provider's own recording is not produced.", "why_it_matters": "Two minutes writing an email after a call is worth more than any amount of arguing later.", "example_in_context": "The same-day email summarising the call was accepted as a contemporaneous record.", "common_misconception": "That the provider's records will settle it. Your own contemporaneous note carries weight.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "complaint-evidence", "call-recording", "mis-selling", "escalation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#written-confirmation" }, { "id": "gigabit-capable", "term": "Gigabit-capable", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "A connection able to deliver 1,000 Mbps, whether or not anyone has bought that speed.", "long_definition": "Gigabit-capable covers full fibre and upgraded cable networks able to support gigabit services. It is a capability measure rather than a take-up measure, so a home counted as gigabit-capable may be sitting on a 40 Mbps package. Ofcom's Spring 2026 update put UK gigabit capability at 89% of homes.", "why_it_matters": "Your address may already be gigabit-capable without your current package reflecting it.", "example_in_context": "The postcode was gigabit-capable through both cable and full fibre.", "common_misconception": "That gigabit-capable means everyone there has gigabit. It means they could buy it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "docsis", "connected-nations", "premises-passed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gigabit deals", "url": "/gigabit-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, published 13 May 2026", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gigabit-capable" }, { "id": "gigaclear", "term": "Gigaclear", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A rural-focused full fibre altnet, now counting the National Wealth Fund among its owners.", "long_definition": "Gigaclear builds full fibre in rural and semi-rural England, often in places the larger networks bypassed. Its ownership includes the National Wealth Fund.", "why_it_matters": "In villages, Gigaclear is frequently the only gigabit option available.", "example_in_context": "Gigaclear reached the village three years before Openreach fibre.", "common_misconception": "That rural means slow. Gigaclear lines are typically gigabit capable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "nwf", "bdas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gigaclear deals", "url": "/gigaclear-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gigaclear" }, { "id": "goodput", "term": "Goodput", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Useful data actually delivered, after overhead and retransmissions are removed.", "long_definition": "Goodput counts only the data an application receives successfully, excluding protocol overhead and anything that had to be sent again. It is always lower than throughput, and the gap widens on a connection suffering loss.", "why_it_matters": "On a lossy connection, the difference between what is sent and what arrives is substantial.", "example_in_context": "Retransmissions meant useful delivery fell well below measured throughput.", "common_misconception": "That measured throughput equals data delivered. Overhead and resends reduce it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "overhead", "packet-loss", "speed-test" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#goodput" }, { "id": "goodwill", "term": "Goodwill gesture", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "A discretionary payment offered without admitting anything went wrong.", "long_definition": "Providers frequently offer bill credit to close a complaint without accepting fault. Accepting one does not usually prevent escalation, but it is worth confirming that in writing, and worth comparing what is offered against any regulated compensation actually due.", "why_it_matters": "A goodwill offer is sometimes considerably less than the compensation you were entitled to anyway.", "example_in_context": "The gesture offered was smaller than the automatic compensation already due.", "common_misconception": "That accepting closes your options. Confirm the position before accepting.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "automatic-compensation", "adr", "deadlock", "billing-error" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#goodwill" }, { "id": "greenfield", "term": "Greenfield and brownfield", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Building where no network exists versus building where one already does.", "long_definition": "Greenfield build reaches premises with no comparable network and therefore faces no competition for customers. Brownfield build overlaps an existing network and must win customers from it. Greenfield build produces far better take-up for the same construction cost.", "why_it_matters": "Whether your address was greenfield or brownfield largely determines how many options you have.", "example_in_context": "The greenfield build achieved take-up well above the brownfield areas nearby.", "common_misconception": "That greenfield refers to undeveloped land. Here it refers to unserved premises.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "take-up", "footprint", "build-cost" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#greenfield" }, { "id": "grooming", "term": "Grooming", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "An adult building trust with a child online in order to exploit them.", "long_definition": "Grooming typically begins with attention and sympathy, moves to private channels, introduces secrecy and gradually isolates the child from adults who might intervene. Recognising the pattern matters more than monitoring any single app, and concerns can be reported to CEOP.", "why_it_matters": "The pattern is far more recognisable than the platform, and it is the same across all of them.", "example_in_context": "The conversation moved quickly to a private app and requests for secrecy.", "common_misconception": "That it happens only on social media. Games and messaging apps are common routes.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ceop", "in-game-chat", "conversations", "warning-signs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" }, { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#grooming" }, { "id": "gross-margin", "term": "Gross margin", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What is left from revenue after the direct cost of delivering the service.", "long_definition": "For a reseller, gross margin is the gap between the retail price and the wholesale cost of the line. It is thin in UK broadband retail, which is why resellers compete hard on volume and why wholesale pricing changes are felt so quickly at retail.", "why_it_matters": "Thin reseller margins are why a small wholesale change moves retail prices quickly.", "example_in_context": "The reseller's margin was the difference between retail price and wholesale cost.", "common_misconception": "That retailers make large margins on broadband. Reseller margins are frequently slim.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "wholesale", "ladder-pricing", "arpu", "unit-economics" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gross-margin" }, { "id": "gsma", "term": "GSMA", "expansion": "GSM Association", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The global mobile industry body, behind the shared stolen handset blocklist and Mobile World Congress.", "long_definition": "The GSMA represents mobile operators worldwide, maintaining the device identity database used to block stolen handsets across networks and countries, developing eSIM specifications, and running the industry's principal annual event.", "why_it_matters": "The reason a handset blocked in the UK stays blocked elsewhere is a database it maintains.", "example_in_context": "The stolen handset identity was added to the shared industry database.", "common_misconception": "That stolen phone blocking is a UK arrangement. It is international.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "imei", "esim", "mno", "3gpp" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "GSMA", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#gsma" }, { "id": "guest-network", "term": "Guest network", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "A separate Wi-Fi network for visitors and smart devices, isolated from your main one.", "long_definition": "Most routers can broadcast a second network with its own password that cannot reach devices on the primary network. It is useful for visitors and better still for smart home gadgets, which are frequently the least well maintained devices in a house.", "why_it_matters": "It keeps a compromised smart plug or camera away from your laptops and files.", "example_in_context": "Smart home devices were moved to the guest network and isolated from the main one.", "common_misconception": "That a guest network is only for visitors. Its best use is isolating smart devices.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "iot-device", "ssid", "router", "wpa3" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#guest-network" }, { "id": "handset-compatibility", "term": "Handset compatibility", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Whether your existing phones still work after moving to digital voice.", "long_definition": "Most corded and cordless phones continue to work, connecting to the router rather than the wall socket. Very old pulse dialling handsets and some specialist equipment may not. Testing before the migration date avoids discovering the problem afterwards.", "why_it_matters": "Testing a week early turns a potential emergency into a minor errand.", "example_in_context": "The cordless handsets worked unchanged; a very old pulse dialling phone did not.", "common_misconception": "That all phones must be replaced. Most do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "dect", "fax", "alarm-line" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#handset-compatibility" }, { "id": "hd-voice", "term": "HD Voice", "expansion": "Wideband audio", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Higher quality calling that carries more of the speaker's voice range.", "long_definition": "Wideband calling roughly doubles the frequency range carried, making speech clearer and reducing listening effort. Both ends and the whole path must support it, which is why the same handset sounds different depending on who you call.", "why_it_matters": "It works only when both ends support it, which is why quality varies call by call.", "example_in_context": "The call sounded noticeably clearer because both ends supported wideband audio.", "common_misconception": "That call quality depends on the handset alone. The whole path matters.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "codec", "volte", "digital-voice", "mos" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#hd-voice" }, { "id": "headend", "term": "Headend and CMTS", "expansion": "Cable Modem Termination System", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The cable network equivalent of an exchange, where signals originate and terminate.", "long_definition": "A cable headend originates television and data services, with the termination system managing communication with modems in homes. Splitting a node to serve fewer premises from the headend is the standard way to relieve congestion on a cable network.", "why_it_matters": "When cable performance in an area improves, a node split is usually the reason.", "example_in_context": "Splitting the node reduced the number of homes sharing capacity.", "common_misconception": "That cable upgrades require new cable. Node splits and equipment changes do most of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "docsis", "hfc", "cable-broadband", "aggregation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#headend" }, { "id": "headline-pricing", "term": "Headline pricing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The advertised monthly figure, chosen to top comparison tables rather than to describe the cost.", "long_definition": "Headline prices are set to rank well in comparison listings and frequently exclude setup fees, exclude scheduled increases and apply only for part of the term. The effective monthly cost across the whole contract is regularly several pounds higher.", "why_it_matters": "The number that wins the comparison table is rarely the number you end up paying.", "example_in_context": "The advertised figure applied for part of the term and excluded the setup fee.", "common_misconception": "That the headline price is what you pay monthly throughout. It usually is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "effective-price", "tcv", "setup-fee", "mid-contract-rise" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Lowest total cost deals", "url": "/lowest-total-cost-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk ranking methodology", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#headline-pricing" }, { "id": "headroom", "term": "Headroom", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Spare capacity above what you normally use, which is what makes a connection feel reliable.", "long_definition": "Headroom is the gap between typical demand and available capacity. A connection running close to its limit degrades noticeably when anything unexpected happens, while one with headroom absorbs a large download or an extra device without anyone noticing.", "why_it_matters": "Reliability comes from spare capacity rather than from a high headline number.", "example_in_context": "The connection absorbed a large download without affecting anyone else in the house.", "common_misconception": "That buying more speed is wasteful if unused. Unused capacity is what absorbs peaks.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-tier", "bandwidth", "concurrent-devices", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#headroom" }, { "id": "hfc", "term": "HFC", "expansion": "Hybrid Fibre Coaxial", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A network using fibre to the street and coaxial cable for the final run.", "long_definition": "HFC describes the architecture of cable networks: fibre carries traffic to a local node, and coaxial cable covers the last stretch to homes. Operators upgrade by pushing fibre deeper into the network, shortening the coaxial run and raising capacity.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why cable performance improves over time without anyone digging up your garden.", "example_in_context": "Pushing fibre deeper into the HFC network raised capacity across the neighbourhood.", "common_misconception": "That HFC is full fibre. The last stretch is coaxial.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "docsis", "cable-broadband", "fttp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#hfc" }, { "id": "home-move", "term": "Home move", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Taking your service to a new address, which may continue, restart or end your contract.", "long_definition": "Most providers will move a service to a new address, often restarting the minimum term. Where they cannot serve the new address, contracts can usually be ended without penalty. Whether the technology at the new property matches the old one determines much of what happens.", "why_it_matters": "A move is one of the few moments you can leave a contract early at no cost, if the provider cannot follow you.", "example_in_context": "The provider could not serve the new address, so the contract ended without charge.", "common_misconception": "That moving always means paying an exit fee. Often it means the opposite.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "exit-fee", "transfer-date", "deemed-contract", "minimum-term" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Moving home broadband", "url": "/moving-home-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Moving and renting hub", "url": "/moving-renting/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#home-move" }, { "id": "home-telecom", "term": "Home Telecom and small retailers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The long tail of small broadband retailers selling over Openreach.", "long_definition": "Dozens of small retailers sell broadband over the Openreach network, competing on price, contract flexibility or specialist service. They are frequently absent from comparison tables despite offering competitive terms.", "why_it_matters": "Small retailers on the same network are frequently cheaper and rarely appear in comparisons.", "example_in_context": "The small retailer offered the same Openreach line at a lower price than the major brands.", "common_misconception": "That comparison tables list every available provider. Many small ones are absent.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "whitelabel", "onestream", "borderlink" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" }, { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#home-telecom" }, { "id": "homes-connected", "term": "Homes connected", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Premises actually taking service and paying, as distinct from premises merely passed.", "long_definition": "Homes connected counts live paying customers. It is the number that generates revenue, and the gap between it and premises passed is the measure that determines whether a network can service its debt.", "why_it_matters": "Networks quote passed; investors watch connected. The difference is the whole story.", "example_in_context": "Two million passed, roughly 430,000 connected.", "common_misconception": "That the two figures are broadly similar. They usually differ by a factor of four or five.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "premises-passed", "take-up", "rfs", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#homes-connected" }, { "id": "host-network", "term": "Host network", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The operator whose masts a virtual provider actually uses.", "long_definition": "Every virtual operator sits on a host network. Knowing which one matters more than the brand, because coverage, indoor signal and 5G availability all follow the host rather than the reseller. Hosts occasionally change, which can alter a customer's coverage without the package changing.", "why_it_matters": "Check the host network at your postcode, not the brand's own coverage claims.", "example_in_context": "The brand moved host network, and rural customers noticed the difference immediately.", "common_misconception": "That coverage maps differ between a virtual operator and its host. They should be identical.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mvno", "mno", "coverage-map" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#host-network" }, { "id": "interference-sources", "term": "Household interference sources", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Everyday appliances that disrupt Wi-Fi, chiefly on the 2.4 GHz band.", "long_definition": "Microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, wireless doorbells and some lighting share or leak into the 2.4 GHz band. Interference typically shows as a network that fails at predictable times, such as whenever the kitchen is in use.", "why_it_matters": "Wi-Fi that fails whenever someone uses the microwave is not a coincidence.", "example_in_context": "The connection dropped reliably whenever the microwave was running.", "common_misconception": "That interference comes from neighbours. Household appliances cause a great deal of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bands", "channel", "wifi-analyser", "rein" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#interference-sources" }, { "id": "switching-frequency", "term": "How often to switch", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Reviewing at each contract end, which for most households means every 18 to 24 months.", "long_definition": "There is no benefit in switching mid-term unless the saving exceeds any exit charge. The natural rhythm is to review as each minimum term approaches its end, which for most households means roughly every 18 to 24 months.", "why_it_matters": "Switching at the right moment costs nothing and saves the most.", "example_in_context": "Reviewing at each contract end avoided any out-of-contract period entirely.", "common_misconception": "That switching frequently is always better. Timing matters more than frequency.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "contract-end-date", "annual-review", "exit-fee", "switch-timing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-frequency" }, { "id": "speed-history", "term": "How UK speeds have changed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "From 56 kilobits to a gigabit in roughly twenty-five years.", "long_definition": "Consumer speeds moved from around 56 kilobits on dial-up, through a few megabits on early ADSL, tens on ADSL2+ and FTTC, to a gigabit and beyond on full fibre. Each step was roughly an order of magnitude, and household expectations rose with them.", "why_it_matters": "It puts any current speed complaint into a useful perspective.", "example_in_context": "Consumer speeds rose by roughly four orders of magnitude in a quarter of a century.", "common_misconception": "That speed increases have been gradual. They have come in distinct technology steps.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dial-up", "adsl", "fttc", "fttp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#speed-history" }, { "id": "https", "term": "HTTPS and TLS", "expansion": "Transport Layer Security", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The padlock: encryption between your browser and a website.", "long_definition": "HTTPS encrypts traffic between browser and site so it cannot be read or altered in transit. It is now standard, which means the padlock confirms the connection is encrypted, not that the site is honest. A convincing fake site can hold a valid certificate.", "why_it_matters": "The padlock proves the connection is private, not that the website deserves your card details.", "example_in_context": "The fraudulent site had a valid certificate and displayed the padlock.", "common_misconception": "That the padlock means a site is safe. It means the connection is encrypted.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "phishing", "e2ee", "doh", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#https" }, { "id": "hunt-group", "term": "Hunt group", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A set of phones rung in sequence or together until someone answers.", "long_definition": "A hunt group distributes an incoming call across several extensions, either ringing them in order or all at once. It is the simplest way for a small business to ensure calls are answered without a full contact centre.", "why_it_matters": "For a small team it is the difference between a missed call and a covered one.", "example_in_context": "The hunt group rang three handsets at once until one was answered.", "common_misconception": "That it needs a large phone system. Most hosted services include it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pbx", "acd", "ivr", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#hunt-group" }, { "id": "hyperoptic", "term": "Hyperoptic", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre altnet specialising in apartment blocks and large residential buildings.", "long_definition": "Hyperoptic focuses on multi-dwelling units, wiring whole buildings rather than individual houses, which makes wayleave agreements central to its build model.", "why_it_matters": "If you live in a block, Hyperoptic may already be in the building even where street-level fibre has not arrived.", "example_in_context": "The block was wired by Hyperoptic, so activation took days rather than weeks.", "common_misconception": "That you need the landlord's permission every time. Once the building is wired, you usually do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "wayleave", "community-fibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Hyperoptic deals", "url": "/hyperoptic-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" }, { "anchor": "Wayleaves explained", "url": "/wayleave-explained-broadband-flats-apartment-blocks.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#hyperoptic" }, { "id": "ico", "term": "ICO", "expansion": "Information Commissioner's Office", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The UK data protection regulator, separate from Ofcom.", "long_definition": "The Information Commissioner enforces data protection and electronic marketing rules, investigates breaches, and can impose substantial penalties. Nuisance marketing calls and texts fall here rather than with Ofcom, as does what your provider may do with your data.", "why_it_matters": "For a data or marketing complaint about a provider, this is the regulator, not Ofcom.", "example_in_context": "The marketing complaint was directed to the Information Commissioner rather than Ofcom.", "common_misconception": "That Ofcom handles data protection in telecoms. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "uk-gdpr", "data-breach", "nuisance-calls", "cookie-consent" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Information Commissioner's Office", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ico" }, { "id": "ieee", "term": "IEEE", "expansion": "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers", "pronunciation": "eye-triple-E", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The body behind the Wi-Fi and ethernet standards used in every home network.", "long_definition": "The IEEE develops and publishes technical standards including the 802.11 family used by Wi-Fi and the 802.3 family used by ethernet. Generation names such as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 are friendly labels for specific IEEE specifications.", "why_it_matters": "When a router advertises Wi-Fi 7, it is claiming compliance with an IEEE specification.", "example_in_context": "Wi-Fi 7 corresponds to the IEEE 802.11be specification.", "common_misconception": "That Wi-Fi generation numbers are marketing inventions. They map to real standards.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "wifi6", "wifi7", "ethernet", "wifi-alliance" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ieee" }, { "id": "ietf", "term": "IETF", "expansion": "Internet Engineering Task Force", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The open body that develops the core protocols the internet runs on.", "long_definition": "The IETF produces the specifications behind internet protocols including IP, TCP, DNS and IPv6, published as Requests for Comments. Participation is open and standards are adopted by rough consensus and working code rather than by vote.", "why_it_matters": "The addressing scheme replacing the exhausted IPv4 pool is an IETF standard.", "example_in_context": "IPv6 was specified through the IETF process.", "common_misconception": "That the internet has a governing authority. Standards emerge from open consensus.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ipv6", "dns", "ripe", "itu" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Internet Engineering Task Force", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ietf" }, { "id": "imei", "term": "IMEI", "expansion": "International Mobile Equipment Identity", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The unique serial number identifying a handset, used to block stolen devices.", "long_definition": "Every mobile device carries an IMEI, obtainable by dialling star hash zero six hash. Reporting a stolen handset lets networks add the IMEI to a shared blocklist so it cannot be used on any UK network, which is separate from blocking the SIM.", "why_it_matters": "Recording your IMEI before a phone is lost is what makes blocking the handset possible afterwards.", "example_in_context": "The stolen handset was blocked by IMEI across all UK networks.", "common_misconception": "That cancelling the SIM disables the phone. Blocking the IMEI is the separate step.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sim", "handset-lock", "sim-swap" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#imei" }, { "id": "impairment", "term": "Impairment", "expansion": "Write-down", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Formally reducing the recorded value of an asset when it will not earn what was expected.", "long_definition": "When a network's expected future earnings fall short of its carrying value, accounting rules require the value to be written down. Impairments are non-cash but highly informative, because they are a company formally conceding that the original plan will not be achieved.", "why_it_matters": "A large impairment is a business stating in its accounts that the forecast was wrong.", "example_in_context": "The impairment reflected take-up materially below the original build case.", "common_misconception": "That an impairment means money was lost that year. It is a revaluation, not a cash outflow.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "valuation", "ebitda", "distressed-sale" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#impairment" }, { "id": "in-app-purchase", "term": "In-app purchases", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Spending inside apps and games, a frequent cause of unexpected bills.", "long_definition": "Games and apps sell currency, items and subscriptions inside the product. Requiring authentication for every purchase, and removing stored payment cards from a child's account, prevents most of the large bills that follow. Refunds are sometimes available from the platform.", "why_it_matters": "Turning off stored payment details on a child's device prevents the problem entirely.", "example_in_context": "Requiring a password for every purchase stopped further unintended spending.", "common_misconception": "That the game is at fault. The payment settings are what needs changing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loot-box", "device-controls", "screen-time" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gaming console controls", "url": "/online-safety/gaming-console-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#in-app-purchase" }, { "id": "in-building-cabling", "term": "In-building cabling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The internal wiring within a block that decides how fibre reaches individual flats.", "long_definition": "Getting fibre into a building is only half the task; it then has to reach each flat through risers, communal areas and internal ducts. Older blocks frequently lack usable routes, which is why fibre can sit at the front door of a building for a considerable time.", "why_it_matters": "It is a common reason a block shows as covered while individual flats cannot order.", "example_in_context": "The building was connected but individual flats waited on internal cabling routes.", "common_misconception": "That fibre in the building means fibre in the flat. The internal run is a separate task.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wayleave", "hyperoptic", "fourth-utility", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" }, { "anchor": "Wayleaves explained", "url": "/wayleave-explained-broadband-flats-apartment-blocks.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#in-building-cabling" }, { "id": "in-game-chat", "term": "In-game chat", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Voice and text communication inside games, where most contact with strangers happens.", "long_definition": "Multiplayer games include voice and text chat, frequently with people outside a child's known contacts. Console and platform controls can restrict chat to friends only or disable it, and doing so removes the most common route by which strangers reach children online.", "why_it_matters": "The chat function matters far more than the game's age rating for most safety concerns.", "example_in_context": "Restricting chat to friends removed contact with strangers entirely.", "common_misconception": "That the game's rating covers the risk. Ratings classify content, not contact.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "device-controls", "content-ratings", "grooming", "conversations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gaming console controls", "url": "/online-safety/gaming-console-controls/" }, { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#in-game-chat" }, { "id": "in-life-offer", "term": "In-life offer", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A discount offered to an existing customer partway through a contract.", "long_definition": "Providers make targeted offers to customers considered at risk of leaving, or to encourage taking additional services. They are unadvertised and inconsistent, which is why two neighbours on identical packages can pay quite different amounts.", "why_it_matters": "The offer you receive depends on what the provider's model thinks you will do next.", "example_in_context": "The unadvertised offer arrived shortly before the contract end date.", "common_misconception": "That advertised prices are what customers pay. Targeted offers vary widely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "retention", "winback", "loyalty-penalty", "recontracting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#in-life-offer" }, { "id": "inca", "term": "INCA", "expansion": "Independent Networks Co-operative Association", "pronunciation": "INK-ah", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The altnet trade body, and author of the annual State of the Altnets report.", "long_definition": "INCA represents alternative network builders and publishes sector data on build, take-up and investment that is otherwise hard to obtain, including its State of the Altnets series.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of the few independent sources of altnet build and take-up figures.", "example_in_context": "INCA's data put sector take-up materially above the previous year.", "common_misconception": "That INCA is a regulator. It is a membership body.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "take-up", "ispa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#inca" }, { "id": "connected-britain", "term": "Industry conferences and events", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "Where UK connectivity policy and commercial deals are frequently first discussed.", "long_definition": "Sector conferences bring together operators, investors, regulators and government, and are frequently where strategy shifts, funding rounds and consolidation intentions first become public. Trade press coverage of these events is a useful early indicator of market direction.", "why_it_matters": "Consolidation intentions frequently surface at a conference before any announcement.", "example_in_context": "Strategy changes were signalled at a sector conference before any formal announcement.", "common_misconception": "That market news comes only from company announcements. Conferences frequently precede them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "inca", "ispa", "consolidation", "ftth-council" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#connected-britain" }, { "id": "infra-fund", "term": "Infrastructure fund", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Long-horizon investors who fund networks expecting steady returns over decades.", "long_definition": "Infrastructure funds invest in long-lived assets such as fibre, energy and transport, seeking predictable inflation-linked returns rather than rapid growth. Their patience made the UK fibre build possible, and their return requirements set the pace at which it must eventually pay.", "why_it_matters": "The money behind most UK fibre is pension and infrastructure capital, not venture capital.", "example_in_context": "An infrastructure fund provided the equity behind the regional build.", "common_misconception": "That fibre was built on speculative money. Much of it is pension capital.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "private-equity", "nwf", "capital-intensity", "leverage" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#infra-fund" }, { "id": "install-slot", "term": "Installation slot", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The engineer appointment window, and often the longest part of a switch.", "long_definition": "Where an engineer visit is required, appointment availability rather than any administrative process usually determines how long a switch takes. Slots are typically half-day windows, and someone over 18 normally needs to be present for internal work.", "why_it_matters": "When a switch is quoted at three weeks, engineer availability is usually the whole of it.", "example_in_context": "The switch itself took two days; the engineer slot was three weeks out.", "common_misconception": "That the delay is administrative. It is almost always appointment availability.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "missed-appointment", "activation-date", "cease-and-reprovide", "drop-cable" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" }, { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#install-slot" }, { "id": "interconnect", "term": "Interconnect", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The commercial and technical arrangements letting one operator's calls reach another's.", "long_definition": "Interconnect agreements govern how traffic passes between operators and what each pays the other. Regulated interconnect is why any UK phone can call any other regardless of provider, and it is being rebuilt for internet-based voice as the analogue network retires.", "why_it_matters": "It is the reason a call from one network to another simply works.", "example_in_context": "The migration required new interconnect arrangements for internet-based voice.", "common_misconception": "That networks connect automatically. Interconnect is negotiated and regulated.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "peering", "nicc", "pstn", "sip" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#interconnect" }, { "id": "international-dialling", "term": "International dialling", "expansion": "Country codes", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Calling abroad, where charges vary enormously and bundles rarely cover much.", "long_definition": "International calls are dialled with a country code, and charges vary dramatically by destination and by whether the number is a landline or mobile. Inclusive international minutes usually cover a short list of countries, and calls outside it can be expensive.", "why_it_matters": "An international call outside your bundle's list can cost more per minute than a whole month of broadband.", "example_in_context": "The destination fell outside the inclusive list and was charged at a premium rate.", "common_misconception": "That an international bundle covers everywhere. Lists are usually narrow.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "call-package", "bill-cap", "voip", "access-charge" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#international-dialling" }, { "id": "iot-device", "term": "IoT device", "expansion": "Internet of Things", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Connected household gadgets, often the weakest security link on a home network.", "long_definition": "Cameras, doorbells, plugs, speakers and appliances connect to your network and to the internet. Many ship with weak default settings and receive updates for a short time, if at all, which makes them the most likely point of compromise in an otherwise well-run home network.", "why_it_matters": "Changing default passwords and isolating these devices takes minutes and closes the commonest gap.", "example_in_context": "The camera was still running its factory password two years after installation.", "common_misconception": "That a small device is too insignificant to attack. Its network access is what is valuable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "guest-network", "router-password", "firmware", "wpa3" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#iot-device" }, { "id": "ip-address", "term": "IP address", "expansion": "Internet Protocol address", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The numeric address identifying a device or connection on a network.", "long_definition": "Every connection needs an address so traffic can find it. Your home has a public address facing the internet and private addresses inside for each device. The public one is usually assigned by your provider and can change over time.", "why_it_matters": "It is what a website sees when you visit, and what remote access to your home network depends on.", "example_in_context": "The public address changed after the router was restarted overnight.", "common_misconception": "That your IP address identifies you personally. It identifies a connection, and typically a household.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "static-ip", "dynamic-ip", "cgnat", "dns", "ipv6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ip-address" }, { "id": "ipv6", "term": "IPv6", "expansion": "Internet Protocol version 6", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The newer addressing scheme created because the original ran out of addresses.", "long_definition": "IPv4 provides roughly four billion addresses, which the internet exhausted. IPv6 provides a vastly larger space and removes the need for address sharing. UK provider support varies, and most connections run both schemes side by side during the long transition.", "why_it_matters": "Native IPv6 support can avoid the incoming-connection problems that CGNAT creates.", "example_in_context": "The provider offered native IPv6, which sidestepped the CGNAT limitation entirely.", "common_misconception": "That IPv6 makes your connection faster. It changes addressing, not speed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "cgnat", "ripe" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" } ], "source_primary": "IETF standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ipv6" }, { "id": "irr-npv", "term": "IRR and NPV", "expansion": "Internal rate of return, net present value", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The standard measures of whether a long-term investment is worth making.", "long_definition": "Net present value discounts future cash flows to today's terms; internal rate of return expresses the return as a percentage. Both are highly sensitive to how far away the returns are, which is why fibre projects with slow take-up struggle to clear investment thresholds.", "why_it_matters": "A network that takes ten years to fill fails these tests even if it eventually works.", "example_in_context": "Slow take-up pushed returns far enough into the future to fail the investment test.", "common_misconception": "That a profitable project is automatically worth building. Timing decides it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "wacc", "capital-intensity", "take-up", "discount-rate" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#irr-npv" }, { "id": "isdn", "term": "ISDN2 / ISDN30", "expansion": "Integrated Services Digital Network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Older digital business lines, ceasing outright on 1 February 2027 with no fallback.", "long_definition": "ISDN carried digital voice and data over the traditional network and was widely used by businesses for phone systems. Unlike consumer analogue lines, there is no transitional product: it ceases and must be replaced, usually with SIP trunking.", "why_it_matters": "Any business still running a phone system on ISDN has a hard replacement deadline, not a migration path.", "example_in_context": "The office PBX was moved from ISDN30 to SIP trunks ahead of the cease date.", "common_misconception": "That ISDN gets the same stopgap products as analogue lines. It does not.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": "1 February 2027", "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "sip", "voip" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" }, { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#isdn" }, { "id": "ispa", "term": "ISPA", "expansion": "Internet Services Providers' Association", "pronunciation": "ISS-pah", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The UK trade association for internet service providers.", "long_definition": "ISPA represents providers across the UK internet industry, engaging with government and regulators on policy, and running an industry code of practice and annual awards. Its membership spans large incumbents and small independents.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of the main channels through which the industry argues with policymakers.", "example_in_context": "The consultation response was submitted through ISPA on behalf of members.", "common_misconception": "That ISPA regulates providers. It represents them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "inca", "techuk", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Internet Services Providers' Association", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ispa" }, { "id": "itu", "term": "ITU", "expansion": "International Telecommunication Union", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The United Nations agency setting the international standards fibre networks are built to.", "long_definition": "The ITU coordinates global telecommunications standards and spectrum allocation. Its G-series recommendations define the passive optical network technologies, including GPON and XGS-PON, on which UK full fibre is built.", "why_it_matters": "The reason equipment from different vendors interoperates on your fibre line is an ITU standard.", "example_in_context": "The network was built to ITU passive optical network recommendations.", "common_misconception": "That standards are set by manufacturers. International bodies define them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "gpon", "xgs-pon", "broadband-forum", "ietf" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "International Telecommunication Union", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#itu" }, { "id": "ivr", "term": "IVR", "expansion": "Interactive Voice Response", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The automated menu that answers a call and asks you to press a number.", "long_definition": "Interactive voice response answers calls automatically and routes them by keypad or spoken input. Well designed it shortens calls; badly designed it is the single most common complaint about contacting a large company.", "why_it_matters": "It is the machinery behind every press one for sales menu you have ever navigated.", "example_in_context": "The menu routed the call to the correct team without a switchboard operator.", "common_misconception": "That it is the same as an answering machine. It routes rather than records.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "acd", "ccaas", "pbx", "hunt-group" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ivr" }, { "id": "iwf", "term": "IWF", "expansion": "Internet Watch Foundation", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The UK charity that finds and removes child sexual abuse material online.", "long_definition": "The IWF identifies and works to remove criminal imagery from the internet and supplies blocking lists that UK providers implement at network level. It works alongside law enforcement and international partners.", "why_it_matters": "Its blocking lists operate silently across most UK broadband connections.", "example_in_context": "The provider implemented the IWF list at network level.", "common_misconception": "That it is a government body. It is an independent charity funded largely by industry.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "osa", "dns-filtering", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "Internet Watch Foundation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#iwf" }, { "id": "jitter", "term": "Jitter", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Variation in delay, which ruins calls and video even when speed looks fine.", "long_definition": "Jitter measures how much the delay between packets fluctuates. Steady delay is manageable; erratic delay is not, because the receiving end cannot reassemble the stream smoothly. It is why a video call breaks up on a line testing at 300 Mbps.", "why_it_matters": "If calls stutter but speed tests look good, jitter is usually the culprit.", "example_in_context": "Average latency was fine at 14 ms, but jitter spiked above 60 ms during calls.", "common_misconception": "That more speed fixes it. Jitter is a stability problem, not a capacity one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "latency", "packet-loss", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#jitter" }, { "id": "jitter-buffer", "term": "Jitter buffer", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A small delay deliberately added to smooth out uneven packet arrival on a call.", "long_definition": "A jitter buffer holds arriving audio briefly so packets can be replayed evenly despite arriving irregularly. A larger buffer smooths more variation at the cost of added delay, which is the trade-off behind calls that sound clear but feel slightly laggy.", "why_it_matters": "It is why fixing jitter can make a call sound better and feel slower simultaneously.", "example_in_context": "A larger buffer smoothed the audio while adding perceptible delay.", "common_misconception": "That delay on a call is always a network problem. Some is added deliberately.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "jitter", "codec", "mos", "latency" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#jitter-buffer" }, { "id": "john-lewis-broadband", "term": "John Lewis Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A retailer-branded service delivered via Plusnet, which stopped taking new customers in early 2022.", "long_definition": "John Lewis sold home broadband under its own name, with the service delivered through Plusnet. It stopped accepting new customers in early 2022 and wound the offering down, with existing users continuing on their packages.", "why_it_matters": "It is another example of retail-branded broadband proving hard to sustain.", "example_in_context": "John Lewis Broadband stopped taking new customers in early 2022.", "common_misconception": "That the brand still sells broadband. It does not.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tesco-broadband", "post-office-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#john-lewis-broadband" }, { "id": "joint-account", "term": "Joint and named accounts", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Who the contract is actually with, which matters when a household changes.", "long_definition": "Broadband accounts are normally in one person's name, even in shared households. That person is liable for the bill and is the only one who can authorise changes, which becomes awkward when a tenancy ends or a relationship changes. Transferring an account requires the provider's agreement.", "why_it_matters": "In a house share, the named person carries the whole liability regardless of who paid.", "example_in_context": "The named account holder remained liable after the other tenants moved out.", "common_misconception": "That everyone in the household shares liability. Only the account holder does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "third-party-access", "bereavement", "home-move", "default" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "House shares and splitting the bill", "url": "/moving-renting/broadband-for-house-shares-and-splitting-the-bill.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#joint-account" }, { "id": "complaint-evidence", "term": "Keeping evidence", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The records that decide a dispute: dates, names, references and test results.", "long_definition": "Adjudicators decide on evidence. Useful records include the date and time of each contact, who you spoke to, the complaint reference, screenshots of speed tests with timestamps, and copies of anything sent in writing. Following a call with a short email confirming what was agreed creates a written record.", "why_it_matters": "A short email after every call turns a verbal promise into evidence.", "example_in_context": "Timestamped speed tests and a written summary of each call supported the adjudication.", "common_misconception": "That the provider's records will show everything. Keep your own.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "escalation", "speed-test", "call-recording" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#complaint-evidence" }, { "id": "kilobits", "term": "Kilobits per second", "expansion": "kbps", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The unit that measured connection speeds before megabits became normal.", "long_definition": "A kilobit is one thousandth of a megabit. Dial-up was measured in tens of kilobits, early broadband in hundreds, and the unit now appears mainly in voice codec specifications and in descriptions of very constrained connections.", "why_it_matters": "Voice calls still use kilobits, which is why they work on almost any connection.", "example_in_context": "A voice call consumed a few tens of kilobits against a connection measured in megabits.", "common_misconception": "That voice calls need substantial bandwidth. They need a tiny fraction of a modern connection.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mbps", "modem-56k", "codec", "dial-up" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#kilobits" }, { "id": "land-grab", "term": "Land grab", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Building fast to claim territory before rivals arrive, regardless of immediate returns.", "long_definition": "Where being first confers lasting advantage, operators build rapidly to occupy areas before competitors commit. It produced the UK's remarkable build pace and also the overbuild and thin take-up that made consolidation inevitable.", "why_it_matters": "The speed of the UK fibre build and its financial difficulties have the same cause.", "example_in_context": "Rapid building secured territory ahead of rivals at the cost of near-term returns.", "common_misconception": "That fast building indicates a healthy business. It can indicate a race.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "stranded-asset", "take-up", "greenfield" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#land-grab" }, { "id": "tenancy-permission", "term": "Landlord permission", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Consent a tenant may need before an installation involving physical work.", "long_definition": "Installations requiring drilling, cabling or external attachment normally need the landlord's consent. Where a service already exists at the property, connecting to it usually does not. Getting written consent in advance prevents an engineer arriving and being unable to proceed.", "why_it_matters": "An engineer who cannot drill leaves without connecting anything, and the visit is wasted.", "example_in_context": "Written consent was obtained before the engineer arrived to install the lead-in.", "common_misconception": "That tenants cannot arrange broadband. Most can, with consent for physical work.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wayleave", "leasehold-act", "install-slot", "in-building-cabling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Tenant rights to full fibre", "url": "/moving-renting/tenant-rights-full-fibre-landlord-permission.html" }, { "anchor": "Moving and renting hub", "url": "/moving-renting/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tenancy-permission" }, { "id": "last-mile", "term": "Last mile", "expansion": "First mile, middle mile", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The final stretch from the network to your property, and the hardest part to build.", "long_definition": "The last mile is the connection between shared network and individual premises. It carries the least traffic and costs the most per unit, which is why it is the part competitors struggle to duplicate and the part regulation concentrates on.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every telecoms regulation exists because this section is so hard to duplicate.", "example_in_context": "The final connection to each property accounted for most of the build cost.", "common_misconception": "That the expensive part is long-distance capacity. It is the final stretch.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "wla", "build-cost", "drop-cable", "smp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#last-mile" }, { "id": "latency", "term": "Latency", "expansion": "Ping", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How long a packet takes to make the round trip, measured in milliseconds.", "long_definition": "Latency is delay, not speed. It governs how responsive a connection feels: gaming, video calls and page loads all depend on it more than on raw bandwidth. Full fibre typically delivers lower and steadier latency than copper.", "why_it_matters": "For gaming and calls, latency matters more than the headline megabits you are paying for.", "example_in_context": "The line tested at 8 ms on fibre against 28 ms on the old FTTC connection.", "common_misconception": "That latency and speed are the same thing. They are unrelated measures.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "jitter", "packet-loss", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#latency" }, { "id": "latency-spike", "term": "Latency spike", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A sudden jump in delay that disrupts calls and gaming while speed appears normal.", "long_definition": "Spikes appear when a queue fills briefly, when a wireless link renegotiates or when a route changes. They are invisible to a speed test and immediately obvious in a call or a game, which is why the two produce such different verdicts on the same connection.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a connection can test perfectly and still be unusable for gaming.", "example_in_context": "Regular spikes disrupted calls despite consistently high measured speeds.", "common_misconception": "That a good speed test rules out a problem. Spikes do not appear in one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "jitter", "bufferbloat", "ping", "saturation-test" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#latency-spike" }, { "id": "leased-line", "term": "Leased line", "expansion": "Dedicated internet access", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A dedicated, uncontended connection with guaranteed speeds and repair times.", "long_definition": "A leased line provides capacity reserved for one customer, symmetric in both directions, with contractual guarantees on availability and fix times backed by service credits. It costs considerably more than shared broadband and is bought for reliability rather than headline speed.", "why_it_matters": "For a business where an outage stops trading, the guarantee is what is being purchased.", "example_in_context": "The leased line carried a four hour fix commitment backed by service credits.", "common_misconception": "That it is simply faster business broadband. The difference is dedication and guarantees.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sla", "symmetric", "dark-fibre", "efm" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching without downtime", "url": "/business-broadband-switching-without-downtime.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#leased-line" }, { "id": "legacy-mode", "term": "Legacy device compatibility", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Keeping older equipment working, at a cost to everything else on the network.", "long_definition": "Supporting older wireless standards or weaker security forces a network to operate in a compatibility mode that reduces performance for every device. Moving old items to a separate network preserves both compatibility and performance.", "why_it_matters": "Keeping one old device supported can slow every modern device in the house.", "example_in_context": "Placing the old device on a separate network restored full performance for the rest.", "common_misconception": "That compatibility settings are harmless. They can degrade the whole network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "wifi4", "wpa3", "guest-network", "airtime" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#legacy-mode" }, { "id": "leo", "term": "LEO", "expansion": "Low Earth Orbit", "pronunciation": "LEE-oh", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Satellites orbiting close to Earth, cutting the delay that made older satellite broadband painful.", "long_definition": "Low earth orbit satellites sit far closer than geostationary ones, so signals travel a much shorter distance and latency drops dramatically. Because each satellite covers a smaller area and moves quickly, large constellations are needed to give continuous coverage.", "why_it_matters": "It is the reason satellite broadband became usable for video calls and gaming rather than just browsing.", "example_in_context": "The low earth orbit service returned latency far below traditional satellite.", "common_misconception": "That satellite always means hundreds of milliseconds of delay. Not with low earth orbit.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "satellite", "latency" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#leo" }, { "id": "leverage", "term": "Leverage", "expansion": "Gearing", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How much of a business is funded by debt rather than equity.", "long_definition": "Leverage magnifies returns when things go well and losses when they do not. Infrastructure is conventionally financed with substantial debt because the assets are long-lived and the cash flows predictable, an assumption that holds only once take-up arrives.", "why_it_matters": "Highly leveraged networks have the least room for a build running late.", "example_in_context": "High leverage left no headroom when take-up came in below forecast.", "common_misconception": "That debt is inherently reckless here. Infrastructure is normally debt financed; the question is how much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "covenant", "refinancing", "capital-intensity", "ev-ebitda" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#leverage" }, { "id": "line-plant", "term": "Line plant", "expansion": "External network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The physical cabling between the exchange and your property.", "long_definition": "Line plant covers the external cable, joints and terminations forming the connection to a property. Water ingress at joints, corrosion and physical damage are the commonest causes of intermittent copper faults, and they are the network operator's responsibility rather than yours.", "why_it_matters": "An intermittent fault that worsens after rain is almost always external cabling.", "example_in_context": "The fault appeared after heavy rain and traced to water in an external joint.", "common_misconception": "That intermittent faults are internal. Weather-linked ones rarely are.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "master-socket", "fault-reporting", "quiet-line-test", "chamber" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#line-plant" }, { "id": "line-rental", "term": "Line rental", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The monthly charge for the phone line itself, now disappearing from most bills.", "long_definition": "Line rental was a separate charge for the physical telephone line, distinct from calls and broadband. As wholesale line rental is withdrawn and broadband-only products become standard, it is vanishing as a line item, with the cost absorbed into a single broadband price.", "why_it_matters": "If you still see line rental itemised for a phone you never use, there is probably a cheaper broadband-only option.", "example_in_context": "The bill showed £19 of line rental for a phone that had not been used in three years.", "common_misconception": "That you must pay line rental to have broadband. Broadband-only products exist.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wlr", "sogea", "pstn", "dual-play" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch without a landline", "url": "/switch-without-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband only deals", "url": "/broadband-only-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#line-rental" }, { "id": "lineone", "term": "LineOne", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A 1997 joint venture between BT, United News and Media, and News International, later bought by Tiscali.", "long_definition": "LineOne launched in 1997 as a joint venture between BT, United News and Media, and News International. News International sold its share, leaving BT and United as equal owners. Tiscali purchased the business in 2001, and it therefore reached TalkTalk through the 2009 acquisition.", "why_it_matters": "It is an early example of media companies attempting to own the consumer internet relationship.", "example_in_context": "Tiscali purchased LineOne in 2001.", "common_misconception": "That BT's consumer internet history runs only through BT Internet. It included joint ventures.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tiscali", "talktalk", "bt" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#lineone" }, { "id": "linx", "term": "LINX", "expansion": "London Internet Exchange", "pronunciation": "LINKS", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "A major internet exchange where UK networks connect to each other.", "long_definition": "An internet exchange is neutral infrastructure where networks interconnect and swap traffic directly rather than paying transit providers. LINX is among the largest in the world and is a significant reason UK domestic traffic stays domestic and low-latency.", "why_it_matters": "It is part of why UK-hosted services feel quick from a UK connection.", "example_in_context": "Traffic between the two UK networks was exchanged directly at LINX.", "common_misconception": "That the internet has a centre. Exchanges are meeting points, not hubs of control.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "nominet", "ripe", "latency", "backhaul" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "London Internet Exchange", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#linx" }, { "id": "llu", "term": "LLU / MPF", "expansion": "Local Loop Unbundling / Metallic Path Facility", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Rival-run copper lines using their own equipment in the exchange.", "long_definition": "Unbundling lets a competing provider install its own equipment in a BT exchange and take control of the copper line to the customer. MPF is the fully unbundled variant. It underpinned the first wave of broadband competition and is unaffected by the withdrawal of wholesale line rental.", "why_it_matters": "It is why TalkTalk and Sky could compete on price in the copper era rather than simply reselling BT.", "example_in_context": "The line was an MPF, so the exchange equipment belonged to the retailer.", "common_misconception": "That unbundled means a different physical cable. It is the same copper, different equipment.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "wlr", "sogea", "smp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#llu" }, { "id": "location-sharing", "term": "Location sharing and geotagging", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Applications and photographs revealing where you are or have been.", "long_definition": "Location sharing broadcasts position to chosen contacts or, on some platforms, more widely. Photographs can also carry location data in their metadata, which persists when the image is shared unless the platform removes it.", "why_it_matters": "A photograph shared from home can carry the address in data nobody sees.", "example_in_context": "The image retained location metadata when shared outside the platform.", "common_misconception": "That turning off sharing removes all location data. Photograph metadata is separate.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "app-permissions", "privacy", "digital-footprint", "social-media" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social media safety", "url": "/online-safety/social-media-safety/" }, { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#location-sharing" }, { "id": "losing-provider", "term": "Losing provider", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The company you are leaving, which must release you without obstruction.", "long_definition": "The losing provider receives the switch request through the industry hub, confirms what you are leaving behind including any charges owed, and closes the account on the agreed date. It is not permitted to block the switch, and retention offers must not delay it.", "why_it_matters": "You should never have to argue your way out of a contract. The rules put that obligation on them, not you.", "example_in_context": "The losing provider sent the switching information within the required window.", "common_misconception": "That they can refuse. They cannot obstruct a valid switch request.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "gaining-provider", "ots", "retention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom One Touch Switch rules", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#losing-provider" }, { "id": "loyalty-penalty", "term": "Loyalty penalty", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The gap between what a new customer pays and what a long-standing one pays for the same service.", "long_definition": "Introductory pricing is recovered later. Customers who never switch drift onto standard rates that can be substantially higher than the best available deal for an identical service at the same address. Out-of-contract households carry most of it.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single largest avoidable cost in most household broadband bills.", "example_in_context": "Two identical lines on the same street, one at £24 and one at £47, differing only by contract age.", "common_misconception": "That it reflects better service for loyal customers. It reflects the absence of a switch.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ooc", "abtn", "ecn", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Cheapest deals", "url": "/cheapest-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#loyalty-penalty" }, { "id": "ltv", "term": "LTV", "expansion": "Lifetime value", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Total expected profit from a customer over the whole relationship.", "long_definition": "Lifetime value combines monthly margin with expected tenure. A customer who stays five years is worth far more than one who leaves after eighteen months, which is precisely why out-of-contract pricing is set where it is.", "why_it_matters": "The loyalty penalty exists because long-staying customers are the most profitable ones.", "example_in_context": "Extending average tenure by a year lifted lifetime value substantially.", "common_misconception": "That lifetime value is calculated at the advertised price. It assumes the higher price later.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cac", "churn", "loyalty-penalty", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ltv" }, { "id": "mac-address", "term": "MAC address", "expansion": "Media Access Control address", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A hardware identifier unique to each network device, used for local identification.", "long_definition": "Every network interface carries a hardware address used to identify it on the local network. Routers use it for device lists, address reservations and access controls. Modern phones randomise it across networks for privacy, which can make device-based controls behave unpredictably.", "why_it_matters": "If a device keeps reappearing as new in your router list, address randomisation is why.", "example_in_context": "The phone appeared as a different device each time it rejoined, due to randomisation.", "common_misconception": "That it identifies a device across the internet. It is local to the network segment.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "dhcp", "router", "device-controls", "ssid" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mac-address" }, { "id": "mac-filtering", "term": "MAC filtering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Allowing only listed devices onto the network, which sounds stronger than it is.", "long_definition": "MAC filtering permits only devices whose hardware addresses appear on a list. Because those addresses are transmitted unencrypted and can be copied, it is easily bypassed, and modern address randomisation makes it awkward to maintain. A strong password does far more.", "why_it_matters": "It creates ongoing hassle for a security benefit that a strong password already provides.", "example_in_context": "Address randomisation on phones made the allow list impractical to maintain.", "common_misconception": "That it meaningfully secures a network. It is a weak control.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mac-address", "wpa3", "guest-network", "router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mac-filtering" }, { "id": "malware", "term": "Malware", "expansion": "Malicious software", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Software written to damage, steal from or take control of a device.", "long_definition": "Malware covers viruses, spyware, keyloggers and remote access tools. Household infections most often arrive through downloaded software, malicious attachments or a fraudster persuading someone to install remote access during a scam call. Keeping devices updated closes most routes.", "why_it_matters": "Anyone who talks you into installing remote access software during a phone call is defrauding you.", "example_in_context": "The caller asked for remote access software to be installed to fix a supposed fault.", "common_misconception": "That antivirus alone is sufficient. Updates and scepticism matter as much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ransomware", "scam-call", "firmware", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#malware" }, { "id": "managed-service", "term": "Managed and unmanaged services", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Whether the provider monitors and supports the connection or simply supplies it.", "long_definition": "A managed service includes monitoring, proactive fault handling and support for the equipment; an unmanaged one supplies connectivity and leaves the rest to the customer. The distinction accounts for much of the price difference between apparently identical business products.", "why_it_matters": "Two identical business connections at different prices usually differ here.", "example_in_context": "The managed option included monitoring and equipment support the cheaper one did not.", "common_misconception": "That business connections differ mainly on speed. Support scope frequently differs more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sla", "leased-line", "onecom", "business-continuity" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" }, { "anchor": "Home vs business broadband", "url": "/home-vs-business-broadband-for-small-companies.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#managed-service" }, { "id": "claranet", "term": "Managed service providers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Companies bundling connectivity with IT, cloud and security for business customers.", "long_definition": "Managed service providers supply connectivity alongside hosting, cloud services, security and support, frequently as a single contract. For small firms without internal IT they are often the practical supplier, with the network element bought in.", "why_it_matters": "For a small firm, the supplier relationship frequently matters more than the network underneath.", "example_in_context": "Connectivity was supplied as part of a wider managed IT contract.", "common_misconception": "That connectivity is bought separately from IT. Small firms frequently buy both together.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "managed-service", "onecom", "business-continuity", "sla" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#claranet" }, { "id": "network-diagram", "term": "Mapping your home network", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Writing down what connects to what, which makes every future problem easier.", "long_definition": "A simple note of where the line enters, where the router sits, what is wired, what is wireless and which extenders or access points exist turns future troubleshooting from guesswork into a process. It takes ten minutes once.", "why_it_matters": "Ten minutes writing it down saves hours the next time something breaks.", "example_in_context": "The written layout identified immediately which section of the network had failed.", "common_misconception": "That home networks are too simple to document. Most have more layers than people realise.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "device-list", "access-point", "mesh", "fault-reporting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#network-diagram" }, { "id": "market-concentration", "term": "Market concentration", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How much of a market a small number of companies hold, and why regulators watch it.", "long_definition": "Concentration measures how far a market is dominated by a few players. Rising concentration reduces competitive pressure on price, which is why consolidation attracts scrutiny even when each individual transaction looks reasonable.", "why_it_matters": "Each merger can look sensible while the cumulative effect on your bill is not.", "example_in_context": "Individual transactions each appeared reasonable while concentration rose steadily.", "common_misconception": "That mergers are assessed only individually. Cumulative effects matter too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "consolidation", "cma", "market-share", "price-elasticity" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#market-concentration" }, { "id": "market-review", "term": "Market review", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The periodic process by which Ofcom defines a market, assesses power in it and sets remedies.", "long_definition": "A market review defines the relevant market, assesses whether anyone holds significant market power within it, and imposes proportionate remedies. Reviews run on multi-year cycles, which is why wholesale rules change in defined periods rather than continuously.", "why_it_matters": "Rules set in a review govern wholesale pricing for years, and therefore what retail can charge.", "example_in_context": "The review defined the market, found significant market power and imposed access remedies.", "common_misconception": "That regulation is adjusted continuously. It moves in multi-year cycles.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "wftmr", "tar", "smp", "consultation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom market review process", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#market-review" }, { "id": "market-share", "term": "Market share", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The proportion of customers or revenue a provider holds.", "long_definition": "Share can be measured by customers, revenue or connections, and the three give different pictures. A provider with many low-value customers may lead on volume while trailing on revenue, which is why comparisons should state which measure is being used.", "why_it_matters": "Two providers can both claim to be leading depending on which measure they choose.", "example_in_context": "One provider led on customer numbers while another led on revenue.", "common_misconception": "That market share is a single figure. It depends entirely on what is counted.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "arpu", "rgu", "net-adds", "penetration" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#market-share" }, { "id": "mast", "term": "Mast", "expansion": "Base station, cell site", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The structure carrying mobile antennas, and the unit of mobile coverage.", "long_definition": "Each mast serves a cell covering an area determined by terrain, height, frequency and how many others are nearby. Rural masts cover wide areas with fewer users; urban ones cover small areas with many. Planning permission and site access are frequent constraints on improving coverage.", "why_it_matters": "Your distance from the nearest mast and what sits between you and it decide your signal.", "example_in_context": "A new mast resolved the coverage gap that had affected the village for years.", "common_misconception": "That more power fixes coverage. Mast placement and frequency matter far more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ran", "small-cell", "spectrum", "srn" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mast" }, { "id": "master-socket", "term": "Master socket", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The main incoming phone socket, and the point where responsibility changes hands.", "long_definition": "The master socket is where the external line enters the property. Everything beyond it is internal wiring and generally the householder's responsibility, which is why fault diagnosis usually begins by testing at the master socket with extensions disconnected.", "why_it_matters": "Testing at the master socket is the quickest way to establish whether a fault is yours or the network's.", "example_in_context": "Plugging into the master socket directly resolved the problem, identifying internal wiring as the cause.", "common_misconception": "That all sockets are equivalent. Only the master socket gives a clean test.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "modem", "router", "adsl", "fttc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#master-socket" }, { "id": "mbps", "term": "Mbps", "expansion": "Megabits per second", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The standard unit of broadband speed, measured in bits rather than bytes.", "long_definition": "Megabits per second measures how much data moves in a second. Because files are measured in megabytes and there are eight bits in a byte, a 100 Mbps connection downloads at roughly 12.5 megabytes per second at best. Nearly every UK broadband advert quotes Mbps.", "why_it_matters": "The eight-to-one difference is why a download seems slower than the speed you were sold.", "example_in_context": "On a 500 Mbps line the file arrived at about 60 megabytes per second.", "common_misconception": "That Mbps and MB/s are the same. Divide by eight to convert.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "gbps", "bit-vs-byte", "throughput", "average-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mbps" }, { "id": "mesh", "term": "Mesh Wi-Fi", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Several units working as one network to cover a house a single router cannot.", "long_definition": "Mesh systems place multiple access points around a property, sharing one network name so devices move between them without dropping. They solve coverage problems rather than speed problems, and work best when the units are linked by ethernet or a dedicated wireless backhaul band.", "why_it_matters": "In a long house or one with thick walls, mesh fixes the dead spots that no faster package will.", "example_in_context": "Three mesh nodes removed the upstairs dead zone entirely.", "common_misconception": "That mesh makes broadband faster. It makes coverage more even.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wifi7", "router", "extender", "backhaul" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for large households", "url": "/broadband-for-large-households.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mesh" }, { "id": "micro-trenching", "term": "Micro-trenching", "expansion": "Narrow trenching", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Cutting a very narrow slot in the road surface to lay fibre quickly and cheaply.", "long_definition": "Micro-trenching saws a slot a few centimetres wide rather than excavating a full trench, laying duct and reinstating within a short distance behind the machine. It is far quicker and cheaper than traditional civils, and the quality of reinstatement has been a recurring concern for highway authorities.", "why_it_matters": "It is why fibre can now be laid down a street in a day rather than a fortnight.", "example_in_context": "The narrow slot was cut, ducted and reinstated within the same working day.", "common_misconception": "That laying fibre always means major roadworks. Modern methods are far less disruptive.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "civils", "street-works", "duct-and-pole", "build-cost" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#micro-trenching" }, { "id": "microfilter", "term": "Microfilter", "expansion": "ADSL splitter", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The small adapter separating broadband from voice on a shared copper line.", "long_definition": "On lines carrying both broadband and an analogue phone, a microfilter separates the two frequency ranges. A missing or faulty filter causes noise on calls and unstable broadband. Broadband-only and fibre connections do not need them at all.", "why_it_matters": "On an older line, a failed filter produces exactly the symptoms of a line fault.", "example_in_context": "Replacing the faulty filter resolved both the call noise and the instability.", "common_misconception": "That every connection needs one. Broadband-only and fibre lines do not.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "master-socket", "adsl", "sogea", "rein" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#microfilter" }, { "id": "mimo", "term": "MIMO", "expansion": "Multiple Input Multiple Output", "pronunciation": "MY-mo", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Using several antennas at once to send more data over the same frequencies.", "long_definition": "MIMO transmits multiple data streams simultaneously across separate antennas, multiplying capacity without extra spectrum. Massive MIMO extends this to large antenna arrays and is central to 5G capacity, particularly in dense areas.", "why_it_matters": "It is how networks got faster without being given more airwaves.", "example_in_context": "Massive MIMO arrays substantially raised capacity at the busiest urban sites.", "common_misconception": "That more antennas mean more coverage. They mainly mean more capacity.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "carrier-aggregation", "ran", "spectrum", "wifi7" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mimo" }, { "id": "minimum-term", "term": "Minimum term", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The period you have committed to, during which leaving usually costs money.", "long_definition": "The minimum term is the contracted commitment, most often 12, 18 or 24 months. It starts from the service activation date rather than the order date, which is why a switch ordered in March with an April install runs to April. Leaving inside it normally triggers an early termination charge.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing your exact end date is what lets you time a switch to cost nothing at all.", "example_in_context": "The 24 month term ran from activation, not from the day the order was placed.", "common_misconception": "That the term starts when you order. It usually starts when the service goes live.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "exit-fee", "ecn", "ooc", "notice-period" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband contract lengths", "url": "/broadband-contract-lengths.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#minimum-term" }, { "id": "mis-selling", "term": "Mis-selling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Selling a service on information that was wrong, incomplete or misleading.", "long_definition": "Mis-selling covers speeds that were never achievable at the address, charges not disclosed at the point of sale, contract terms misrepresented, and services sold to people they were plainly unsuitable for. Providers must keep records of sales, which is why asking for the call recording is often effective.", "why_it_matters": "If what you were told differs from what you received, the sales record is the evidence.", "example_in_context": "The recorded sales call contradicted the speed the customer was later told was normal.", "common_misconception": "That it is your word against theirs. Providers are required to keep sales records.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "slamming", "gc", "adr", "average-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions, sales and marketing", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mis-selling" }, { "id": "misinformation", "term": "Misinformation and disinformation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "False information spread mistakenly, or deliberately to mislead.", "long_definition": "Misinformation is shared by people who believe it; disinformation is deliberate. The distinction matters because the responses differ. Checking whether a claim appears in established outlets, and looking for a primary source, resolves most cases quickly.", "why_it_matters": "Teaching a child to look for the original source is more durable than any content filter.", "example_in_context": "The claim traced back to a single unattributed post with no primary source.", "common_misconception": "That obvious falsehoods are easy to spot. Effective disinformation is designed not to be.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "deepfake", "algorithmic-feed", "conversations", "osa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#misinformation" }, { "id": "missed-appointment", "term": "Missed appointment", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "An engineer failing to arrive as booked, which triggers a fixed compensation payment.", "long_definition": "Where an engineer does not attend a confirmed appointment, or cancels with less than the required notice, participating providers pay a set amount automatically. The obligation applies to appointments the provider arranged, whoever actually sends the engineer.", "why_it_matters": "A wasted day off work has a defined price attached, and it should appear on your bill without asking.", "example_in_context": "The cancelled appointment produced an automatic credit on the following bill.", "common_misconception": "That you must claim. Under the scheme it is meant to be paid automatically.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "automatic-compensation", "fault-reporting", "install-slot" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" }, { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom automatic compensation scheme", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#missed-appointment" }, { "id": "mno", "term": "MNO", "expansion": "Mobile Network Operator", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A company that owns and runs its own mobile network and spectrum.", "long_definition": "The UK has four mobile network operators: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Everything else sold as a mobile service runs over one of those four networks under a wholesale arrangement. Owning spectrum and masts is what separates an operator from a reseller.", "why_it_matters": "Whoever your mobile bill comes from, the signal you get comes from one of four networks.", "example_in_context": "The provider was a reseller rather than an operator, using another company's masts.", "common_misconception": "That every mobile brand runs its own network. Most do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mvno", "spectrum", "ran", "mast" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4G and 5G deals", "url": "/4g-and-5g-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mno" }, { "id": "modem", "term": "Modem", "expansion": "Modulator-demodulator", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The part that converts the signal on the line into data your network can use.", "long_definition": "A modem translates between the signalling on the access line, whether copper, coaxial or fibre, and the ethernet used inside your home. In most UK homes the modem is built into the router, which is why the two words get used interchangeably.", "why_it_matters": "On full fibre the modem function moves to a separate wall-mounted unit, which is why fibre installs look different.", "example_in_context": "The fibre install added a modem unit on the wall feeding the router.", "common_misconception": "That you need to buy one separately. It is normally integrated or supplied.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router", "ont", "master-socket" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#modem" }, { "id": "moderation", "term": "Moderation and reporting", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "How platforms review reported content, and what happens after you report something.", "long_definition": "Platforms combine automated detection with human review, with duties under the Online Safety Act requiring accessible reporting and timely action on illegal content. Reporting through the platform's own tools creates a record, and unresolved cases can be escalated to national reporting services.", "why_it_matters": "Using the platform's report function creates a record that a private complaint does not.", "example_in_context": "The report through the platform created a record that could later be escalated.", "common_misconception": "That reporting achieves nothing. It creates a record and triggers a duty to act.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "osa", "ceop", "cyberbullying", "algorithmic-feed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" }, { "anchor": "Social media safety", "url": "/online-safety/social-media-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#moderation" }, { "id": "mos", "term": "MOS", "expansion": "Mean Opinion Score", "pronunciation": "MOSS", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A one to five rating of call quality, used to measure voice services objectively.", "long_definition": "Mean opinion score rates perceived call quality on a scale from one to five, originally through listening panels and now usually calculated from measurements of delay, jitter and loss. Business voice services are frequently monitored against a minimum score.", "why_it_matters": "It is how a business can hold a voice provider to a measurable quality standard.", "example_in_context": "The service was monitored against a minimum mean opinion score.", "common_misconception": "That call quality cannot be measured objectively. It routinely is.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "codec", "jitter", "latency", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mos" }, { "id": "mpls", "term": "MPLS", "expansion": "Multiprotocol Label Switching", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A private managed network connecting business sites with guaranteed performance.", "long_definition": "MPLS routes traffic between sites using labels rather than full address lookups, allowing a provider to guarantee performance and prioritise traffic across a private network. It is expensive relative to internet connectivity and is increasingly replaced by software-defined alternatives.", "why_it_matters": "If a business has several sites and a predictable networking bill, this is often why.", "example_in_context": "The five sites were linked by an MPLS network with guaranteed performance.", "common_misconception": "That MPLS is a type of internet connection. It is a private network between sites.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sd-wan", "leased-line", "vpls", "sla" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mpls" }, { "id": "mtr-test", "term": "MTR and continuous path testing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Combining a route trace with continuous measurement to find where loss occurs.", "long_definition": "Running a trace continuously reports loss and latency at every hop over time rather than in a single snapshot, which distinguishes a genuinely faulty hop from one that simply deprioritises replies. It is the standard evidence for an intermittent fault.", "why_it_matters": "It produces the kind of evidence a provider cannot easily dismiss.", "example_in_context": "Continuous measurement identified consistent loss at one specific hop.", "common_misconception": "That a single trace identifies a fault. Intermittent problems need sustained measurement.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "traceroute", "ping", "packet-loss", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mtr-test" }, { "id": "multi-gigabit", "term": "Multi-gigabit", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Packages above 1 Gbps, which need capable hardware to be received at all.", "long_definition": "Multi-gigabit tiers of 2 Gbps and above are available on some full fibre networks. Receiving them requires a router with a faster than gigabit port, matching cabling and a device able to use it, so the practical constraint is usually equipment rather than the line.", "why_it_matters": "A multi-gigabit package on gigabit equipment delivers gigabit, which is money spent for nothing.", "example_in_context": "The 2 Gbps service was capped by a router with only gigabit ports.", "common_misconception": "That a faster package automatically means faster results. Your equipment has to keep up.", "status": "emerging", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "xgs-pon", "gbps", "ethernet", "cat6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Gigabit deals", "url": "/gigabit-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#multi-gigabit" }, { "id": "multicast", "term": "Multicast and IPTV", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Sending one stream to many viewers at once, which is how live television over broadband works.", "long_definition": "Multicast delivers a single stream that the network duplicates only where needed, rather than sending a separate copy to every viewer. Live television services delivered over broadband rely on it, and it requires support in the router, which is why some retail routers break provider television services.", "why_it_matters": "It is why swapping the supplied router can stop the television service working.", "example_in_context": "The replacement router lacked multicast support and the live television service failed.", "common_misconception": "That any router works with any service. Provider television frequently needs specific support.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "byo-router", "router", "streaming-bitrate", "smart-tv-network" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband and TV deals", "url": "/broadband-and-tv-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#multicast" }, { "id": "mvno", "term": "MVNO", "expansion": "Mobile Virtual Network Operator", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A mobile brand selling over someone else's network rather than its own.", "long_definition": "An MVNO buys wholesale capacity from a network operator and sells it under its own brand, setting its own prices, packages and customer service. Coverage matches the host network exactly, though data speeds can be prioritised differently at busy times.", "why_it_matters": "An MVNO on the same network as a major brand often costs considerably less for identical coverage.", "example_in_context": "The budget brand ran on the same network as the operator charging twice as much.", "common_misconception": "That a cheaper brand means worse coverage. The masts are the same ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mno", "host-network", "wholesale", "spectrum" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#mvno" }, { "id": "nas", "term": "NAS", "expansion": "Network Attached Storage", "pronunciation": "NASS", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A storage device on your network holding files accessible from anywhere in the house.", "long_definition": "Network attached storage provides shared files, media and backups across a household, and can be reached remotely if configured. It benefits from wired connectivity and, for remote access, from an upload speed capable of serving files outward.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of the few household uses where upload speed genuinely determines the experience.", "example_in_context": "Remote access to the stored files was limited by upload rather than download speed.", "common_misconception": "That cloud storage makes it redundant. Local storage is faster and has no subscription.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "backup", "upload-speed", "ethernet", "port-forwarding" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nas" }, { "id": "nat", "term": "NAT", "expansion": "Network Address Translation", "pronunciation": "NAT", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The router translating between your one public address and many internal ones.", "long_definition": "NAT lets every device in your home share a single public address, rewriting addresses as traffic passes through the router. It also means unsolicited incoming connections have nowhere to go by default, which is a useful side effect for security.", "why_it_matters": "It is why your devices can all reach the internet on one address, and why incoming connections need configuring.", "example_in_context": "Address translation allowed twenty devices to share one public address.", "common_misconception": "That NAT is a firewall. It blocks incoming traffic as a by-product, not by design.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "cgnat", "port-forwarding", "dhcp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" } ], "source_primary": "IETF standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nat" }, { "id": "ncc", "term": "National Cyber Security and consumer bodies", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The main organisations a UK consumer can turn to on telecoms and online problems.", "long_definition": "Different problems have different destinations: Ofcom for regulatory breaches, the ombudsman schemes for individual disputes, the Information Commissioner for data and marketing, the Phone-paid Services Authority for premium charges, and Action Fraud for fraud. Sending a complaint to the wrong body wastes weeks.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing which body handles which problem is most of getting a complaint resolved.", "example_in_context": "The marketing complaint went to the data regulator rather than to Ofcom.", "common_misconception": "That Ofcom handles all telecoms complaints. It handles very few individual ones.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "ico", "psa", "action-fraud", "ombudsman" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ncc" }, { "id": "national-roaming", "term": "National roaming", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Using a rival UK network where your own has no coverage, allowed only in emergencies.", "long_definition": "UK operators do not generally permit roaming onto each other's networks domestically, because coverage is a competitive differentiator. The exception is emergency calls, which will connect over any available network regardless of provider. Wider national roaming is periodically proposed as a fix for partial notspots.", "why_it_matters": "It is why your phone shows no service in a place where another network works perfectly.", "example_in_context": "The handset showed no service, but an emergency call would still have connected.", "common_misconception": "That your phone automatically uses whichever UK network is strongest. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "roaming", "notspot", "srn", "999" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#national-roaming" }, { "id": "ncsc", "term": "NCSC", "expansion": "National Cyber Security Centre", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The UK's cyber security authority, publishing free guidance for households and businesses.", "long_definition": "Part of GCHQ, the National Cyber Security Centre publishes practical guidance for individuals, small businesses and critical infrastructure, and runs a service for reporting suspicious emails and texts. Its household advice is deliberately non-technical.", "why_it_matters": "Its small business guidance is free, short and considerably better than most paid alternatives.", "example_in_context": "The suspicious email was forwarded to the national reporting service.", "common_misconception": "That it is only relevant to large organisations. Much of its output targets households.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "phishing", "ransomware", "cyber-hygiene", "tsa-act" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "National Cyber Security Centre", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ncsc" }, { "id": "net-adds", "term": "Net adds", "expansion": "Gross and net additions", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Customers gained minus customers lost, the headline growth figure in results.", "long_definition": "Gross additions count new customers won; net additions subtract those lost. A provider can win large numbers and still shrink if churn is higher, which is why the net figure is the one analysts watch and the gross figure is the one marketing prefers.", "why_it_matters": "A provider losing customers while advertising heavily is spending to stand still.", "example_in_context": "Strong gross additions were offset by churn, leaving net additions close to zero.", "common_misconception": "That advertised customer wins indicate growth. Only the net figure does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "churn", "cac", "arpu", "ltv" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#net-adds" }, { "id": "netomnia", "term": "Netomnia", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "neh-TOM-nee-ah", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre network builder, retailing through YouFibre, subject to the Virgin Media O2 transaction.", "long_definition": "Netomnia builds full fibre across many UK towns, selling to households through its retail brand YouFibre. Its combination with nexfibre and Virgin Media O2 has been the subject of competition review.", "why_it_matters": "Where Netomnia has built, YouFibre is often among the cheapest symmetric gigabit options.", "example_in_context": "The street was passed by Netomnia, sold under the YouFibre brand.", "common_misconception": "That Netomnia and YouFibre are separate companies. They are network and retail arms.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "youfibre", "nexfibre", "vmo2", "cma" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "YouFibre deals", "url": "/youfibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#netomnia" }, { "id": "network-audit", "term": "Network audit", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Establishing what infrastructure actually exists where, which is frequently unclear.", "long_definition": "Records of buried infrastructure are incomplete, particularly for older networks and after decades of mergers. Surveys and audits establish what is actually in the ground before a build is planned, and discrepancies between records and reality are a routine cause of delay.", "why_it_matters": "Fibre builds are delayed as often by inaccurate records as by physical obstruction.", "example_in_context": "The survey found the duct route differed materially from the records held.", "common_misconception": "That infrastructure records are accurate. Decades of mergers left substantial gaps.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "civils", "chamber", "network-adjustment", "adoption" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#network-audit" }, { "id": "network-effects", "term": "Network effects", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "A service becoming more valuable as more people use it.", "long_definition": "Classic network effects made early telephone networks more valuable with each subscriber. In modern broadband the effect is weaker, because interconnection means any network reaches everyone. What scale delivers now is cost advantage rather than a better product.", "why_it_matters": "A bigger network is cheaper to run, not inherently better to be on.", "example_in_context": "Interconnection meant a smaller network reached exactly the same destinations.", "common_misconception": "That a larger network offers a better connection. Interconnection equalises reach.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "economies-of-scale", "interconnect", "consolidation", "market-share" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#network-effects" }, { "id": "power-resilience", "term": "Network power resilience", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "How long network equipment keeps running when mains power fails.", "long_definition": "Exchanges and street cabinets carry battery and generator backup, sized for a defined period. Equipment in the street generally has less resilience than an exchange, which is why a prolonged local power cut can take out broadband even where your own router is on a battery.", "why_it_matters": "Your router on a battery is useless if the street cabinet has lost power too.", "example_in_context": "The prolonged outage exceeded the backup capacity at the street cabinet.", "common_misconception": "That a battery at home guarantees service in a power cut. The network needs power too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ups", "battery-backup", "outage", "pcp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#power-resilience" }, { "id": "network-switch", "term": "Network switch", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A box that turns one ethernet port into several, with no configuration needed.", "long_definition": "A switch expands the number of wired connections available, so a single router port can serve a desk, a television and a console. Unmanaged switches need no setup at all, and gigabit models are inexpensive.", "why_it_matters": "It is the cheapest way to get more devices onto cable rather than Wi-Fi.", "example_in_context": "A five port switch brought the office, printer and console onto wired connections.", "common_misconception": "That it slows the connection. A switch adds ports without meaningful loss.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ethernet", "router", "access-point", "cat6" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#network-switch" }, { "id": "network-filtering", "term": "Network-level filtering", "expansion": "ISP filters", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Content blocking applied by your provider across every device on the connection.", "long_definition": "The major UK providers offer free filtering applied at the network, covering anything connected to the home broadband including consoles, smart televisions and guests' devices. It is switched on in the account rather than on each device, and can usually be scheduled by time of day.", "why_it_matters": "It is the only control that covers devices with no parental settings of their own.", "example_in_context": "The provider filter covered the games console and the smart television, which had no controls.", "common_misconception": "That it protects a child's phone everywhere. It only covers your home connection.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "parental-controls", "dns-filtering", "device-controls", "guest-network" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK ISP parental controls", "url": "/online-safety/uk-isp-parental-controls/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#network-filtering" }, { "id": "new-build", "term": "New build connectivity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Why a brand new home can be the hardest place in Britain to get broadband.", "long_definition": "New developments need addresses registered, infrastructure adopted and services commissioned before orders can be placed, and these steps frequently lag completion. Buyers move in to find no provider can find the address at all.", "why_it_matters": "It is the most common reason a modern house has worse connectivity than an old one nearby.", "example_in_context": "The address was not yet registered, so no provider could accept an order.", "common_misconception": "That new means well connected. New builds are frequently the last to be orderable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "part-r", "rfs", "address-record", "fwa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "New-build order delays", "url": "/new-build-broadband-delays-address-cannot-order-yet.html" }, { "anchor": "Moving home broadband", "url": "/moving-home-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#new-build" }, { "id": "new-provide", "term": "New provide", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Installing a connection where none currently exists at the address.", "long_definition": "A new provide creates a service where the address has no working line, requiring provisioning and usually an engineer visit. It is the slowest order type and the one most affected by appointment availability and any external work needed.", "why_it_matters": "It is the order type that takes weeks rather than days, and why timing matters when moving.", "example_in_context": "No working line existed, so a new provide was required with an engineer visit.", "common_misconception": "That all new orders take the same time. A new provide is much slower than a takeover.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wlto", "provisioning", "install-slot", "new-build" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#new-provide" }, { "id": "nexfibre", "term": "nexfibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "NEX-fibre", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The Virgin Media O2 fibre build vehicle, a joint venture of Liberty Global, Telefónica and InfraVia.", "long_definition": "nexfibre builds new full fibre in areas outside the existing Virgin Media cable footprint, with Virgin Media O2 as anchor retail tenant. It is a wholesale builder rather than a consumer brand.", "why_it_matters": "A nexfibre build is usually the route by which Virgin Media becomes available at an address it never cabled.", "example_in_context": "The estate was passed by nexfibre and sold under the Virgin Media brand.", "common_misconception": "That nexfibre is a retail provider. You buy from its tenants.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "vmo2", "netomnia", "cma", "overbuild" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nexfibre" }, { "id": "nildram", "term": "Nildram", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "NIL-dram", "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A technically respected independent ISP, bought by Pipex in 2004 and absorbed into TalkTalk.", "long_definition": "Nildram had a strong reputation among technical users for service quality and transparency. Pipex acquired it in 2004 when it had around 35,000 customers, roughly a third of them business accounts. It passed through Tiscali to TalkTalk in the 2009 acquisition, and the name survives only within TalkTalk Business.", "why_it_matters": "It represents a generation of technically excellent independents that consolidation removed.", "example_in_context": "Pipex acquired Nildram in 2004 with around 35,000 customers.", "common_misconception": "That consolidation only affected weak providers. Several well-regarded ones disappeared too.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "pipex", "demon", "aaisp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nildram" }, { "id": "nni", "term": "NNI", "expansion": "Network to Network Interface", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The handover point where a wholesale network passes traffic to a retail provider.", "long_definition": "A network to network interface is where one operator's traffic is handed to another. The capacity a retail provider buys at this point determines how much its customers can collectively draw, and under-provisioning it produces congestion no line test would ever reveal.", "why_it_matters": "A provider that skimps here has slow customers regardless of the network's capability.", "example_in_context": "Congestion traced to insufficient capacity purchased at the handover point.", "common_misconception": "That network capability determines your speed. What your provider bought matters too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "interconnect", "backhaul-capacity", "gea", "aggregation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nni" }, { "id": "node-split", "term": "Node split", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Dividing a congested network segment so fewer homes share the same capacity.", "long_definition": "Where too many premises share one segment, splitting it in two halves the number contending for capacity. It is a standard capacity management technique on cable and passive optical networks alike, and is invisible to customers other than through improved evening performance.", "why_it_matters": "It is the fix behind an area quietly getting faster with no announcement.", "example_in_context": "The split halved the number of premises sharing that segment.", "common_misconception": "That capacity problems require replacing the network. Splitting usually suffices.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "headend", "contention", "capacity-planning", "split-ratio" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#node-split" }, { "id": "nominet", "term": "Nominet", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "NOM-in-et", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The registry running the .uk domain name space.", "long_definition": "Nominet operates the .uk top-level domain, maintaining the register of domain names and the infrastructure that resolves them. It also works on internet security and public benefit programmes.", "why_it_matters": "Every .uk address, including this one, exists in a register Nominet maintains.", "example_in_context": "The domain was registered through a Nominet-accredited registrar.", "common_misconception": "That Nominet sells domains directly to the public. Registrars do that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "dns", "linx", "ripe" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Nominet", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nominet" }, { "id": "non-discrimination", "term": "Non-discrimination", "expansion": "Equivalence", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The rule requiring a dominant network to treat rivals the same as its own retail arm.", "long_definition": "Equivalence obligations require the same products, prices, systems and timescales for external customers as for the operator's own retail business. It is the principle underpinning Openreach's functional separation and the reason a competitor's order is handled identically to BT's.", "why_it_matters": "It is why your small provider gets the same engineer appointment slots as the largest one.", "example_in_context": "The obligation required identical provisioning systems for internal and external customers.", "common_misconception": "That separation guarantees equal outcomes. It requires equal treatment, which is monitored.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "smp", "cost-orientation", "ladder-pricing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom market reviews", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#non-discrimination" }, { "id": "notice-period", "term": "Notice period", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "How much warning your provider requires before you leave, typically 30 days.", "long_definition": "Even out of contract, most providers require notice before closing an account. Under One Touch Switch the new provider handles this for you, so the notice runs in parallel with the switch rather than delaying it. Cancelling directly, without a switch in progress, is where notice periods bite.", "why_it_matters": "Cancelling yourself before a switch completes can leave you paying two providers at once.", "example_in_context": "The 30 day notice ran alongside the switch, so there was no double billing.", "common_misconception": "That you should ring and cancel first. Under One Touch Switch you should not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ots", "exit-fee", "minimum-term" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#notice-period" }, { "id": "notspot", "term": "Notspot", "expansion": "Partial notspot", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "An area with no mobile coverage, or coverage from only some operators.", "long_definition": "A total notspot has no coverage from any operator. A partial notspot has coverage from some but not all, which is arguably worse for consumers because the fix depends entirely on which provider they happen to be with. Reducing both is the aim of the Shared Rural Network.", "why_it_matters": "If your area is a partial notspot, switching provider may solve the problem entirely.", "example_in_context": "Two operators covered the village and two did not, making it a partial notspot.", "common_misconception": "That poor signal means poor coverage everywhere. Another operator may be fine.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "srn", "national-roaming", "coverage-map", "mast" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#notspot" }, { "id": "now-broadband", "term": "NOW Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Sky's no-contract value brand, sold over the Openreach network.", "long_definition": "NOW Broadband offers short and rolling contract options alongside Sky's streaming passes, positioned as the flexible and lower-cost alternative within the same group. It sells over Openreach lines.", "why_it_matters": "For renters and short stays, the contract flexibility is often worth more than the monthly saving.", "example_in_context": "The rolling NOW package suited a twelve month tenancy with no exit charge.", "common_misconception": "That NOW is a separate company from Sky. It is a Sky brand.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sky", "rolling-contract", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "NOW Broadband deals", "url": "/now-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "No-contract broadband for renters", "url": "/moving-renting/no-contract-broadband-for-renters.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#now-broadband" }, { "id": "ntl", "term": "NTL", "expansion": "National Transcommunications Limited", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Cable operator that merged with Telewest on 3 March 2006, becoming Virgin Media the following year.", "long_definition": "NTL and Telewest were the two large UK cable operators, serving different regions with television, telephony and broadband over coaxial cable. Their merger completed on 3 March 2006, forming NTL:Telewest. The group acquired Virgin Mobile in July 2006, licensed the Virgin brand in November 2006, and rebranded all consumer services as Virgin Media on 8 February 2007.", "why_it_matters": "It is why UK cable availability follows a patchwork of historic regional franchises rather than a national footprint.", "example_in_context": "NTL and Telewest completed their merger on 3 March 2006 and rebranded as Virgin Media in February 2007.", "common_misconception": "That Virgin Media built the cable network. It inherited it from NTL and Telewest.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "telewest", "vmo2", "docsis" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ntl" }, { "id": "porting-database", "term": "Number portability database", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The shared records tracking which operator currently holds each ported number.", "long_definition": "Because numbers move between operators, networks must know where to route a call rather than assuming the original allocation. Portability arrangements maintain that information, and they are being redesigned as UK voice moves onto internet-based networks.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a number kept through four providers still receives calls correctly.", "example_in_context": "The routing followed the portability record rather than the original allocation.", "common_misconception": "That a number's prefix indicates its current operator. Once ported, it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "number-porting", "interconnect", "nicc", "area-code" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#porting-database" }, { "id": "number-porting", "term": "Number porting", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Taking your existing phone number with you when you change provider.", "long_definition": "Porting transfers a number from one provider to another so you keep it. It applies to landline numbers moving between providers and to numbers moving from the analogue network onto digital voice. Numbers are generally tied to a geographic area, so porting across a house move is not always possible.", "why_it_matters": "A number you have had for decades does not have to be given up because you switched or migrated.", "example_in_context": "The landline number ported across to the new provider on the switch date.", "common_misconception": "That switching always loses your number. Porting is a standard process.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "ots", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#number-porting" }, { "id": "number-spoofing", "term": "Number spoofing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Faking the number shown on a call, used in most telephone fraud.", "long_definition": "Spoofing displays a number the caller does not control, often one belonging to a bank, a government body or a local area to increase plausibility. Networks have been required to block the most obvious cases, but the technique persists.", "why_it_matters": "The safest response to any unexpected call about money is to hang up and dial a number you already had.", "example_in_context": "The displayed number matched the bank on the back of the card and was still fraudulent.", "common_misconception": "That spoofing requires sophisticated equipment. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cli", "scam-call", "caller-display", "phishing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#number-spoofing" }, { "id": "nwf", "term": "NWF", "expansion": "National Wealth Fund", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The taxpayer-backed investor and lender, now among Gigaclear's owners.", "long_definition": "The National Wealth Fund invests public capital alongside private investors in infrastructure. Its presence on a fibre network's shareholder register signals both the capital intensity of the sector and a degree of public interest in the outcome.", "why_it_matters": "Public money in a network changes the calculus if that network later needs rescuing or selling.", "example_in_context": "The National Wealth Fund took a position among Gigaclear's owners.", "common_misconception": "That it is a grant. It invests and lends.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "gigaclear", "bdas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#nwf" }, { "id": "o2-broadband", "term": "O2 Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "O2's home broadband service, built on Be and sold to Sky in the 2013 fixed-line deal.", "long_definition": "Telefónica acquired Be in 2006 and later launched O2-branded home broadband over the same unbundled network. Telefónica UK reported around 519,000 broadband customers before the sale. BSkyB bought the combined O2 and Be fixed-line and broadband business in March 2013, adding roughly 400,000 subscribers once migration completed, and O2 returned to mobile only until the Virgin Media merger in 2021.", "why_it_matters": "It explains how O2 customers ended up at Sky, and why O2 later returned to fixed broadband through Virgin Media.", "example_in_context": "Telefónica UK had around 519,000 broadband customers before the 2013 sale to Sky.", "common_misconception": "That O2 has always been mobile only. It sold home broadband for several years.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "be-broadband", "sky", "vmo2" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Sky broadband deals", "url": "/sky-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia, ISPreview and contemporaneous trade press, 2013", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#o2-broadband" }, { "id": "ofcom", "term": "Ofcom", "expansion": "Office of Communications", "pronunciation": "OFF-com", "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The UK communications regulator: it sets the wholesale rules, not the retail deals.", "long_definition": "Ofcom regulates telecoms, broadcasting, post and elements of online safety. In broadband it governs wholesale access, switching rules, complaints handling, advertising of speeds and consumer protections. It does not set the price you pay; it sets the conditions under which providers compete.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every consumer right you have in broadband traces back to an Ofcom General Condition.", "example_in_context": "Ofcom's rules require an end-of-contract notification between 10 and 40 days before your term ends.", "common_misconception": "That Ofcom caps broadband prices. It regulates the market, not the tariff.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "gc", "wftmr", "tar", "dct", "automatic-compensation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Methodology and trust", "url": "/methodology-and-trust-hub.html" }, { "anchor": "One Touch Switch", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ofcom" }, { "id": "ofcom-complaints-data", "term": "Ofcom complaints data", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Quarterly published complaint volumes per provider, one of the few independent service measures.", "long_definition": "Ofcom publishes complaints received about each major provider, normalised per subscriber so large and small companies can be compared fairly. It is a blunt measure, but it is independent, published on a schedule and much harder to spin than a provider's own satisfaction figures.", "why_it_matters": "Before signing a long contract, it is worth a look at how many people complained about that provider last quarter.", "example_in_context": "The provider sat above the industry average for broadband complaints per subscriber.", "common_misconception": "That low complaint numbers prove good service. They indicate fewer people escalated.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "complaints-code", "adr", "ofcom", "which" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" }, { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom quarterly complaints publications", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ofcom-complaints-data" }, { "id": "ofcom-checker", "term": "Ofcom coverage checker", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The regulator's independent tool for checking broadband and mobile availability at an address.", "long_definition": "Ofcom publishes a checker showing predicted broadband and mobile coverage by address, built from operator-reported data. Because it is independent of any provider, it is a useful cross-reference against what a commercial availability checker reports.", "why_it_matters": "When one provider's checker says no, an independent one is worth consulting before giving up.", "example_in_context": "The independent checker showed gigabit availability the provider's own tool had missed.", "common_misconception": "That coverage checkers are definitive. All of them are predictions from reported data.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "connected-nations", "rfs", "premises-passed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom coverage checker", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ofcom-checker" }, { "id": "ofcom-enforcement", "term": "Ofcom enforcement", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Investigations and penalties where a provider has breached the rules.", "long_definition": "Ofcom can open investigations, require changes, secure customer redress and impose financial penalties for breaches of the General Conditions or other obligations. Open cases and outcomes are published, creating a public record of compliance failures by provider.", "why_it_matters": "The published enforcement record is a useful and rarely consulted signal about a provider.", "example_in_context": "The investigation concluded with a penalty and a redress programme for affected customers.", "common_misconception": "That penalties go to affected customers. Fines go to the Treasury; redress is separate.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "gc", "ofcom", "complaints-code", "mis-selling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom enforcement bulletin", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ofcom-enforcement" }, { "id": "off-peak", "term": "Off-peak", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Quieter hours when a shared connection performs at its best.", "long_definition": "Demand on shared network segments falls sharply overnight and during working hours. Scheduling large downloads, system updates and cloud backups for those periods avoids competing with household evening use, and most devices allow it.", "why_it_matters": "Scheduling backups overnight removes the commonest cause of evening slowdowns in a busy house.", "example_in_context": "Moving the backup to overnight stopped it competing with evening streaming.", "common_misconception": "That off-peak matters only to providers. Households can schedule around it too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "peak-time", "contention", "backup", "bandwidth" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#off-peak" }, { "id": "ogi", "term": "Ogi", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "OH-ghee", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A Welsh full fibre network building across south and west Wales.", "long_definition": "Ogi builds full fibre in Welsh towns and rural communities, operating as a regional network with a local identity and selling direct to households and businesses.", "why_it_matters": "Across much of Wales it is the alternative to waiting for the national networks.", "example_in_context": "Ogi built through the valley communities ahead of the incumbent.", "common_misconception": "That rural Wales has no fibre choice. Regional builders have changed that considerably.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "footprint", "project-gigabit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Ogi deals", "url": "/ogi-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Cardiff deals", "url": "/cardiff-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ogi" }, { "id": "ohp", "term": "OHP", "expansion": "Openreach Handover Point", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The roughly 1,000 exchanges staying open as the rest close.", "long_definition": "The copper network was served from thousands of local exchanges. The fibre network needs far fewer, so the estate consolidates to around a thousand handover points. The rest close, which has consequences for property, for rival operators with equipment inside them, and for migration timing.", "why_it_matters": "Exchange closure is the quiet second half of the switch-off story, after the phone line itself.", "example_in_context": "The local exchange is not an OHP, so services were rehomed before it closed.", "common_misconception": "That exchange closures are unrelated to the phone switch-off. They are the same programme.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "pstn", "llu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ohp" }, { "id": "olt", "term": "OLT", "expansion": "Optical Line Terminal", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The exchange-end equipment serving a fibre network, and where upgrades happen.", "long_definition": "The optical line terminal sits at the exchange and drives the fibre serving many premises through splitters. Upgrading from one passive optical standard to the next largely means changing this equipment and the units in homes, not the fibre in the ground.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a fibre network can offer faster tiers without anyone digging up your street.", "example_in_context": "Replacing the terminal equipment enabled higher speed tiers on the existing fibre.", "common_misconception": "That faster fibre needs new cable. The upgrade is at each end.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ont", "gpon", "xgs-pon", "splitter", "exchange" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#olt" }, { "id": "ombudsman-decision", "term": "Ombudsman decision", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The outcome of adjudication, binding on the provider once you accept it.", "long_definition": "An adjudicator reviews evidence from both sides and issues a decision that may require an apology, an explanation, a specific action or a financial award. Accepting it binds the provider; rejecting it leaves you free to pursue other routes, including court.", "why_it_matters": "The decision binds them and not you, which is a considerable advantage.", "example_in_context": "The decision required a financial award and specific corrective action.", "common_misconception": "That accepting is compulsory. You may reject and pursue other routes.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "adr", "ombudsman", "cisas", "small-claims" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom approved ADR schemes", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ombudsman-decision" }, { "id": "ons", "term": "ONS", "expansion": "Office for National Statistics", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The UK's official statistics body, and the source of the inflation figures in your contract.", "long_definition": "The ONS produces the Consumer Prices Index and Retail Prices Index used in inflation-linked contract terms, along with the household expenditure data used to assess affordability of communications services.", "why_it_matters": "When a contract referred to CPI, this is the organisation that published the number.", "example_in_context": "The annual increase referenced the CPI figure published by the ONS.", "common_misconception": "That providers calculate inflation themselves. They apply an official published figure.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cpi", "rpi", "real-terms", "mid-contract-rise" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "In-contract price rises 2026", "url": "/in-contract-price-rises-2026.html" } ], "source_primary": "Office for National Statistics", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ons" }, { "id": "ont", "term": "ONT", "expansion": "Optical Network Terminal", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The small wall-mounted box where the fibre ends and your router plugs in.", "long_definition": "On a full fibre install, the fibre terminates at an ONT fixed to an internal wall, usually near where the cable enters. The router connects to it by ethernet. The ONT belongs to the network operator and stays with the property when you switch.", "why_it_matters": "If your home already has an ONT, a switch to another fibre provider on the same network needs no new installation.", "example_in_context": "The new provider activated the existing ONT without an engineer visit.", "common_misconception": "That the ONT belongs to your provider. It belongs to the network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "router", "modem", "gpon" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" }, { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ont" }, { "id": "ooc", "term": "OOC", "expansion": "Out of contract", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Past your minimum term and free to leave, and the group most likely to be overpaying.", "long_definition": "Once the minimum term ends the contract usually rolls on monthly at a standard rate. There is no exit charge, but the price is typically well above what the same provider charges a new customer for the same service.", "why_it_matters": "Being out of contract is the single strongest predictor that you are paying more than you need to.", "example_in_context": "The line had been out of contract for 19 months at £46 a month.", "common_misconception": "That out of contract means the service changes. Only the price and your freedom to leave change.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "ecn", "abtn", "exit-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Compare deals by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ooc" }, { "id": "opal-telecom", "term": "Opal Telecom", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Founded in 1995 and acquired by Carphone Warehouse in 2002, later renamed TalkTalk Business.", "long_definition": "Opal Telecom was founded in 1995 by Neil McArthur and acquired by Carphone Warehouse in 2002 for £103 million. It became the group's business arm and changed its name to TalkTalk Business on 1 February 2011, absorbing the business divisions of Pipex, Freedom2Surf, Nildram and Tiscali along the way.", "why_it_matters": "It is the origin of TalkTalk's business division, and of much of the group's network capability.", "example_in_context": "Opal Telecom changed its name to TalkTalk Business on 1 February 2011.", "common_misconception": "That TalkTalk began as a consumer brand alone. Its network roots are in Opal.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "talktalk", "pipex", "tiscali", "freedom2surf" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "TalkTalk Business", "url": "/talktalk-business-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#opal-telecom" }, { "id": "openreach", "term": "Openreach", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The BT Group access division running the largest wholesale network, made a separate company in 2017.", "long_definition": "Openreach owns and maintains the copper and fibre access network that most UK providers sell over, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and dozens of smaller retailers. It was legally separated from BT in 2017 while remaining within BT Group, and it does not sell to households directly.", "why_it_matters": "If your provider uses Openreach, engineer visits and fault repairs are handled by Openreach regardless of whose name is on the bill.", "example_in_context": "The fault was on the Openreach line, so the retailer had to raise it rather than fix it.", "common_misconception": "That Openreach is BT. It is a separate company within BT Group, and it serves BT's competitors too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "smp", "equinox", "pia", "llu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" }, { "anchor": "Engineer visit checklist", "url": "/engineer-visit-checklist-broadband-installation-day.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#openreach" }, { "id": "opex", "term": "Opex", "expansion": "Operating expenditure", "pronunciation": "OP-ex", "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The day-to-day running costs of a network: staff, power, transit and support.", "long_definition": "Operating expenditure keeps the business functioning rather than building anything new. Fibre networks have relatively low operating costs once built, which is precisely why the sector attracted investors willing to fund heavy construction first.", "why_it_matters": "Low running costs after build are the reason fibre is attractive despite the upfront expense.", "example_in_context": "Once the build completed, operating costs per customer fell sharply.", "common_misconception": "That a network with low opex is automatically profitable. Capex still has to be repaid.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "capex", "ebitda", "transit" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#opex" }, { "id": "orange-home", "term": "Orange Home Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "The rebranded Freeserve and Wanadoo service, absorbed into EE after the 2010 merger.", "long_definition": "Orange Home UK was the renamed Wanadoo UK business from June 2006. Orange UK and T-Mobile UK merged in 2010 to form EE, initially a joint venture between France Télécom and Deutsche Telekom, and the broadband base was subsequently rebranded to EE. BT Group acquired EE in 2016.", "why_it_matters": "It is the step between Freeserve and EE for a great many long-standing customers.", "example_in_context": "Orange UK and T-Mobile UK merged in 2010, and the broadband service later became EE.", "common_misconception": "That the Orange broadband customers were moved to a different provider. They were rebranded in place.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "freeserve", "ee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "EE broadband deals", "url": "/ee-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#orange-home" }, { "id": "order-reference", "term": "Order reference", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The number identifying your order, needed for any query before service starts.", "long_definition": "Until an account exists, the order reference is the only way a provider can locate your request. Keeping it, along with the date and the quoted activation date, makes every subsequent conversation about a delayed order considerably shorter.", "why_it_matters": "Before service goes live, this number is the only handle anyone has on your order.", "example_in_context": "The reference located the stalled order immediately.", "common_misconception": "That your address is enough to find an order. Before activation, the reference is what works.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "provisioning", "account-number", "install-slot", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#order-reference" }, { "id": "osa", "term": "OSA", "expansion": "Online Safety Act 2023", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The law making Ofcom the regulator of online safety as well as telecoms.", "long_definition": "The Online Safety Act places duties on user-to-user services and search services regarding illegal content and the protection of children, with Ofcom as enforcing regulator. It sits alongside, rather than within, the telecoms regime, but has expanded Ofcom's remit considerably.", "why_it_matters": "The same regulator that oversees your broadband contract now oversees the platforms your children use.", "example_in_context": "Ofcom's online safety duties derive from the Online Safety Act 2023.", "common_misconception": "That it regulates your internet connection. It regulates the services carried over it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "iwf", "comms-act" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" }, { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "Online Safety Act 2023", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#osa" }, { "id": "ota", "term": "OTA", "expansion": "Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "Publishes the monthly migration numbers tracking the move off the old phone network.", "long_definition": "The OTA facilitates industry processes where operators must co-operate, and publishes the monthly counts of lines migrated away from the analogue network. Those figures are the clearest public measure of whether the switch-off is on schedule.", "why_it_matters": "It is the number that tells you whether the 2027 deadline is realistic.", "example_in_context": "The OTA monthly migration count is the headline metric this report tracks.", "common_misconception": "That the OTA resolves consumer complaints. It adjudicates between operators.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ota" }, { "id": "otdr", "term": "OTDR", "expansion": "Optical Time Domain Reflectometer", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The instrument that finds a fibre fault and reports how far along the cable it sits.", "long_definition": "An optical time domain reflectometer sends light down a fibre and analyses what returns, identifying breaks, poor splices and excessive loss along with their distance from the test point. It is the standard tool for locating a fault without digging speculatively.", "why_it_matters": "It is why an engineer can dig in one place rather than excavating the whole route.", "example_in_context": "The instrument placed the break 1.2 kilometres along the route.", "common_misconception": "That fibre faults are hard to locate. Distance can be measured precisely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "splice", "attenuation", "fault-reporting", "chamber" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#otdr" }, { "id": "ots", "term": "OTS", "expansion": "One Touch Switch", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Change provider by contacting only the new one, live across the UK since 12 September 2024.", "long_definition": "Under One Touch Switch you contact the provider you want to join and they handle everything, including ending the old contract. You never have to phone your existing provider or endure a retention conversation. Switches typically complete within a few working days.", "why_it_matters": "The single biggest barrier to switching, the retention call, no longer exists.", "example_in_context": "The switch was ordered on Monday and completed by Thursday with no contact with the old provider.", "common_misconception": "That you must cancel your old service first. Doing so can break the switch.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "totsco", "ecn", "ooc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "How to switch", "url": "/switch-broadband-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom One Touch Switch rules, live 12 September 2024", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ots" }, { "id": "outage", "term": "Outage", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A loss of service, whether local to your line or affecting a wider area.", "long_definition": "Outages range from a single line fault to a regional incident affecting thousands. Providers publish service status pages, and knowing whether a problem is yours alone or area-wide determines whether troubleshooting is worth the effort.", "why_it_matters": "Checking the status page before spending an hour restarting equipment saves the hour.", "example_in_context": "The status page confirmed an area fault, so no equipment troubleshooting was needed.", "common_misconception": "That every loss of service is a fault on your line. Area incidents are common.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fault-reporting", "automatic-compensation", "uptime" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" }, { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#outage" }, { "id": "overbuild", "term": "Overbuild", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "A second or third fibre network built past a home an existing network already reaches.", "long_definition": "Overbuild means duplicating infrastructure where a network already exists. It creates choice and price competition, but it also splits the available customers between networks, which is the central economic problem behind fibre consolidation.", "why_it_matters": "Heavy overbuild in your area usually means unusually good prices, at least while the competition lasts.", "example_in_context": "Four networks had overbuilt the same terrace, so no single one reached viable take-up.", "common_misconception": "That overbuild always benefits consumers long term. It also drives the consolidation that later reduces choice.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "take-up", "premises-passed", "nexfibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#overbuild" }, { "id": "overlap-billing", "term": "Overlap billing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Briefly paying two providers around a switch, which the process is designed to avoid.", "long_definition": "Because broadband is billed in advance, a switch part way through a billing period can produce a short overlap, usually resolved by a refund on the final bill. Genuine double billing over an extended period is a fault and should be raised as a billing dispute.", "why_it_matters": "A few days of overlap is normal. A month is not, and is worth challenging.", "example_in_context": "The overlap was refunded on the final bill from the previous provider.", "common_misconception": "That any overlap is an error. A short one is a consequence of billing in advance.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "final-bill", "transfer-date", "billing-error", "notice-period" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Exit and setup fees", "url": "/exit-fees-and-setup-fees.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#overlap-billing" }, { "id": "overlay-build", "term": "Overlay build", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Constructing a new network alongside an existing one rather than replacing it.", "long_definition": "Overlay builds run new fibre in parallel with the network already serving an area, so both operate simultaneously and customers migrate gradually. It avoids service interruption and means two sets of infrastructure exist until the old one is retired.", "why_it_matters": "It is why fibre and copper coexist on the same street for years before switch-off.", "example_in_context": "The new fibre ran alongside the existing copper until customers migrated.", "common_misconception": "That new networks replace old ones directly. They usually run in parallel first.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "stop-sell", "copper-recovery", "duct-and-pole" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#overlay-build" }, { "id": "packet-loss", "term": "Packet loss", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Data that never arrives and has to be sent again, felt as stalls and dropouts.", "long_definition": "Networks discard packets when congested or when a line is faulty. Small amounts are normal and invisible. Sustained loss shows up as frozen video, dropped calls and web pages that hang before loading.", "why_it_matters": "Persistent packet loss is a fault, not a feature of your package, and is worth reporting.", "example_in_context": "Two percent sustained loss made video calls unusable despite a 500 Mbps line.", "common_misconception": "That it means slow broadband. It means unreliable broadband.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "latency", "jitter", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#packet-loss" }, { "id": "parental-controls", "term": "Parental controls", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Filters and limits offered by providers, devices and platforms, best used in combination.", "long_definition": "Controls exist at several levels: the broadband provider's network filter, the router, the device operating system and individual apps and platforms. Each covers different ground, and relying on any single layer leaves obvious gaps.", "why_it_matters": "A provider filter alone will not cover a phone on mobile data or a console on a neighbour's Wi-Fi.", "example_in_context": "Network filtering, device controls and platform settings were configured together.", "common_misconception": "That switching on the ISP filter is sufficient. It covers only that network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dns-filtering", "router", "osa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK ISP parental controls", "url": "/online-safety/uk-isp-parental-controls/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#parental-controls" }, { "id": "password-manager", "term": "Password manager", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Software that generates and stores a different strong password for every account.", "long_definition": "A password manager removes the need to remember or reuse passwords, generating a unique one per site behind a single master password. Reuse is what turns one company's breach into a compromise of your email, bank and shopping accounts, and this is the practical fix.", "why_it_matters": "One breached site should not cost you every other account, and reuse is what makes it do so.", "example_in_context": "Unique generated passwords meant the breach affected only the one site.", "common_misconception": "That storing passwords in one place is risky. Reusing them everywhere is far riskier.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "two-factor", "data-breach", "phishing", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#password-manager" }, { "id": "payback", "term": "Payback period", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How long it takes to recover what was spent winning or connecting a customer.", "long_definition": "Payback measures the months required for margin to cover acquisition and connection costs. A short minimum term with a heavy discount can mean the customer leaves before the provider has broken even, which is why 24 month contracts carry the best headline prices.", "why_it_matters": "It explains exactly why the cheapest deals come with the longest commitments.", "example_in_context": "The discount only paid back in month twenty, hence the 24 month term.", "common_misconception": "That long contracts exist purely to trap customers. Payback arithmetic drives most of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cac", "ltv", "minimum-term", "tcv" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband contract lengths", "url": "/broadband-contract-lengths.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#payback" }, { "id": "pbx", "term": "PBX", "expansion": "Private Branch Exchange", "pronunciation": "P-B-X", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A business phone system routing calls internally and out to the network.", "long_definition": "A PBX handles extensions, transfers, hunt groups and voicemail within an organisation. Traditional systems connected to ISDN; modern ones connect over SIP, and hosted or cloud versions remove the on-site hardware entirely.", "why_it_matters": "If your business still has a PBX wired to ISDN, it needs replacing before the 2027 cease date.", "example_in_context": "The on-premises PBX was replaced with a hosted system on SIP trunks.", "common_misconception": "That a PBX is just a phone. It is the switching system behind all of them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sip", "isdn", "voip" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pbx" }, { "id": "pcp", "term": "PCP", "expansion": "Primary Cross-connect Point", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The green street cabinet where copper lines from homes meet the network.", "long_definition": "The primary cross-connect point is the traditional green cabinet on the pavement. For FTTC, a second powered cabinet sits nearby housing the electronics. As full fibre replaces copper, these cabinets gradually become redundant.", "why_it_matters": "Your distance from this cabinet is what determines an FTTC speed, which is why neighbours differ.", "example_in_context": "The property sat 800 metres from the cabinet, capping the FTTC speed.", "common_misconception": "That the green cabinet contains the broadband equipment. Usually the powered cabinet beside it does.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "fttc", "vdsl", "exchange", "sub-loop" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "FTTC deals", "url": "/fttc-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pcp" }, { "id": "pdpl", "term": "PDPL", "expansion": "Pre-Digital Phone Line", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "BT Wholesale's stopgap packaging for lines not yet ready to move, available until December 2030.", "long_definition": "A transitional product for premises where a full digital voice migration is not yet possible, packaging an analogue-style service on the way to full retirement. It buys time rather than providing a permanent answer.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a small number of lines will still look analogue well after the headline switch-off date.", "example_in_context": "The premises was placed on PDPL pending a fibre install.", "common_misconception": "That it extends the switch-off. It is a managed exception, not a reprieve.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": "December 2030", "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "sotap", "evac" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pdpl" }, { "id": "peering", "term": "Peering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Two networks exchanging traffic directly, usually without paying each other.", "long_definition": "Peering lets networks hand traffic to each other directly rather than routing it through a paid intermediary. It reduces cost and improves latency, and it happens either at an internet exchange or through a private direct link.", "why_it_matters": "Good peering is a large part of why some providers feel quicker on the same nominal speed.", "example_in_context": "The two networks peered directly, so traffic between them never left the country.", "common_misconception": "That all internet traffic follows the same path. Routing depends heavily on peering arrangements.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "transit", "linx", "pop", "latency" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#peering" }, { "id": "penetration", "term": "Penetration", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "The share of available households that have taken a service.", "long_definition": "Penetration measures uptake against opportunity: how many of the homes a network can serve actually buy from it. For a fibre network it is effectively take-up; for a market it describes how close to saturation a product category has come.", "why_it_matters": "A market approaching saturation competes on price and churn rather than on new customers.", "example_in_context": "With penetration near saturation, growth had to come from winning rivals' customers.", "common_misconception": "That penetration and coverage are the same. One is uptake, the other availability.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "take-up", "premises-passed", "rgu", "churn" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#penetration" }, { "id": "phishing", "term": "Phishing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Messages impersonating a trusted organisation to obtain passwords or payment details.", "long_definition": "Phishing arrives by email, text or message and imitates a provider, bank or delivery company, directing you to a convincing fake site. Broadband billing and refund themes are common because they are plausible and time-sensitive. Suspicious messages can be forwarded to the national reporting services.", "why_it_matters": "A billing notice you were not expecting is worth reaching through the provider's own app or site instead.", "example_in_context": "The refund message linked to a site imitating the provider's login page.", "common_misconception": "That poor spelling gives it away. Modern attempts are frequently well produced.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "scam-call", "router-password", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#phishing" }, { "id": "pia", "term": "PIA", "expansion": "Physical Infrastructure Access", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Renting Openreach's ducts and poles to lay your own fibre.", "long_definition": "PIA lets competing networks use existing underground ducts and telegraph poles rather than digging their own routes. It cut the cost of building fibre dramatically and is the main reason the UK altnet sector grew as fast as it did.", "why_it_matters": "Those extra fibre cables on the pole outside are usually a rival network using PIA.", "example_in_context": "The altnet built the whole estate using PIA rather than opening the road.", "common_misconception": "That PIA is free access. It is a regulated wholesale product with charges.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "openreach", "altnet", "wftmr", "smp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pia" }, { "id": "ping", "term": "Ping test", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A simple check of whether a destination responds, and how quickly.", "long_definition": "A ping sends a small packet and measures the round trip. Running one continuously during a problem reveals whether the connection is dropping out entirely or simply slowing, which are different faults with different causes.", "why_it_matters": "A continuous ping during an intermittent fault produces evidence a snapshot test cannot.", "example_in_context": "The continuous ping showed brief total dropouts rather than a general slowdown.", "common_misconception": "That a good ping means a good connection. It measures reachability, not throughput.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "latency", "traceroute", "packet-loss", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ping" }, { "id": "pipex", "term": "Pipex", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "PIE-pex", "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Founded in 1990 and central to the early UK internet, absorbed via Tiscali into TalkTalk.", "long_definition": "Pipex was formed in 1990 and was one of the companies that built the commercial UK internet market. It acquired Nildram in 2004 and Bulldog's consumer base, before being broken up and sold in parts. Its UK residential business passed to Tiscali and then, through the 2009 acquisition, to TalkTalk.", "why_it_matters": "It traces one of the longest customer lineages in UK broadband, from 1990s dial-up to TalkTalk today.", "example_in_context": "Pipex customers passed to Tiscali and then to TalkTalk in 2009.", "common_misconception": "That the brand still trades. It survives only as a legacy name within TalkTalk Business.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tiscali", "talktalk", "demon" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "TalkTalk deals", "url": "/talktalk-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pipex" }, { "id": "planned-works", "term": "Planned maintenance", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Scheduled work that interrupts service, usually announced and usually overnight.", "long_definition": "Networks carry out upgrades and repairs on a planned basis, generally in the early hours to minimise disruption. Notice is normally given, and interruptions during planned work do not attract the compensation that unplanned faults do.", "why_it_matters": "An outage in the early hours with prior notice will not attract compensation.", "example_in_context": "The overnight interruption fell within announced planned maintenance.", "common_misconception": "That every loss of service is compensable. Notified planned work generally is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "outage", "automatic-compensation", "fault-reporting", "uptime" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#planned-works" }, { "id": "plusnet", "term": "Plusnet", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A Yorkshire-founded value brand within BT Group, selling over Openreach.", "long_definition": "Plusnet built its reputation on straightforward pricing and UK-based support, and became part of BT Group. It sells broadband over the Openreach network and is positioned below the BT brand on price.", "why_it_matters": "It frequently offers the same Openreach line as BT for noticeably less money.", "example_in_context": "The Plusnet package used an identical Openreach connection at a lower price than BT.", "common_misconception": "That it is independent of BT. It sits within BT Group.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bt", "openreach", "ee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Plusnet deals", "url": "/plusnet-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#plusnet" }, { "id": "poe", "term": "PoE", "expansion": "Power over Ethernet", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Carrying power and data down one cable, so devices need no separate supply.", "long_definition": "Power over Ethernet delivers electricity alongside data, allowing cameras, access points and phones to be installed anywhere a network cable reaches without a nearby socket. It is why ceiling-mounted access points need only one cable.", "why_it_matters": "It is what makes a tidy access point installation possible without an electrician.", "example_in_context": "The ceiling access point drew power over the same cable carrying its data.", "common_misconception": "That every network device needs a power socket. Many can draw it from the cable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "access-point", "ethernet", "network-switch", "cat6" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "IEEE 802.3 standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#poe" }, { "id": "p2p-fibre", "term": "Point-to-point fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A dedicated fibre per customer, with no splitter and no sharing.", "long_definition": "Point-to-point runs an individual fibre from the exchange to each premises, giving the full capacity of that fibre to one customer. It costs more to build than a shared passive network and is used mostly for business connections and leased lines.", "why_it_matters": "It is the architecture behind a leased line, and why one costs what it does.", "example_in_context": "The business connection used a dedicated point-to-point fibre rather than a shared split.", "common_misconception": "That all fibre is dedicated. Consumer fibre is normally shared through a splitter.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "gpon", "splitter", "leased-line", "dark-fibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#p2p-fibre" }, { "id": "pop", "term": "PoP", "expansion": "Point of Presence", "pronunciation": "POP", "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "A site where a network places equipment and connects to the wider internet.", "long_definition": "A point of presence is where a network's own infrastructure meets other networks, housing routing and aggregation equipment. Smaller networks may have a handful; national operators have many, and their placement affects how directly traffic can reach its destination.", "why_it_matters": "How close your traffic gets to a well-connected point of presence affects latency more than your package does.", "example_in_context": "The altnet backhauled traffic to a single point of presence in a nearby city.", "common_misconception": "That all providers connect to the internet in the same way. Their topology varies a great deal.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "core-network", "peering", "transit", "linx" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pop" }, { "id": "port-forwarding", "term": "Port forwarding", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Telling your router to send particular incoming traffic to a particular device.", "long_definition": "By default a router blocks unsolicited incoming connections. Port forwarding creates an exception so that traffic arriving on a specified port reaches a chosen device, which is how people reach home servers, cameras and some game hosts from outside. Each exception is also a small increase in exposure.", "why_it_matters": "It is the standard fix for remote access, and worth doing sparingly and with strong passwords.", "example_in_context": "A single forwarded port made the home camera reachable from a phone.", "common_misconception": "That it is required for normal gaming. Most modern titles do not need it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "cgnat", "static-ip", "router", "firmware" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#port-forwarding" }, { "id": "porting-delay", "term": "Porting delay", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A number transfer that does not complete on the agreed date.", "long_definition": "Number transfers occasionally stall through records mismatches, an incorrect account number or an outstanding balance. The service usually works meanwhile on a temporary number, and the port completes once the discrepancy is resolved.", "why_it_matters": "A delayed port is usually a records mismatch rather than a refusal to release your number.", "example_in_context": "The port completed once the account number discrepancy was corrected.", "common_misconception": "That a delayed port means the old provider is blocking it. Records mismatches cause most.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "number-porting", "pac-code", "account-number", "porting-database" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What happens to my number", "url": "/what-happens-to-my-number-when-i-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#porting-delay" }, { "id": "post-office-broadband", "term": "Post Office Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A Post Office branded service with around 500,000 customers, sold to Shell Energy.", "long_definition": "The Post Office sold home broadband and phone services under its own brand, reaching around 500,000 landline and broadband customers. It decided to divest the telecoms unit to focus on mail, banking and travel money. Shell Energy emerged as preferred bidder in December 2020 in a deal reported at up to £100 million, and the Post Office brand left the market.", "why_it_matters": "Customers of these retired brands are among those most likely to be sitting on old, expensive tariffs.", "example_in_context": "Shell Energy became preferred bidder for the Post Office's telecoms business in December 2020.", "common_misconception": "That a familiar high street name means a current broadband offer. Several have gone.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "john-lewis-broadband", "tesco-broadband", "shell-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Sky News and contemporaneous trade press, December 2020", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#post-office-broadband" }, { "id": "powerline", "term": "Powerline adapter", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Adapters carrying network traffic over your mains wiring between rooms.", "long_definition": "Powerline adapters send data through household electrical circuits, plugged in at each end. Performance depends heavily on the age and layout of the wiring, and adapters on different circuits or through extension leads often perform poorly.", "why_it_matters": "Where running cable is impossible, powerline is frequently better than a Wi-Fi extender.", "example_in_context": "Powerline gave a stable connection to the garden office where Wi-Fi could not reach.", "common_misconception": "That advertised speeds are achievable. Real-world performance is usually a fraction of them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ethernet", "extender", "mesh" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#powerline" }, { "id": "pppoe", "term": "PPPoE and RADIUS", "expansion": "Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "How a router authenticates to a provider and is granted a connection.", "long_definition": "PPPoE carries the username and password a router presents to establish a session, and RADIUS is the system that checks those credentials and assigns an address. It is why moving a router between providers requires new connection credentials.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why a retail router needs your provider's username and password to connect.", "example_in_context": "The replacement router needed the connection credentials before it would establish a session.", "common_misconception": "That any router works out of the box on any provider. Credentials are usually required.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "router", "ip-address", "dhcp", "firmware" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pppoe" }, { "id": "switch-checklist", "term": "Pre-switch checklist", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The handful of things worth settling before starting a switch.", "long_definition": "Before switching: note the contract end date, check for exit charges, move any provider email address, confirm what happens to bundled services, and note the account number and address exactly as held. Each one prevents a specific and common problem.", "why_it_matters": "Five minutes of preparation prevents almost every switching problem that people report.", "example_in_context": "Checking each item beforehand meant the switch completed without any queries.", "common_misconception": "That switching requires no preparation. A short check prevents most difficulties.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "email-migration", "contract-end-date", "account-number", "switch-blocker" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" }, { "anchor": "How to switch", "url": "/switch-broadband-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switch-checklist" }, { "id": "premises-passed", "term": "Premises passed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Homes a network can reach, a construction measure and always wider than homes connected.", "long_definition": "Passed means the network runs close enough that a connection could be completed, usually without further civil works. It is the number builders report because it grows fastest. Connected customers are a much smaller figure, and the ratio between them is take-up.", "why_it_matters": "A network claiming millions of premises passed may have only a fraction of those actually paying it.", "example_in_context": "Two million passed, a little over 400,000 connected.", "common_misconception": "That passed means available to order today. Ready for service is the narrower measure.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "rfs", "take-up", "overbuild" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#premises-passed" }, { "id": "anchoring", "term": "Price anchoring", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Showing a high reference price so the actual price seems like a saving.", "long_definition": "Anchoring presents a standard or was price alongside the offer, making the difference feel like a gain regardless of whether the higher figure was ever genuinely charged. Advertising rules require reference prices to be real, and the technique remains widespread within those limits.", "why_it_matters": "The saving displayed against a standard price is only meaningful if anyone pays that price.", "example_in_context": "The offer was displayed against a standard price few customers ever paid.", "common_misconception": "That a displayed saving reflects the market. It reflects the seller's own reference price.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "headline-pricing", "dark-patterns", "asa", "effective-price" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#anchoring" }, { "id": "price-discrimination", "term": "Price discrimination", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Charging different customers different amounts for the same thing.", "long_definition": "Where a market allows it, sellers charge according to what each customer will pay rather than a single price. In broadband it appears as new customer offers, targeted retention discounts and out-of-contract rates for identical service at the same address.", "why_it_matters": "Two neighbours on identical packages paying different amounts is the system working as designed.", "example_in_context": "Identical service at the same address was priced differently depending on contract age.", "common_misconception": "That everyone pays a published price. Very few do.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "in-life-offer", "cross-subsidy", "price-elasticity" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#price-discrimination" }, { "id": "price-elasticity", "term": "Price elasticity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How much demand changes when price changes, and why inertia is profitable.", "long_definition": "Where customers respond strongly to price, providers must compete on it. Where they do not, prices can rise without losing many customers. Broadband demand among long-standing customers is notably unresponsive, which is precisely what sustains out-of-contract pricing.", "why_it_matters": "Providers raise prices where they know most customers will not react.", "example_in_context": "The increase produced very little additional switching.", "common_misconception": "That prices rise because costs do. They rise where customers do not respond.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "switching-rates", "cross-subsidy", "ooc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Loyalty Penalty context", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#price-elasticity" }, { "id": "price-match", "term": "Price matching", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Asking your provider to match a cheaper offer you have found elsewhere.", "long_definition": "Providers rarely advertise price matching but retention teams frequently have discretion to approach a rival's price. Having a specific competing quote at your address, with the package details, makes the conversation considerably shorter.", "why_it_matters": "A specific rival quote in hand is worth far more than a general complaint about price.", "example_in_context": "The specific competing quote produced an immediate matching offer.", "common_misconception": "That you must switch to benefit. A credible alternative is often enough.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "retention", "in-life-offer", "recontracting", "tcv" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compare deals by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#price-match" }, { "id": "price-war", "term": "Price war", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Competing operators cutting prices below sustainable levels to win share.", "long_definition": "Where several networks overlap and each needs take-up urgently, prices can fall below what the economics support. Consumers benefit while it lasts. It is also one of the mechanisms that makes consolidation inevitable, and prices tend to recover afterwards.", "why_it_matters": "If your street has four networks, you are probably enjoying prices that will not last indefinitely.", "example_in_context": "Gigabit pricing in the town fell well below the national average while four networks competed.", "common_misconception": "That low prices in overbuilt areas are permanent. They rarely survive consolidation.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "consolidation", "effective-price", "take-up" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Cheapest deals", "url": "/cheapest-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#price-war" }, { "id": "print-media-server", "term": "Printers and media servers", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Shared devices on a home network, and why they stop working after changes.", "long_definition": "Network printers and media servers rely on devices discovering each other on the same network segment. Guest networks, client isolation and mesh systems that create separate segments all break discovery, which is why a printer that worked yesterday cannot be found today.", "why_it_matters": "A printer that vanishes after a router change is almost always a network segmentation issue.", "example_in_context": "The printer disappeared after devices were moved onto separate network segments.", "common_misconception": "That the printer has failed. Usually it is on a segment the laptop cannot see.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "client-isolation", "guest-network", "vlan", "device-list" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#print-media-server" }, { "id": "privacy", "term": "Privacy settings", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Platform controls governing who can see, contact and find you.", "long_definition": "Privacy settings determine profile visibility, who can send messages, whether an account appears in search and what is shared with other users. Defaults are usually the most open option available, and platforms reset or change them when features are updated.", "why_it_matters": "Reviewing these after any major app update is worth more than most other single actions.", "example_in_context": "The account defaulted to public until the settings were changed.", "common_misconception": "That settings stay as you left them. App updates frequently alter them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "social-media", "digital-footprint", "device-controls", "uk-gdpr" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social media safety", "url": "/online-safety/social-media-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#privacy" }, { "id": "incognito", "term": "Private browsing", "expansion": "Incognito mode", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Browsing without saving local history, which is far less private than the name suggests.", "long_definition": "Private browsing prevents history, cookies and form data being stored on the device. It does not hide activity from the network, the provider, the websites visited or any filtering in place, which is a widespread misunderstanding among both parents and children.", "why_it_matters": "It hides browsing from others using the device, and from nobody else at all.", "example_in_context": "Activity remained visible to the network despite private browsing being used.", "common_misconception": "That it makes browsing anonymous. It only clears local records.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tracker", "dns-filtering", "vpn", "network-filtering" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#incognito" }, { "id": "private-equity", "term": "Private equity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Investors buying businesses to improve and sell within a defined period.", "long_definition": "Private equity typically works to a fixed horizon, buying, restructuring and exiting within a set number of years. That timetable shapes decisions about build pace, cost control and when a network is put up for sale, sometimes independently of how the business itself is performing.", "why_it_matters": "A network's owner and their timetable can matter as much to its future as its take-up.", "example_in_context": "The fund reached the end of its holding period and put the business up for sale.", "common_misconception": "That ownership is invisible to customers. It drives investment and pricing decisions.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "infra-fund", "roll-up", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#private-equity" }, { "id": "pro-rata", "term": "Pro rata billing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Charging for part of a month, which is why the first and last bills look odd.", "long_definition": "Because broadband is billed for fixed periods, starting or ending part way through produces a partial charge. The first bill after a switch often covers an odd number of days plus a month in advance, which is why it looks larger than expected.", "why_it_matters": "A first bill higher than the advertised price is usually this rather than an error.", "example_in_context": "The first bill covered eleven days plus the following month in advance.", "common_misconception": "That an unusual first bill indicates a mistake. It usually reflects part-month billing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "final-bill", "billing-cycle", "overlap-billing", "billing-error" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pro-rata" }, { "id": "project-gigabit", "term": "Project Gigabit", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The government programme funding gigabit connections where the market will not build.", "long_definition": "Project Gigabit contracts public subsidy to suppliers to reach premises outside commercial build plans, awarded by region and administered by BDUK within DSIT.", "why_it_matters": "For hard-to-reach addresses it is often the only route to a gigabit connection.", "example_in_context": "The county was covered by a Project Gigabit regional contract.", "common_misconception": "That it funds urban builds. It targets the places commercial builds skip.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bdas", "dsit", "gbvs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#project-gigabit" }, { "id": "overhead", "term": "Protocol overhead", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The share of capacity used by the network itself rather than by your data.", "long_definition": "Every packet carries addressing and control information alongside its payload. That overhead consumes a small but consistent share of capacity, which is one reason a measured result never quite matches the line rate even on a perfect connection.", "why_it_matters": "It explains the few percent gap between the line rate and the best possible test result.", "example_in_context": "The gigabit line measured around 940 Mbps, which is the expected figure after overhead.", "common_misconception": "That a result below the headline figure indicates a fault. A small shortfall is normal.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "sync-speed", "throughput", "speed-test", "mtu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#overhead" }, { "id": "provider-failure", "term": "Provider ceasing to trade", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "What happens to your service and your money if a provider fails.", "long_definition": "Where a provider enters insolvency, an administrator will usually keep the service running while seeking a buyer, and customers are typically transferred rather than disconnected. Money paid in advance becomes an unsecured claim, which is where card payment protections matter.", "why_it_matters": "Your service usually continues. Money already paid is the part genuinely at risk.", "example_in_context": "Customers were transferred to another provider while advance payments became unsecured claims.", "common_misconception": "That the service stops immediately. Continuity is normally maintained.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "administration", "section-75", "chargeback", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "If your provider goes bust", "url": "/what-happens-if-your-broadband-provider-goes-out-of-business.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-failure" }, { "id": "email-migration", "term": "Provider email addresses", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The email address tied to your provider, which you may lose when you switch.", "long_definition": "Addresses issued by a provider generally stop working when you leave, though some offer a paid or free continuation. Because email is used to reset every other account, moving to an independent address before switching removes the largest hidden cost of leaving.", "why_it_matters": "An email address tied to your provider is the single biggest barrier to switching for many households.", "example_in_context": "Moving to an independent address removed the obstacle before the switch was arranged.", "common_misconception": "That an address moves with you. Provider addresses usually do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "switching-information", "ots", "two-factor", "bt-internet" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" }, { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#email-migration" }, { "id": "review-scores", "term": "Provider review scores", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Public review ratings, which are useful with caveats about how they are collected.", "long_definition": "Review platforms aggregate customer ratings, but volumes and collection methods differ, and providers that actively invite reviews score differently from those that do not. Ofcom's complaints data is a better like-for-like comparison, since it is collected consistently.", "why_it_matters": "Regulator complaint data compares providers more fairly than review scores do.", "example_in_context": "Two providers scored differently largely because one actively solicited reviews.", "common_misconception": "That review scores are directly comparable. Collection methods differ substantially.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom-complaints-data", "which", "complaints-code", "dct" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Why trust us", "url": "/why-trust-broadbandswitch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#review-scores" }, { "id": "provider-size", "term": "Provider scale", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "How provider size affects price, support and the protections that apply.", "long_definition": "Large providers have scale advantages on price and are subject to more regulatory reporting. Small ones frequently offer better support and more flexibility. Some obligations, including complaints reporting, apply only above thresholds, so published data covers the larger providers only.", "why_it_matters": "Published complaint data only covers the large providers, so small ones cannot be compared that way.", "example_in_context": "Complaints data covered the largest providers and omitted the smaller ones entirely.", "common_misconception": "That published data covers the whole market. Reporting thresholds exclude smaller providers.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom-complaints-data", "home-telecom", "ofcom-fees", "review-scores" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-size" }, { "id": "provider-led-switching", "term": "Provider-led switching", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Any switching process where the new provider does the work, as opposed to the customer.", "long_definition": "Provider-led switching describes the family of processes in which the gaining provider initiates and manages the move. It covers the earlier Openreach-to-Openreach arrangements as well as the current One Touch Switch regime, which extended the principle across different networks.", "why_it_matters": "It is the design principle behind every improvement to UK switching in the past decade.", "example_in_context": "Provider-led switching removed the need for the customer to contact anyone but the new supplier.", "common_misconception": "That One Touch Switch invented the idea. It extended it across networks.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ots", "mac-code", "gaining-provider", "totsco" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom switching policy", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-led-switching" }, { "id": "provisioned-speed", "term": "Provisioned speed", "expansion": "Line profile", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The speed cap your provider has applied to your line in its systems.", "long_definition": "On many networks a line is deliberately capped to the package purchased rather than running at its physical maximum. Upgrading a package changes this profile, which is why an upgrade can take effect within minutes and requires no visit.", "why_it_matters": "It is why moving up a speed tier is instant on fibre while moving house takes weeks.", "example_in_context": "The upgrade changed the line profile and took effect within minutes.", "common_misconception": "That a faster package needs new equipment. Usually it changes a setting.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "sync-speed", "gea", "olt", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provisioned-speed" }, { "id": "provisioning", "term": "Provisioning", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The behind-the-scenes work between placing an order and the service going live.", "long_definition": "Provisioning covers checking the address, allocating capacity, configuring equipment and, where needed, scheduling an engineer. Most of what looks like delay after ordering happens here, and progress is frequently invisible to the customer until an appointment appears.", "why_it_matters": "The silence between ordering and activation is usually provisioning rather than inaction.", "example_in_context": "Provisioning completed in the background and an appointment was offered on day four.", "common_misconception": "That silence means nothing is happening. Most of the work is invisible.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "activation-date", "install-slot", "address-record", "order-reference" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband installation times", "url": "/broadband-installation-times.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provisioning" }, { "id": "pstn", "term": "PSTN", "expansion": "Public Switched Telephone Network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The original analogue phone system, retiring on 31 January 2027.", "long_definition": "The PSTN is the analogue telephone network that has carried UK voice calls for over a century. It is being retired and replaced by voice carried over broadband. Every landline, and every device quietly using a phone line such as alarms, lifts and telecare pendants, has to move before the cease date.", "why_it_matters": "31 January 2027 is a hard date, and the devices most at risk belong to the people least likely to be told.", "example_in_context": "The line was migrated to digital voice ahead of the PSTN cease date.", "common_misconception": "That it only affects people who still use their landline. It affects anything plugged into a phone socket.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": "31 January 2027", "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "voip", "isdn", "evac", "telecare", "wlr" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" }, { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "Care alarms and switching", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pstn" }, { "id": "public-wifi", "term": "Public Wi-Fi safety", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Using networks you do not control, and what actually matters now.", "long_definition": "Modern encryption means most traffic on public Wi-Fi is already protected. The real risks are joining a network impersonating a legitimate one and entering credentials into a fake sign-in page, rather than interception of ordinary browsing.", "why_it_matters": "The risk is the network pretending to be the café, not the café itself.", "example_in_context": "The fraudulent network imitated the venue's name and presented a fake sign-in page.", "common_misconception": "That public Wi-Fi exposes everything you do. Encryption protects most traffic.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "captive-portal", "https", "vpn", "phishing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#public-wifi" }, { "id": "pulse-tone", "term": "Pulse and tone dialling", "expansion": "Loop disconnect", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Two ways a phone signalled a number, one of which digital voice cannot carry.", "long_definition": "Rotary phones interrupted the line current in pulses to signal digits; tone dialling replaced this with audible pairs. Digital voice generally cannot carry pulse dialling, which is why the oldest handsets stop working after migration.", "why_it_matters": "It is the specific reason a genuinely old telephone will not survive the switch-off.", "example_in_context": "The rotary handset could not signal digits over the digital connection.", "common_misconception": "That all telephones work identically. The oldest signal in a way digital lines cannot carry.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "handset-compatibility", "digital-voice", "dtmf", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#pulse-tone" }, { "id": "purchase-fraud", "term": "Purchase and investment fraud", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Paying for goods or investments that do not exist, usually by bank transfer.", "long_definition": "Fraudulent listings and investment offers press for payment by bank transfer, which removes card protections and makes recovery difficult. A price well below the market, pressure to move quickly and a request to pay outside a platform are the recurring signals.", "why_it_matters": "Paying by bank transfer removes the protections that a card would have given you.", "example_in_context": "The seller pressed for a bank transfer rather than payment through the platform.", "common_misconception": "That bank transfers can be reversed easily. Recovery is far harder than a card claim.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "section-75", "chargeback", "phishing", "action-fraud" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#purchase-fraud" }, { "id": "qos", "term": "QoS", "expansion": "Quality of Service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Router settings prioritising particular traffic so calls survive a busy connection.", "long_definition": "Quality of service rules let a router favour latency-sensitive traffic such as voice and video over bulk transfers. On a connection that is comfortably fast it makes little difference; on a busy or slower one it can be the difference between a usable call and an unusable one.", "why_it_matters": "On a modest connection with several people at home, it is the most useful setting nobody touches.", "example_in_context": "Prioritising video calls stopped a large upload from breaking a meeting.", "common_misconception": "That it increases speed. It changes what gets served first when capacity is short.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "router", "bufferbloat", "latency", "traffic-management" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for home working", "url": "/broadband-for-home-working.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#qos" }, { "id": "quickline", "term": "Quickline", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A rural network in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the surrounding region.", "long_definition": "Quickline serves rural communities in and around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, historically using fixed wireless and increasingly full fibre, much of it under publicly supported contracts.", "why_it_matters": "For rural Yorkshire addresses it is often the only realistic route to a modern connection.", "example_in_context": "The farm was connected by Quickline where no fixed line option existed.", "common_misconception": "That rural means copper only. Rural specialists have changed that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "fwa", "bdas", "project-gigabit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Quickline deals", "url": "/quickline-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#quickline" }, { "id": "ran", "term": "RAN", "expansion": "Radio Access Network", "pronunciation": "RAN", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The masts, antennas and radio equipment connecting phones to the core network.", "long_definition": "The radio access network is everything between the handset and the operator's core: antennas, radio units and the equipment at each site. It is the most expensive part of a mobile network to build and the part that determines coverage.", "why_it_matters": "Coverage problems are almost always radio access problems rather than anything to do with your handset.", "example_in_context": "Upgrading the radio access equipment improved indoor coverage across the town.", "common_misconception": "That coverage depends mostly on your phone. The network side matters far more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "open-ran", "mast", "spectrum", "mno", "core-network" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ran" }, { "id": "ransomware", "term": "Ransomware", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Malware that encrypts your files and demands payment to release them.", "long_definition": "Ransomware locks data and demands payment for a key. Paying is discouraged, since it funds further attacks and frequently fails to restore access. A backup held separately from the device is the only reliable defence, and the National Cyber Security Centre publishes guidance for households and small businesses.", "why_it_matters": "For a small business, an offline backup is the difference between a bad day and closure.", "example_in_context": "The offline backup allowed recovery without engaging with the demand.", "common_misconception": "That paying restores the files. Frequently it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "malware", "backup", "ncsc", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ransomware" }, { "id": "real-terms", "term": "Real terms", "expansion": "Inflation-adjusted", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "After stripping out general inflation, so prices compare fairly across years.", "long_definition": "A price that rises more slowly than inflation has fallen in real terms even though the number on the bill went up. Comparing broadband prices across years without adjusting produces misleading conclusions in both directions.", "why_it_matters": "It is the only honest way to answer whether broadband has actually got more expensive.", "example_in_context": "The headline price rose 4%, but in real terms it fell.", "common_misconception": "That real terms means the price you actually pay. It means the price adjusted for inflation.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cpi", "rpi", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Average UK broadband cost", "url": "/average-monthly-broadband-cost-explained.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#real-terms" }, { "id": "recontracting", "term": "Recontracting", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Signing a new term with your existing provider instead of leaving.", "long_definition": "Recontracting takes a new fixed term with the same provider, usually at a lower price than the out-of-contract rate. It is quicker than switching and requires no engineer, and it is worth checking against what a new customer elsewhere would pay before agreeing.", "why_it_matters": "It is the easiest fix for an out-of-contract price, and rarely the cheapest one available.", "example_in_context": "Recontracting cut the price substantially, though a rival was cheaper still.", "common_misconception": "That your provider's renewal offer is the market rate. Compare before accepting.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ooc", "retention", "winback", "upgrade" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Compare deals by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#recontracting" }, { "id": "refinancing", "term": "Refinancing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Replacing existing debt with new borrowing, on whatever terms the market offers.", "long_definition": "Debt matures and must be repaid or replaced. Refinancing at a higher interest rate raises costs permanently; failing to refinance at all forces a sale or restructuring. The timing of maturities is therefore a major factor in when consolidation happens.", "why_it_matters": "A wall of debt maturing in the same window across several networks is a consolidation trigger.", "example_in_context": "The refinancing completed at a materially higher cost of borrowing.", "common_misconception": "That refinancing is routine housekeeping. Its terms can decide a company's future.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "leverage", "covenant", "runway", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#refinancing" }, { "id": "borderlink", "term": "Regional and community operators", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Small operators serving a single valley, island or district where nobody else would.", "long_definition": "A long tail of very small operators serves individual communities, frequently starting as a local response to poor connectivity and sometimes structured as community benefit societies. They rarely appear in national comparison data despite being the only option locally.", "why_it_matters": "National comparison tools frequently miss the only network serving a remote community.", "example_in_context": "The community operator was the only network serving the valley.", "common_misconception": "That comparison sites list every option. Very small operators are frequently absent.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "b4rn", "altnet", "wisp", "notspot" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#borderlink" }, { "id": "rehoming", "term": "Rehoming", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Moving services from one exchange or node to another before the original closes.", "long_definition": "As the exchange estate consolidates, services are transferred to the sites that will remain. Rehoming is normally invisible to customers, though it can involve brief interruption and occasionally changes which equipment serves an address.", "why_it_matters": "It is the practical work behind exchange closures, and mostly happens without anyone noticing.", "example_in_context": "Services were transferred to the remaining site before the local exchange closed.", "common_misconception": "That exchange closure means losing service. Services are moved beforehand.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "exchange", "ohp", "stop-sell", "planned-works" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rehoming" }, { "id": "router-reboot", "term": "Restarting the router", "expansion": "Power cycling", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Switching off and on, which genuinely fixes a lot and occasionally makes things worse.", "long_definition": "A restart clears temporary faults and reconnects the session. On copper lines repeated restarts can trigger line management to reduce speed for stability, so the standard advice to keep rebooting is actively unhelpful on those connections.", "why_it_matters": "On a copper line, restarting repeatedly can leave you slower for days afterwards.", "example_in_context": "Repeated restarts caused line management to band the connection at a lower speed.", "common_misconception": "That restarting is always harmless. On copper it can trigger a speed reduction.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "dlm", "router", "fault-reporting", "factory-reset" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router-reboot" }, { "id": "retention", "term": "Retention", "expansion": "Customer save team", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The team whose job is to talk you out of leaving, usually with the discount you should have had already.", "long_definition": "Retention departments hold pricing authority ordinary customer service does not. The offer they produce when you threaten to leave is frequently the clearest evidence of a loyalty penalty, because it is available immediately and was never volunteered.", "why_it_matters": "If a phone call can cut your bill in half, the bill was too high before the call.", "example_in_context": "Retention offered £22 against the £44 being charged the previous month.", "common_misconception": "That the retention price is a reward for loyalty. It is a discount for threatening to leave.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "ooc", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#retention" }, { "id": "rfs", "term": "RFS", "expansion": "Ready for service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Premises that can order today, a narrower measure than premises passed.", "long_definition": "Ready for service means the network is not just built past the property but commissioned, tested and orderable. The gap between passed and ready for service is where a great many frustrated availability checks live.", "why_it_matters": "It explains why a checker says no even though you can see the fibre on the pole outside.", "example_in_context": "The street was passed in March but only became ready for service in June.", "common_misconception": "That passed and ready for service are the same. They can be months apart.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "premises-passed", "take-up", "fttp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Check availability by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" }, { "anchor": "New-build order delays", "url": "/new-build-broadband-delays-address-cannot-order-yet.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rfs" }, { "id": "rgu", "term": "RGU", "expansion": "Revenue Generating Unit", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "One paid service per customer, so a triple-play household counts as three.", "long_definition": "Revenue generating units count services rather than customers. A household taking broadband, television and phone counts as three, which is why bundling improves reported figures independently of winning any new households.", "why_it_matters": "It is why providers push bundles: one household can be counted several times over.", "example_in_context": "The bundled household counted as three revenue generating units.", "common_misconception": "That unit counts equal customer numbers. They can be several times higher.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "arpu", "dual-play", "net-adds", "penetration" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband and TV deals", "url": "/broadband-and-tv-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rgu" }, { "id": "ring-topology", "term": "Ring topology", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Building a network as a loop so traffic can travel either way around a break.", "long_definition": "A ring connects sites in a loop, so a single cut still leaves a path in the opposite direction. It is standard in core and metropolitan networks and considerably more resilient than a chain, where one break isolates everything beyond it.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a fibre cut sometimes causes no outage at all.", "example_in_context": "The break was bypassed automatically by routing the other way around the ring.", "common_misconception": "That any cable cut causes an outage. Ring designs survive a single break.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "diverse-routing", "cable-cut", "core-network", "single-point-failure" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ring-topology" }, { "id": "ripe", "term": "RIPE NCC", "expansion": "Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre", "pronunciation": "REEP", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The body allocating IP addresses across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.", "long_definition": "RIPE NCC is the regional internet registry for its area, distributing IP address space and autonomous system numbers to networks and maintaining the associated public registry.", "why_it_matters": "The exhaustion of IPv4 addresses it manages is why CGNAT exists on consumer broadband.", "example_in_context": "The provider obtained its address allocation through RIPE NCC.", "common_misconception": "That IP addresses are unlimited. Their scarcity is precisely what RIPE NCC manages.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "ipv6", "cgnat", "linx" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What is my IP", "url": "/what-is-my-ip.html" } ], "source_primary": "RIPE NCC", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ripe" }, { "id": "roll-up", "term": "Roll-up", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Acquiring many small networks and combining them into one larger business.", "long_definition": "A roll-up buys several sub-scale operators, merges their systems and footprints and extracts savings from combined overheads and better wholesale terms. It is the standard route out of a fragmented market with too many small builders.", "why_it_matters": "It is how twenty local networks become three national ones.", "example_in_context": "The roll-up combined several regional builders under a single platform.", "common_misconception": "That a roll-up buys only failing businesses. Scale, not distress, is often the motive.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "consolidation", "distressed-sale", "private-equity" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#roll-up" }, { "id": "rolling-contract", "term": "Rolling contract", "expansion": "One month rolling", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A monthly contract with no long commitment, useful for renters and short stays.", "long_definition": "Rolling contracts renew month by month and can be ended with short notice. The monthly price is usually higher than an equivalent long contract, and setup costs are sometimes charged upfront, so the flexibility has a price attached.", "why_it_matters": "For a six month let or a house move on the horizon, the premium is often cheaper than an exit fee.", "example_in_context": "A rolling contract cost £8 a month more but avoided an 18 month commitment.", "common_misconception": "That rolling means no notice at all. Most still require a notice period.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "minimum-term", "notice-period", "exit-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One month rolling deals", "url": "/1-month-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "No-contract broadband for renters", "url": "/moving-renting/no-contract-broadband-for-renters.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rolling-contract" }, { "id": "romance-fraud", "term": "Romance fraud", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Building a relationship online to extract money, frequently over many months.", "long_definition": "Romance fraud develops trust patiently before introducing a financial crisis requiring help. Requests typically begin small, escalate, and are accompanied by reasons the person cannot meet or appear on video. It causes substantial financial and emotional harm and is heavily under-reported.", "why_it_matters": "If someone you have never met in person asks for money, that is the point to stop and tell somebody.", "example_in_context": "Requests began small and escalated over months without any meeting taking place.", "common_misconception": "That victims are naive. These frauds are patient, skilled and highly convincing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "scam-call", "phishing", "action-fraud", "deepfake" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#romance-fraud" }, { "id": "router", "term": "Router", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The box that shares your broadband connection between everything in the house.", "long_definition": "The router directs traffic between your devices and the internet, runs your Wi-Fi, assigns local addresses and handles the firewall. Provider-supplied routers are built to a price, and on a fast line the router is very often the component limiting real-world performance.", "why_it_matters": "On a gigabit connection an ageing router is usually the bottleneck, not the broadband you are paying for.", "example_in_context": "Swapping the router lifted measured Wi-Fi throughput by more than double.", "common_misconception": "That router and modem are the same thing. Most home units combine both.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "modem", "ont", "wifi7", "mesh", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Router return charges", "url": "/router-return-charges-explained-after-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router" }, { "id": "router-password", "term": "Router admin password", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "The password for the router's settings, distinct from your Wi-Fi password.", "long_definition": "The administration password controls the router's configuration, including filtering, port forwarding and the Wi-Fi password itself. Many are left at the factory default printed on the label, which means anyone who can reach the network can undo every control you have set.", "why_it_matters": "Parental controls set on a router with a default admin password can be switched off in seconds.", "example_in_context": "The admin password was changed so the filtering could not simply be disabled.", "common_misconception": "That the Wi-Fi password protects the settings. It is a separate credential.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "router", "network-filtering", "firmware", "wpa3" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router-password" }, { "id": "router-placement", "term": "Router placement", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Where the router sits, and the cheapest improvement available to most households.", "long_definition": "Routers work best central, elevated and clear of obstruction. A unit in a cupboard beside the front door, behind a television or next to a microwave will underperform regardless of specification, and moving it costs nothing.", "why_it_matters": "Before buying anything, moving the router is the free improvement most people skip.", "example_in_context": "Relocating the router from a hallway cupboard transformed coverage upstairs.", "common_misconception": "That the router must stay where the socket is. An extension lead usually solves it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "rssi", "mesh", "wifi-analyser", "channel" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router-placement" }, { "id": "router-return", "term": "Router return", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Sending equipment back after switching, and the charge if you do not.", "long_definition": "Most providers supply routers on loan and expect them back within a stated window after the service ends, charging a set amount if they are not returned. Some allow you to keep older equipment. Return packaging is normally sent automatically, and proof of postage is worth keeping.", "why_it_matters": "An unreturned router charge is one of the most common unexpected items on a final bill.", "example_in_context": "The router was returned within the window, removing the charge from the final bill.", "common_misconception": "That the router is yours to keep. Usually it remains the provider's property.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "final-bill", "router", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router return charges", "url": "/router-return-charges-explained-after-switch.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router-return" }, { "id": "router-stats", "term": "Router statistics page", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The diagnostic screen showing sync speed, errors and uptime, and the first place to look.", "long_definition": "Most routers publish a statistics page showing connection rate, error counts, noise margin and how long the connection has been up. A connection uptime that resets repeatedly indicates drops, which is far more useful evidence than a speed test alone.", "why_it_matters": "A connection uptime resetting every few hours is a fault report writing itself.", "example_in_context": "The uptime figure showed the connection had dropped repeatedly overnight.", "common_misconception": "That diagnostics require special tools. Most routers publish the key figures.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "snr", "sync-speed", "fault-reporting", "complaint-evidence" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#router-stats" }, { "id": "rpi", "term": "RPI", "expansion": "Retail Prices Index", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "An older and usually higher inflation measure, historically used in some price rise clauses.", "long_definition": "RPI is calculated differently from CPI and typically produces a higher figure. Contracts that linked rises to RPI plus a percentage therefore rose faster than those linked to CPI.", "why_it_matters": "Which index a contract used explains why two similar households saw very different increases.", "example_in_context": "An RPI-linked clause produced a materially larger rise than a CPI-linked one that year.", "common_misconception": "That RPI is the official inflation measure. CPI is.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cpi", "real-terms" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "In-contract price rises 2026", "url": "/in-contract-price-rises-2026.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rpi" }, { "id": "runway", "term": "Runway", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "How long a business can continue at its current spending before it must raise more money.", "long_definition": "Runway is available funding divided by burn rate, expressed in months. A short runway forces a decision: raise capital, slow the build, sell the business or fail. Much of the sector's consolidation is a story of runways running out at similar moments.", "why_it_matters": "When several networks reach the end of their runway together, consolidation stops being optional.", "example_in_context": "A nine month runway left few options other than a sale.", "common_misconception": "That runway is a private matter. Lenders, suppliers and rivals all watch it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cash-burn", "refinancing", "consolidation", "distressed-sale" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#runway" }, { "id": "safe-search", "term": "Safe search", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Filtering explicit results within a search engine or video platform.", "long_definition": "Search engines and video platforms offer restricted modes that filter explicit results. These can be enforced at network level so they cannot be switched off on individual devices, which is more robust than setting them on each device separately.", "why_it_matters": "Enforcing it at the router means it cannot be quietly turned off later.", "example_in_context": "Safe search was enforced network-wide rather than set per device.", "common_misconception": "That it is comprehensive. It reduces exposure rather than eliminating it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "network-filtering", "dns-filtering", "device-controls" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" }, { "anchor": "UK ISP parental controls", "url": "/online-safety/uk-isp-parental-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#safe-search" }, { "id": "same-network-switch", "term": "Same-network switch", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Changing provider while staying on the same physical network, usually seamless.", "long_definition": "Where both providers use the same underlying network, switching is a record change rather than a physical one. No engineer is needed, the existing line and equipment stay in place, and the change typically completes within days with no interruption.", "why_it_matters": "It is the quickest and least disruptive kind of switch available.", "example_in_context": "Both providers used the same network, so no engineer visit was required.", "common_misconception": "That every switch needs an installation. Same-network moves usually need nothing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cease-and-reprovide", "ots", "openreach", "transfer-date" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" }, { "anchor": "How to switch", "url": "/switch-broadband-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#same-network-switch" }, { "id": "satellite", "term": "Satellite broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Internet from orbit, the option of last resort where nothing else reaches.", "long_definition": "Satellite services connect anywhere with a clear view of the sky. Traditional geostationary services suffer from very high latency; low earth orbit constellations reduce that substantially, at higher equipment and subscription cost.", "why_it_matters": "For genuinely remote properties it may be the only realistic option, and low earth orbit has made it far more usable.", "example_in_context": "The remote farmhouse used satellite because no fixed or mobile option reached it.", "common_misconception": "That all satellite broadband has unusable latency. Low earth orbit systems are far better.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "leo", "latency", "fwa", "uso" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#satellite" }, { "id": "saturation-test", "term": "Saturation test", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Deliberately filling a connection to see how it behaves under full load.", "long_definition": "Running a large transfer while measuring latency reveals whether a connection degrades gracefully or collapses. A well-managed line holds latency steady under load; a poorly managed one shows the delay spike characteristic of oversized buffers.", "why_it_matters": "It is the test that reveals whether a fast line will survive a busy household.", "example_in_context": "Latency remained steady under full load, indicating good queue management.", "common_misconception": "That a speed test alone characterises a connection. Behaviour under load matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "bufferbloat", "qos", "latency", "speed-test" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#saturation-test" }, { "id": "scam-call", "term": "Scam calls and vishing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Fraudulent calls impersonating your provider or bank to extract money or access.", "long_definition": "A common approach claims to be from your broadband provider reporting a fault or a refund, then asks you to install remote access software or confirm banking details. No legitimate provider will ask you to install remote access software or move money. Hanging up and calling back on a number you already have defeats it.", "why_it_matters": "Broadband customers are targeted specifically because a plausible fault story is easy to construct.", "example_in_context": "The caller claimed a router fault and asked for remote access, which no provider does.", "common_misconception": "That a familiar number on the display proves the caller is genuine. Numbers are easily spoofed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nuisance-calls", "phishing", "caller-display" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#scam-call" }, { "id": "schedule-controls", "term": "Scheduled access controls", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Turning internet access off for specific devices at set times.", "long_definition": "Most routers allow access windows per device or group, so a child's tablet can lose connectivity at bedtime without affecting the household. It is more effective than a general filter for managing time, and works on devices with no controls of their own.", "why_it_matters": "It applies to the games console, which has no bedtime setting of its own.", "example_in_context": "The schedule removed access from the console at bedtime while leaving the house connected.", "common_misconception": "That time limits must be set per device. The router can do it centrally.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "network-filtering", "screen-time", "router", "device-controls" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" }, { "anchor": "UK ISP parental controls", "url": "/online-safety/uk-isp-parental-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#schedule-controls" }, { "id": "screen-time", "term": "Screen time controls", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Limits on how long and when a device or app can be used.", "long_definition": "Screen time tools set daily allowances, downtime windows and per-app limits, with reporting to a parent account. They work best when agreed rather than imposed, since a limit a child has not accepted mostly produces effort to circumvent it.", "why_it_matters": "Set on the device rather than the router, they keep working away from home.", "example_in_context": "Downtime was scheduled from 10pm across all devices on the family account.", "common_misconception": "That screen time tools block content. They govern time, not what is seen.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "device-controls", "parental-controls", "conversations" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Apple Screen Time guide", "url": "/online-safety/apple-screen-time/" }, { "anchor": "Google Family Link guide", "url": "/online-safety/google-family-link/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#screen-time" }, { "id": "sd-wan", "term": "SD-WAN", "expansion": "Software-Defined Wide Area Network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Managing multiple internet connections in software to link sites cheaply and resiliently.", "long_definition": "SD-WAN uses ordinary internet connections, often several per site, and steers traffic across them intelligently based on performance and policy. It delivers much of what a private network offered at considerably lower cost, and is why MPLS is in decline.", "why_it_matters": "For a multi-site business it is usually cheaper and more resilient than a private network.", "example_in_context": "Two ordinary broadband lines per site replaced the private network at a fraction of the cost.", "common_misconception": "That it needs specialist circuits. It works over standard connections.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "mpls", "bonding", "leased-line", "failover" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sd-wan" }, { "id": "holiday-let", "term": "Second homes and holiday lets", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Connections at properties occupied only part of the year.", "long_definition": "A property used intermittently still incurs a monthly charge, and rolling contracts frequently work out better than long ones once seasonal use is counted. Mobile-based connections avoid installation entirely and can be paused between periods of use.", "why_it_matters": "Paying twelve months for eight weeks of use is worth comparing against a mobile option.", "example_in_context": "A mobile-based connection avoided paying year round for occasional use.", "common_misconception": "That a fixed line is always the sensible choice. For occasional use it frequently is not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "rolling-contract", "4g-home", "fwa", "service-address" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4G home broadband", "url": "/4g-home-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Moving and renting hub", "url": "/moving-renting/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#holiday-let" }, { "id": "second-line", "term": "Second line", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Adding a separate connection for work, resilience or a household that needs both.", "long_definition": "A second connection, frequently from a different network, gives resilience for home working and separates work from household use. Where two networks serve the address it also removes the shared failure that two lines from the same provider would still have.", "why_it_matters": "Two lines on the same network share the same cable and the same fault.", "example_in_context": "The second connection was taken from a different network to avoid a shared failure.", "common_misconception": "That two providers means independence. They may share the same physical route.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "failover", "diverse-routing", "single-point-failure", "fwa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" }, { "anchor": "Business broadband with 4G backup", "url": "/business-broadband-with-4g-backup.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#second-line" }, { "id": "analyst-firms", "term": "Sector analysts and research firms", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "Independent firms producing the market data quoted in industry coverage.", "long_definition": "Specialist research firms track build progress, take-up, pricing and investment across the UK connectivity market. Their data underpins much industry reporting, and their figures should be checked for definitions before being compared, since methodologies differ.", "why_it_matters": "Two firms can report different coverage figures purely because they measure differently.", "example_in_context": "The two figures differed because each firm defined coverage differently.", "common_misconception": "That market figures are directly comparable between sources. Definitions vary.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "connected-nations", "inca", "premises-passed", "take-up" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#analyst-firms" }, { "id": "service-address", "term": "Service and billing address", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Where the line is installed versus where the bill goes, which can differ.", "long_definition": "The service address is the property connected; the billing address is where correspondence goes. They differ for landlords, second homes and people arranging a connection for a relative, and confusing the two is a frequent cause of failed availability checks.", "why_it_matters": "Arranging a connection for a relative means the service address must be theirs, not yours.", "example_in_context": "The availability check failed because the billing address had been entered instead.", "common_misconception": "That one address covers both. They are separate fields for good reason.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "address-record", "third-party-access", "home-move", "unable-to-switch" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#service-address" }, { "id": "service-status", "term": "Service status page", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The provider page showing known faults, worth checking before troubleshooting.", "long_definition": "Providers publish status pages listing known incidents by area, frequently with an estimated restoration time. Checking before restarting equipment saves time, and a fault confirmed as an area incident does not require you to prove anything.", "why_it_matters": "Checking this first saves an hour of pointless equipment restarting.", "example_in_context": "The status page confirmed an area incident with an estimated restoration time.", "common_misconception": "That every outage needs reporting. Known area faults are already logged.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "outage", "fault-reporting", "planned-works", "automatic-compensation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#service-status" }, { "id": "setup-fee", "term": "Setup fee", "expansion": "Activation or connection charge", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A one-off upfront charge for starting the service, often waived on promotions.", "long_definition": "Setup fees cover activation, and sometimes an engineer visit or router delivery. They vary widely, are frequently waived as a promotional lever, and are the most commonly overlooked element when people compare monthly prices.", "why_it_matters": "A waived setup fee can be worth more than a pound or two off the monthly price.", "example_in_context": "One provider charged £29.99 to connect, another nothing at all.", "common_misconception": "That setup fees are unavoidable. Many deals waive them entirely.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tcv", "exit-fee", "switching-credit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Exit and setup fees", "url": "/exit-fees-and-setup-fees.html" }, { "anchor": "Lowest upfront cost deals", "url": "/lowest-upfront-cost-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#setup-fee" }, { "id": "shell-broadband", "term": "Shell Energy Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Launched as First Utility broadband in 2017, sold to TalkTalk in 2024 and wound down.", "long_definition": "The service began as First Utility broadband in 2017. Shell acquired First Utility in 2018 and rebranded it Shell Energy, later adding the Post Office customer base. Shell sold its UK retail energy business to Octopus Energy in late 2023, with broadband excluded, and the broadband customer base was acquired separately by TalkTalk in early 2024. The brand was wound down during 2024.", "why_it_matters": "It is the most recent example of the same pattern, and its customers may still be on legacy pricing.", "example_in_context": "The Shell Energy broadband base transferred to TalkTalk in early 2024.", "common_misconception": "That the brand still offers broadband. It was wound down in 2024.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "post-office-broadband", "utility-warehouse" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "MoneySavingExpert and contemporaneous trade press, 2024", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#shell-broadband" }, { "id": "rssi", "term": "Signal strength", "expansion": "RSSI, dBm", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "How strong a wireless signal is, measured in negative decibel-milliwatts.", "long_definition": "Wireless signal strength is expressed in dBm, where numbers closer to zero are stronger. Around minus 50 is excellent, minus 70 is workable and minus 80 is barely usable. The scale is logarithmic, so small numerical changes represent large real differences.", "why_it_matters": "The bars on a device hide a scale where a small number change is a large real one.", "example_in_context": "Moving the router improved signal from minus 78 to minus 58 in the far room.", "common_misconception": "That signal bars are a linear measure. The underlying scale is logarithmic.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "wifi-analyser", "mesh", "access-point", "channel" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#rssi" }, { "id": "sim", "term": "SIM", "expansion": "Subscriber Identity Module", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The chip that identifies your account to the mobile network.", "long_definition": "A SIM holds the credentials that tell a network which account a device belongs to. Physical SIMs come in standard, micro and nano sizes; embedded and electronic versions remove the card entirely. Moving a SIM between devices moves the number and the plan with it.", "why_it_matters": "Your number and plan live on the SIM, not in the phone, which is why swapping handsets is trivial.", "example_in_context": "The SIM moved to the new handset and the number came with it.", "common_misconception": "That your number is stored in the phone. It is tied to the SIM and the network record.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "esim", "imei", "sim-swap", "mno" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sim" }, { "id": "sim-only", "term": "SIM only", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A mobile plan without a handset, usually far cheaper than a bundled contract.", "long_definition": "SIM only separates the airtime from the phone. Because you are not repaying a device, monthly costs are much lower and terms are shorter, frequently one month rolling. Keeping a working handset and moving to SIM only is one of the largest routine savings in UK telecoms.", "why_it_matters": "Staying on a handset contract after the phone is paid off means paying for it twice.", "example_in_context": "Moving to SIM only after the term ended cut the monthly cost by more than half.", "common_misconception": "That the price drops automatically once the handset is paid off. Often it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "split-contract", "pac-code", "loyalty-penalty" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sim-only" }, { "id": "sim-swap", "term": "SIM swap fraud", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A fraudster transferring your number to their SIM to intercept security codes.", "long_definition": "By impersonating you to a provider, a fraudster can have your number moved to a SIM they control, receiving the verification texts used to access bank and email accounts. Losing signal unexpectedly and permanently is the warning sign.", "why_it_matters": "Sudden loss of mobile service with no outage is worth treating as urgent rather than annoying.", "example_in_context": "The handset lost service abruptly while the number was active on another SIM.", "common_misconception": "That losing signal is always a network fault. It can be the first sign of this.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sim", "imei", "phishing", "two-factor" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Reporting online harm", "url": "/online-safety/reporting-and-help/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sim-swap" }, { "id": "simultaneous-provide", "term": "Simultaneous provide and cease", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Starting the new service and ending the old one on the same day to avoid a gap.", "long_definition": "Where a switch crosses networks, providers can coordinate so the new connection activates as the old one ceases. It requires both sides to hold the same date and is what separates a seamless cross-network switch from one with days of downtime.", "why_it_matters": "It is what makes a cross-network switch seamless rather than leaving you offline.", "example_in_context": "Both providers held the same date, so there was no interruption.", "common_misconception": "That cross-network switches always involve downtime. Coordination avoids it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cease-and-reprovide", "switching-gap", "transfer-date", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching without downtime", "url": "/business-broadband-switching-without-downtime.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#simultaneous-provide" }, { "id": "multi-thread", "term": "Single and multi-thread testing", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Whether a test uses one connection or several, which changes what it measures.", "long_definition": "Multi-thread tests open several simultaneous connections and generally report higher figures, closer to a line's total capacity. Single-thread tests reflect what one download actually achieves. Most public tests are multi-thread, which is why a single file download often appears slower.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a speed test shows 900 Mbps and one download runs at a fraction of that.", "example_in_context": "The multi-thread test reported far more than any single download achieved.", "common_misconception": "That a single slow download proves a fault. One connection rarely fills a fast line.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "speed-test", "throughput", "download-time", "test-server" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#multi-thread" }, { "id": "single-mode", "term": "Single mode and multimode fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Two fibre types: one for long distances, one for short runs inside buildings.", "long_definition": "Single mode fibre has a very narrow core carrying light along one path, suited to long distances and used throughout access and core networks. Multimode has a wider core, is cheaper to terminate and is used for short runs within buildings and data centres.", "why_it_matters": "The fibre reaching your home is single mode, which is why distance barely matters.", "example_in_context": "Single mode was used for the access network and multimode within the building.", "common_misconception": "That all fibre is the same. The two types suit quite different jobs.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "fttp", "attenuation", "splice", "structured-cabling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#single-mode" }, { "id": "single-point-failure", "term": "Single point of failure", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Any one component whose loss takes the whole service down.", "long_definition": "A single point of failure might be one cable, one power supply, one piece of equipment or one duct. Identifying them is the basis of resilience planning, and in most small businesses the single point is the one broadband connection everything depends on.", "why_it_matters": "For most small businesses, the single point of failure is the only line into the building.", "example_in_context": "The review identified the single incoming connection as the critical dependency.", "common_misconception": "That resilience is complicated. It usually starts with adding a second route.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "diverse-routing", "failover", "bonding", "uptime" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband with 4G backup", "url": "/business-broadband-with-4g-backup.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#single-point-failure" }, { "id": "sip", "term": "SIP", "expansion": "Session Initiation Protocol", "pronunciation": "SIP", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The language internet calls speak; a SIP trunk replaces an ISDN line.", "long_definition": "SIP sets up, manages and ends voice sessions over IP networks. For businesses, SIP trunking is the standard replacement for ISDN, connecting an existing phone system to the network over broadband rather than dedicated digital lines.", "why_it_matters": "If your office phone system is on ISDN, SIP is almost certainly what it moves to.", "example_in_context": "The PBX was reconnected over SIP trunks with number ranges ported across.", "common_misconception": "That SIP and VoIP are the same. SIP is the signalling protocol; VoIP is the broader category.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "voip", "isdn", "digital-voice", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sip" }, { "id": "sip-alg", "term": "SIP ALG", "expansion": "Application Layer Gateway", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A router feature meant to help internet calls that frequently breaks them instead.", "long_definition": "SIP application layer gateways rewrite call signalling as it passes through a router. Implementations are inconsistent and the feature causes one-way audio, dropped calls and registration failures often enough that voice providers routinely advise disabling it.", "why_it_matters": "If a hosted phone system misbehaves, this router setting is the first thing to switch off.", "example_in_context": "Disabling the feature resolved the one-way audio on the hosted phone system.", "common_misconception": "That a feature designed to help voice traffic improves it. This one usually does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "sip", "router", "nat", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" }, { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sip-alg" }, { "id": "sip-registration", "term": "SIP registration", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The process by which a phone tells the network where to reach it.", "long_definition": "A device registers with the voice platform so incoming calls can be routed to it. Registration is periodically renewed, and failures produce a phone that appears to work for outgoing calls while receiving none.", "why_it_matters": "A phone that can call out but never rings is almost always a registration problem.", "example_in_context": "Outgoing calls worked while incoming ones failed, indicating registration had lapsed.", "common_misconception": "That a working outgoing call means the line is fine. Registration is separate.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "sip", "sip-alg", "softphone", "ucaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sip-registration" }, { "id": "sky", "term": "Sky Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A major retail provider selling over the Openreach network, with television as its historic strength.", "long_definition": "Sky sells broadband over Openreach lines and, in some areas, its own unbundled exchange equipment. Its bundles with television remain the core of its proposition, and it acquired the O2 and Be broadband customer base in 2013.", "why_it_matters": "If you want broadband and pay television on one bill, Sky is usually in the shortlist.", "example_in_context": "The Be and O2 broadband base moved to Sky in 2013.", "common_misconception": "That Sky broadband requires a satellite dish. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "be-broadband", "openreach", "llu", "dual-play" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Sky broadband deals", "url": "/sky-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Sky vs Virgin Media", "url": "/sky-vs-virgin-media-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sky" }, { "id": "sla", "term": "SLA", "expansion": "Service Level Agreement", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Contractual commitments on availability and repair times, backed by credits when missed.", "long_definition": "An SLA specifies target availability, response and fix times, and the compensation owed when they are missed. Consumer broadband carries no meaningful SLA; business products and leased lines do, and the strength of the SLA is a substantial part of what separates them on price.", "why_it_matters": "Business broadband is not just faster. Much of the premium buys a repair commitment.", "example_in_context": "The service level agreement specified a fix time and credits for any breach.", "common_misconception": "That business broadband is inherently faster. Often it is the same speed with a stronger promise.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "leased-line", "automatic-compensation", "priority-fault" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Home vs business broadband", "url": "/home-vs-business-broadband-for-small-companies.html" }, { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sla" }, { "id": "small-cell", "term": "Small cell", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A low-power mobile transmitter adding capacity in busy or hard-to-reach places.", "long_definition": "Small cells mounted on street furniture, inside buildings or in venues add capacity where a full mast cannot go or would be overwhelmed. They cover short distances and are the standard way of handling dense demand in city centres and large indoor spaces.", "why_it_matters": "They are why mobile data works in a packed stadium or shopping centre.", "example_in_context": "Small cells were deployed through the shopping centre to handle weekend demand.", "common_misconception": "That they extend coverage over long distances. Their range is very short.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "mast", "ran", "das", "mmwave" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#small-cell" }, { "id": "smart-speaker", "term": "Smart speakers and always-listening devices", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Devices waiting for a wake word, and what they record once triggered.", "long_definition": "Smart speakers listen locally for a wake word and send audio to the provider once triggered, including on false triggers. Recordings can usually be reviewed and deleted, and the microphone can be muted physically on most devices.", "why_it_matters": "Reviewing and deleting stored recordings takes a minute and most people never do it.", "example_in_context": "Reviewing the account revealed recordings captured by accidental wake word triggers.", "common_misconception": "That these devices record continuously. They listen locally and transmit after a trigger.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "iot-device", "privacy", "guest-network", "app-permissions" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#smart-speaker" }, { "id": "smart-tv-network", "term": "Smart TV and streaming devices", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Televisions and streaming sticks, frequently the worst-connected devices in the house.", "long_definition": "Built-in television Wi-Fi is often older and weaker than that in phones and laptops, and televisions frequently sit far from the router behind furniture. A wired connection or a nearby access point solves most buffering complaints without any change to the broadband package.", "why_it_matters": "Buffering on a fast connection is very often the television's own wireless adapter.", "example_in_context": "Wiring the television removed the buffering entirely on an unchanged connection.", "common_misconception": "That buffering means insufficient speed. Frequently it is the television's wireless.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "buffering", "ethernet", "streaming-bitrate", "access-point" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for streaming", "url": "/broadband-for-streaming.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#smart-tv-network" }, { "id": "sme", "term": "SME", "expansion": "Small and medium-sized enterprise", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Smaller businesses, chiefly micro-firms of one to nine staff in a broadband context.", "long_definition": "Ofcom's consumer protections extend to small business customers below defined thresholds, which is why a sole trader often has the same switching and complaint rights as a household.", "why_it_matters": "Many small firms do not realise they hold consumer-style protections on their business line.", "example_in_context": "The firm qualified as an SME, so the switching protections applied.", "common_misconception": "That business lines carry no consumer rights. Below the threshold, many apply.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "gc" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband for SMEs", "url": "/business-broadband-for-smes.html" }, { "anchor": "Sole trader broadband", "url": "/business-broadband-for-sole-traders.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sme" }, { "id": "smp", "term": "SMP", "expansion": "Significant market power", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The regulatory designation Openreach holds in wholesale access, which triggers extra obligations.", "long_definition": "Where Ofcom finds a provider holds significant market power in a defined market, it can impose remedies such as price controls, obligations to supply rivals, and non-discrimination rules. Openreach's SMP designation is the legal basis for products like PIA and for wholesale price regulation.", "why_it_matters": "Almost every rule forcing Openreach to serve its competitors flows from this designation.", "example_in_context": "The SMP finding underpinned the wholesale price controls in the review.", "common_misconception": "That SMP is a penalty. It is a market finding that attracts obligations.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "wftmr", "tar", "openreach", "pia" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#smp" }, { "id": "social-housing-provider", "term": "Social housing connectivity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Arrangements between housing providers and networks to connect whole estates.", "long_definition": "Housing associations and councils frequently agree building-wide connectivity, sometimes at reduced rates for residents. Several altnets prioritise social housing because whole-block agreements deliver high take-up for a single negotiation.", "why_it_matters": "If you rent socially, a discounted connection may already be arranged for your block.", "example_in_context": "The housing provider had agreed building-wide connectivity at a reduced rate.", "common_misconception": "That every household negotiates individually. Building agreements frequently exist.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "community-fibre", "wayleave", "social-tariff", "fourth-utility" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#social-housing-provider" }, { "id": "social-tariff", "term": "Social tariff", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "A discounted broadband package for households on qualifying benefits.", "long_definition": "Most large providers offer a low-cost package to customers receiving Universal Credit and certain other benefits. Prices are substantially below standard rates, there is usually no exit fee, and you can normally move onto one without waiting for your contract to end.", "why_it_matters": "Take-up remains low relative to eligibility, so a great many qualifying households are paying full price unnecessarily.", "example_in_context": "Moving to a social tariff cut the monthly bill by more than half.", "common_misconception": "That you must wait until your contract ends. Most providers waive exit fees to move you onto one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "uc", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for pensioners", "url": "/broadband-for-pensioners.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom social tariffs guidance", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#social-tariff" }, { "id": "softphone", "term": "Softphone", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "A phone that is an application on a computer or mobile rather than a physical handset.", "long_definition": "A softphone provides dialling, call handling and directory functions in software, registering to a hosted platform. It lets a business number ring on a laptop or mobile anywhere with connectivity, which is what makes distributed teams practical.", "why_it_matters": "It is how a landline number can ring on a laptop in another country.", "example_in_context": "The business number rang on a laptop application rather than a desk phone.", "common_misconception": "That a business number requires a physical phone. Software handles it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ucaas", "sip", "ddi", "voip" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#softphone" }, { "id": "sogea", "term": "SOGEA", "expansion": "Single Order Generic Ethernet Access", "pronunciation": "SOG-ee-uh", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Broadband on a copper line with no separate phone service attached.", "long_definition": "SOGEA delivers FTTC-style broadband without the underlying analogue phone line. It was the product that made broadband-only copper connections possible and is a key stepping stone in retiring wholesale line rental.", "why_it_matters": "It is why you can buy broadband today without paying for a landline you never use.", "example_in_context": "The line was converted to SOGEA and the phone service dropped.", "common_misconception": "That SOGEA is full fibre. It is copper for the final stretch, like FTTC.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "fttc", "wlr", "sotap", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch without a landline", "url": "/switch-without-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sogea" }, { "id": "sotap", "term": "SOTAP", "expansion": "Single Order Transitional Access Product", "pronunciation": "SO-tap", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "An analogue-style stopgap line from exchange equipment, needing no broadband.", "long_definition": "SOTAP provides a transitional connection for premises that cannot yet take a broadband-based voice service, sitting between the old analogue world and full migration.", "why_it_matters": "It exists so that households without broadband are not left without a working phone line.", "example_in_context": "SOTAP was used where no broadband service could be provisioned.", "common_misconception": "That it requires a broadband connection. It does not, which is the point.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "pdpl", "sogea", "evac" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sotap" }, { "id": "spare-capacity", "term": "Spare capacity", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Unused fibres and duct space deliberately installed for future use.", "long_definition": "Networks install more fibre and duct than immediately needed, because the marginal cost while a trench is open is negligible compared with returning later. That spare capacity is what allows service upgrades and new operators without further excavation.", "why_it_matters": "Building spare capacity now is why the next upgrade will not need the road dug up again.", "example_in_context": "Additional fibre was installed while the trench was open for future use.", "common_misconception": "That networks install only what they need. Spare capacity is deliberate and cheap.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "dark-fibre", "dig-once", "civils", "duct-sharing" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#spare-capacity" }, { "id": "spectrum", "term": "Spectrum", "expansion": "Radio spectrum", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "The airwaves licensed by Ofcom and used by mobile, fixed wireless and Wi-Fi.", "long_definition": "Spectrum is a finite public resource allocated and licensed by Ofcom. Mobile operators bid for exclusive licences; Wi-Fi and some fixed wireless services use shared unlicensed bands. How much spectrum an operator holds, and in which bands, largely determines the coverage and capacity it can offer.", "why_it_matters": "It is why 5G home broadband performance varies so sharply between operators and locations.", "example_in_context": "The operator's holdings in lower bands gave it better indoor coverage.", "common_misconception": "That more spectrum always means faster. Band characteristics matter as much as quantity.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "fwa", "5g-home", "wifi6", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "5G home broadband", "url": "/5g-home-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom spectrum management", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#spectrum" }, { "id": "speed-test", "term": "Speed test", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A measurement of throughput at that moment, best run wired to be meaningful.", "long_definition": "A speed test measures throughput between your device and a test server. Run over Wi-Fi it measures your Wi-Fi as much as your broadband, so a wired test at the router is the only fair check of the line. Testing at several times of day reveals congestion patterns a single test hides.", "why_it_matters": "Before reporting a fault, a wired test removes the most common false alarm.", "example_in_context": "The wired test showed full line speed, isolating the problem to Wi-Fi.", "common_misconception": "That a Wi-Fi result reflects your broadband. It reflects the weaker of the two.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "sync-speed", "fault-reporting", "ethernet" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#speed-test" }, { "id": "speed-tier", "term": "Speed tier", "expansion": "Package speed", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The advertised speed band of a package, and the point beyond which more stops helping.", "long_definition": "Providers sell defined tiers rather than continuous speeds. Beyond a certain point additional speed changes very little for typical household use, because streaming, browsing and calling are limited by other factors long before bandwidth runs out.", "why_it_matters": "For most households the next tier up buys headroom rather than a noticeable difference.", "example_in_context": "The household saw no practical change from doubling the tier.", "common_misconception": "That a higher tier always improves things. Beyond a point it rarely does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "provisioned-speed", "streaming-bitrate", "concurrent-devices", "download-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#speed-tier" }, { "id": "spine-cable", "term": "Spine and distribution cable", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The hierarchy of cable sizes from exchange to street to property.", "long_definition": "Networks run large spine cables from the exchange, branching into distribution cables through an area and finally into individual drops. Damage to a spine affects thousands of premises, while a damaged drop affects one, which is why outage scale reveals where the fault sits.", "why_it_matters": "How many neighbours are affected tells you roughly where the fault is.", "example_in_context": "The whole estate lost service, indicating damage well upstream of any individual drop.", "common_misconception": "That outage size is random. It maps directly to the cable hierarchy.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "drop-cable", "distribution-point", "cable-cut", "outage" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#spine-cable" }, { "id": "splice", "term": "Splice", "expansion": "Fusion splice", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Permanently joining two fibres by fusing the glass ends together.", "long_definition": "Fusion splicing melts two fibre ends into a single continuous strand, giving very low signal loss. Every joint in a fibre network is a potential point of loss, so splice quality is a meaningful factor in end-to-end performance and in fault diagnosis.", "why_it_matters": "A poor splice is one of the few physical faults that can quietly degrade a fibre line.", "example_in_context": "The intermittent fault traced to a degraded splice in a flooded chamber.", "common_misconception": "That fibre either works or it does not. It can degrade at joints.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "blown-fibre", "splitter", "chamber" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#splice" }, { "id": "split-contract", "term": "Split contract", "expansion": "Separated airtime and device plan", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Buying the phone and the airtime as two agreements, so one can end without the other.", "long_definition": "Split contracts separate the device finance from the airtime plan, making it visible how much of the monthly cost is repaying the handset. When the device is paid off the bill should fall, and the airtime element can be changed independently.", "why_it_matters": "It makes the handset cost visible instead of hiding it inside one monthly figure.", "example_in_context": "The device element ended after 24 months and the bill dropped accordingly.", "common_misconception": "That all mobile contracts work this way. Bundled ones often keep charging the same after payoff.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sim-only", "loyalty-penalty", "mid-contract-rise" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#split-contract" }, { "id": "split-ratio", "term": "Split ratio", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "How many homes share one fibre from the exchange, typically 32 or 64 to one.", "long_definition": "Passive optical networks divide a single exchange fibre between a group of premises. Common ratios are 32 or 64 to one, and the choice trades construction cost against how much capacity each connected home can draw at busy times.", "why_it_matters": "It is the design decision determining how a network behaves when a street is all online at once.", "example_in_context": "The network used a 32 way split rather than the cheaper 64 way option.", "common_misconception": "That a lower split ratio always means faster service. Total capacity matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "splitter", "gpon", "xgs-pon", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#split-ratio" }, { "id": "splitter", "term": "Splitter", "expansion": "Optical splitter", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The passive device dividing one fibre between many homes on a shared network.", "long_definition": "In a passive optical network a splitter divides the light from a single exchange fibre across a group of premises, typically in a street cabinet or chamber. It requires no power, which is a large part of why the architecture is cheap to build and reliable to run.", "why_it_matters": "It is the physical component that makes affordable full fibre possible.", "example_in_context": "The splitter served 32 homes from a single fibre back to the exchange.", "common_misconception": "That splitting degrades the service noticeably. Capacity is engineered with headroom.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "gpon", "xgs-pon", "fttp", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#splitter" }, { "id": "sse-broadband", "term": "SSE Broadband", "expansion": "Southern Electric and Scottish Hydro", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "An energy-branded broadband service sold to TalkTalk in 2023.", "long_definition": "SSE offered home broadband from around 2008, trading as Scottish Hydro Broadband in Scotland and Southern Electric Broadband in England before consolidating as SSE Broadband. It sold its residential broadband customers to TalkTalk in 2023 and exited the market.", "why_it_matters": "Another utility brand whose broadband customers ended up at TalkTalk by acquisition rather than choice.", "example_in_context": "SSE sold its residential broadband customers to TalkTalk in 2023.", "common_misconception": "That SSE has left the market entirely. It continues as an energy business.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "shell-broadband", "first-utility", "talktalk", "utility-warehouse" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sse-broadband" }, { "id": "ssid", "term": "SSID", "expansion": "Service Set Identifier", "pronunciation": "ESS-ess-eye-dee", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The name your Wi-Fi network broadcasts, which you can and often should change.", "long_definition": "The SSID is the network name devices see when they scan. Default names frequently identify the provider and router model, which is information worth not advertising. Renaming it costs nothing and requires every device to reconnect once.", "why_it_matters": "A default SSID tells anyone nearby exactly what hardware you are running.", "example_in_context": "Renaming the SSID meant reconnecting each device once, and nothing else changed.", "common_misconception": "That hiding the SSID makes a network secure. It does not; a strong password does.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wpa3", "router", "bands" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ssid" }, { "id": "contract-stacking", "term": "Staggered contract end dates", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Services on one account ending at different times, which makes leaving harder.", "long_definition": "Where broadband, mobile and television were taken at different points, each carries its own end date. Adding a service resets only that element, and the effect is that there is never a moment when everything can be moved without a charge somewhere.", "why_it_matters": "Staggered end dates are what quietly make a household permanently unable to leave cleanly.", "example_in_context": "Each service carried a different end date, so no clean exit point existed.", "common_misconception": "That one account means one contract. Each service can have its own term.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "bundle-unbundling", "upsell", "minimum-term", "switch-blocker" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband contract lengths", "url": "/broadband-contract-lengths.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#contract-stacking" }, { "id": "static-ip", "term": "Static IP", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A fixed public address that does not change, usually a paid business option.", "long_definition": "A static address stays the same, which matters for hosting services, remote access, site-to-site connections and some card payment and CCTV systems. Consumer packages normally use dynamic addressing instead, and static addresses are typically sold as a business add-on.", "why_it_matters": "If you run a VPN into your home or host anything, a changing address is a recurring nuisance.", "example_in_context": "The card terminal required a static address on the business line.", "common_misconception": "That static means faster. It means fixed.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ip-address", "dynamic-ip", "cgnat", "port-forwarding" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Static IP business broadband", "url": "/static-ip-business-broadband-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Card machines and EPOS", "url": "/broadband-for-card-machines-and-epos.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#static-ip" }, { "id": "stranded-asset", "term": "Stranded asset", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Infrastructure built at cost that ends up earning far less than planned.", "long_definition": "Where a network builds past homes that never connect, or is overbuilt by a rival, the investment may never earn its expected return. Stranded assets are the underlying financial reality behind consolidation and the write-downs that accompany it.", "why_it_matters": "Fibre passing homes that never connect is the sector's central financial problem.", "example_in_context": "Assets built in heavily overbuilt areas never reached their expected take-up.", "common_misconception": "That building more always builds value. Building where nobody connects destroys it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "overbuild", "impairment", "take-up", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#stranded-asset" }, { "id": "streaming-bitrate", "term": "Streaming bitrate", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How much bandwidth a video stream needs, which is far less than most people assume.", "long_definition": "Standard definition needs only a few megabits, high definition rather more, and 4K more again but still a modest share of a modern connection. Several simultaneous 4K streams are comfortable on a fibre line, which is why raw speed is rarely the reason streaming fails.", "why_it_matters": "If streaming struggles on a fast line, the problem is almost never the package.", "example_in_context": "Four simultaneous 4K streams used a modest fraction of the gigabit line.", "common_misconception": "That 4K requires a gigabit connection. It requires far less.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "buffering", "bandwidth", "concurrent-devices", "cdn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for streaming", "url": "/broadband-for-streaming.html" }, { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#streaming-bitrate" }, { "id": "structured-cabling", "term": "Structured cabling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Permanent network wiring through a building, terminating at a central panel.", "long_definition": "Structured cabling runs cable from a central point to outlets in each room, terminated on a patch panel. In a home it is what makes wired access points, reliable working spaces and a properly performing gigabit connection practical throughout the building.", "why_it_matters": "For anyone renovating, cable to each room is the cheapest connectivity decision available.", "example_in_context": "Cabling installed during the renovation removed the need for wireless extenders entirely.", "common_misconception": "That Wi-Fi removes the need for cable. Cable is what makes good Wi-Fi possible.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "cat6", "access-point", "network-switch", "ethernet" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#structured-cabling" }, { "id": "sunk-cost", "term": "Sunk cost", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Money already spent that cannot be recovered, and should not drive the next decision.", "long_definition": "Once fibre is in the ground the construction cost is gone whatever happens next. Rationally it should not influence future decisions, though in practice the desire to justify past spending has kept several loss-making builds going longer than the numbers supported.", "why_it_matters": "Networks continue building past the point of sense because stopping admits the loss.", "example_in_context": "Construction continued partly to justify what had already been spent.", "common_misconception": "That past investment justifies further investment. Economically it does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "stranded-asset", "capex", "land-grab", "impairment" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sunk-cost" }, { "id": "switching-credit", "term": "Switching credit", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Money a new provider gives you to offset the cost of leaving your old one.", "long_definition": "Some providers contribute toward early termination charges or offer bill credit, prepaid cards or cashback to win a switch. Terms vary considerably, and claims often have to be made within a window after activation rather than being applied automatically.", "why_it_matters": "An exit fee that looked prohibitive can become affordable once switching credit is counted.", "example_in_context": "The credit covered most of the remaining exit charge on the old contract.", "common_misconception": "That it arrives automatically. Most require a claim within a set period.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "exit-fee", "tcv", "setup-fee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband switching credit", "url": "/broadband-switching-credit.html" }, { "anchor": "Cashback and gifts", "url": "/broadband-deals-with-free-gifts.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider data", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-credit" }, { "id": "student-switching", "term": "Switching for a fixed tenancy", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Matching a contract to a tenancy so it does not outlive the address.", "long_definition": "A 24 month contract in a 12 month tenancy means either paying an exit charge or moving the service. Rolling and short-term contracts cost more monthly and frequently less overall once the exit position is counted.", "why_it_matters": "For a fixed tenancy, the flexible contract is usually the cheaper one overall.", "example_in_context": "The rolling contract cost more monthly and avoided an exit charge entirely.", "common_misconception": "That the longest contract is always cheapest. Not against a fixed tenancy end date.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "rolling-contract", "exit-fee", "home-move", "tcv" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "No-contract broadband for renters", "url": "/moving-renting/no-contract-broadband-for-renters.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for students", "url": "/broadband-for-students.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#student-switching" }, { "id": "vulnerable-switch", "term": "Switching for someone else", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Arranging a connection on behalf of a relative, which needs authority first.", "long_definition": "Providers will not discuss an account with anyone not authorised on it. Adding a nominated contact, or registering a power of attorney, must happen before any switch is attempted, and the service address must be theirs rather than yours.", "why_it_matters": "Getting authority added first is what prevents a stalled switch and a difficult phone call.", "example_in_context": "The nominated contact was added before the switch was arranged.", "common_misconception": "That being next of kin grants authority. It does not without registration.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "third-party-access", "service-address", "vulnerability", "priority-fault" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vulnerable-switch" }, { "id": "switching-gap", "term": "Switching gap", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A short loss of service between one provider ending and the next beginning.", "long_definition": "Well-managed switches complete with little or no interruption. A gap arises mainly when networks change, when an engineer visit is needed or when a customer cancels the old service before the new one is confirmed. A mobile connection covers most gaps comfortably.", "why_it_matters": "Never cancel the old service yourself, since that is what turns a seamless switch into a gap.", "example_in_context": "The gap appeared only because the old service had been cancelled independently.", "common_misconception": "That gaps are normal and unavoidable. Most are caused by cancelling early.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cease-and-reprovide", "transfer-date", "tethering", "ots" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" }, { "anchor": "Mobile broadband as backup", "url": "/mobile-broadband-as-temporary-backup-while-you-wait-for-installation.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-gap" }, { "id": "switching-information", "term": "Switching information", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The summary your old provider must send when a switch begins, showing what leaving will cost.", "long_definition": "When a switch is initiated, the losing provider must send details of what you are leaving, any early termination charge and anything else affected, such as an email address or bundled service. It arrives before the switch completes so you can stop if the consequences are unacceptable.", "why_it_matters": "It is the point at which any unexpected exit charge becomes visible, while you can still change your mind.", "example_in_context": "The information revealed a bundled service that would also end with the switch.", "common_misconception": "That it is a marketing letter. It is a required disclosure worth reading carefully.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ots", "losing-provider", "exit-fee", "winback" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom One Touch Switch rules", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-information" }, { "id": "switching-rates", "term": "Switching rates", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "How many households change provider each year, and how few actually do.", "long_definition": "A substantial share of UK households have never switched broadband provider or have not done so in many years. Low switching is what sustains out-of-contract pricing, because providers can rely on most customers staying regardless of price.", "why_it_matters": "Low switching is the market condition that makes the loyalty penalty profitable.", "example_in_context": "A large proportion of households had not changed provider in over five years.", "common_misconception": "That people stay because they are satisfied. Inertia explains most of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "ooc", "ots", "cmr" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-rates" }, { "id": "symmetric", "term": "Symmetric speed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Upload as fast as download, which full fibre can offer and copper cannot.", "long_definition": "Symmetric connections carry the same rate in both directions. Copper technologies are inherently asymmetric, and many fibre packages remain asymmetric by product design rather than technical necessity. A growing number of altnets sell symmetric tiers as a differentiator.", "why_it_matters": "For video calls, cloud backup, large uploads and home working, upload speed is often the constraint.", "example_in_context": "The symmetric gigabit package uploaded a 40 GB project in minutes rather than hours.", "common_misconception": "That upload only matters for professionals. Every video call depends on it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "asymmetric", "upload-speed", "xgs-pon", "youfibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for home working", "url": "/broadband-for-home-working.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#symmetric" }, { "id": "sync-speed", "term": "Sync speed", "expansion": "Line rate, connection speed", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The rate your router negotiates with the network, which is always higher than what you measure.", "long_definition": "Sync speed is the agreed rate between your router and the network equipment. Actual throughput is lower because of protocol overheads, contention and whatever sits between you and the remote server. On copper it varies with line length and quality; on fibre it is essentially fixed.", "why_it_matters": "A sync speed well below your package indicates a line problem worth reporting.", "example_in_context": "The line synced at 67 Mbps against an estimate of 74 Mbps, suggesting a line fault.", "common_misconception": "That sync speed is what a speed test should show. Throughput is always lower.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "throughput", "fttc", "minimum-guaranteed-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#sync-speed" }, { "id": "tail-circuit", "term": "Tail circuit", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The local connection linking a customer site to a wider network service.", "long_definition": "On business connections the tail is the local access circuit joining a site to the provider's network, frequently bought from a different operator than the one supplying the wider service. Fault responsibility can therefore sit with a company the customer has never heard of.", "why_it_matters": "When a business fault takes days, the tail circuit provider is frequently the delay.", "example_in_context": "The fault sat on a tail circuit supplied by a third operator.", "common_misconception": "That your provider owns the whole connection. The local tail is often bought in.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "leased-line", "ead", "sla", "last-mile" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tail-circuit" }, { "id": "take-up", "term": "Take-up", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The share of premises passed that are actually connected, the number altnet economics turn on.", "long_definition": "Take-up is connected customers divided by premises passed. Building costs money once; connecting a customer earns money monthly. Networks need take-up above a threshold to service their debt, and the sector's consolidation is largely a story of networks that built faster than they sold.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single number that predicts whether the network at your address will still be independent in five years.", "example_in_context": "Take-up of 21% left the network well short of its funding assumptions.", "common_misconception": "That passing more homes improves take-up. It usually dilutes it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "premises-passed", "overbuild", "altnet", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#take-up" }, { "id": "talktalk", "term": "TalkTalk", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A large UK retail provider with roots in Carphone Warehouse, built partly by acquiring earlier ISPs.", "long_definition": "TalkTalk sells broadband over the Openreach network and grew substantially through acquisition, absorbing the UK customer bases of AOL, Tiscali and Pipex among others.", "why_it_matters": "If your provider changed name repeatedly over twenty years without you moving, you are probably at TalkTalk.", "example_in_context": "The Tiscali base moved to Carphone Warehouse and became TalkTalk customers.", "common_misconception": "That it owns its own network nationally. It largely resells Openreach, with unbundled exchange equipment.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "aol-uk", "tiscali", "pipex", "llu", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "TalkTalk deals", "url": "/talktalk-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#talktalk" }, { "id": "tar", "term": "TAR", "expansion": "Telecoms Access Review", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Ofcom's 2026 to 2031 wholesale settlement, effective 1 April 2026.", "long_definition": "The Telecoms Access Review sets the wholesale rules and price controls governing access to Openreach's network for a five-year period. It determines what rivals pay to use the network and therefore shapes retail prices for the rest of the decade.", "why_it_matters": "The wholesale settlement decided here works its way into your bill for the next five years.", "example_in_context": "The TAR took effect on 1 April 2026 and runs to 2031.", "common_misconception": "That it sets retail prices. It sets the wholesale terms beneath them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "ofcom", "wftmr", "smp", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tar" }, { "id": "tcv", "term": "TCV", "expansion": "Total Contract Value", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The full cost of a deal across the whole term, including setup, rewards and confirmed rises.", "long_definition": "Comparing headline monthly prices is misleading when setup fees, cashback, gift cards and scheduled increases differ between deals. Total contract value adds everything up across the committed period and divides by the months, producing the number that actually decides which deal is cheaper.", "why_it_matters": "The cheapest advertised price and the cheapest deal are frequently not the same package.", "example_in_context": "A £24 deal with a £35 setup fee cost more overall than a £26 deal with none.", "common_misconception": "That the lowest monthly figure wins. Over 24 months it often does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "setup-fee", "mid-contract-rise", "switching-credit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Lowest total cost deals", "url": "/lowest-total-cost-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk ranking methodology", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tcv" }, { "id": "techuk", "term": "techUK", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The trade association for the UK technology sector, including telecoms members.", "long_definition": "techUK represents technology companies across sectors, including telecoms infrastructure and services, and is a frequent participant in digital infrastructure policy discussions.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of the bodies whose position shapes the policy environment fibre is built in.", "example_in_context": "techUK contributed to the industry response on digital infrastructure policy.", "common_misconception": "That it is telecoms-specific. Its remit is far broader.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ispa", "inca", "dsit" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "techUK", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#techuk" }, { "id": "telecare", "term": "Telecare", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Alarms and sensors that summon help, many of them wired to the phone line being retired.", "long_definition": "Telecare covers pendant alarms, fall detectors and home sensors that connect to an alarm receiving centre. A large number were installed on analogue phone lines, so the migration to digital voice requires each one to be identified and tested. Data sharing agreements let councils tell providers which households have them.", "why_it_matters": "This is the highest-stakes part of the switch-off, because the people affected are the least likely to be told.", "example_in_context": "The council shared telecare addresses so providers could flag protected migrations.", "common_misconception": "That the alarm provider handles it. Responsibility is split and things fall between the two.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "arc", "pstn", "digital-voice", "dsa", "tsa-tec" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Care alarms and switching", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#telecare" }, { "id": "account-security", "term": "Telecoms account security", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Protecting the account that controls your phone number and your identity checks.", "long_definition": "A telecoms account controls the number used to verify banking and email. Adding a password or memorable word to the account, and asking the provider to flag it against unauthorised changes, makes number takeover considerably harder.", "why_it_matters": "Your mobile account protects every other account that texts you a code.", "example_in_context": "A security word on the account prevented an unauthorised transfer request.", "common_misconception": "That mobile accounts need less protection than banking. They protect the banking.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "sim-swap", "two-factor", "identity-theft", "voicemail-pin" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#account-security" }, { "id": "telegraph-pole", "term": "Telegraph pole", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The wooden pole carrying overhead lines, now often carrying several competing networks at once.", "long_definition": "Poles are shared infrastructure under physical infrastructure access rules, so a single pole can carry Openreach copper, Openreach fibre and one or more altnet fibres. That is why poles look considerably busier than they did a decade ago, and why new pole installations attract local objection.", "why_it_matters": "The extra cables on the pole outside are usually competition arriving rather than a fault.", "example_in_context": "Three separate networks were attached to the same pole outside the property.", "common_misconception": "That extra cables indicate a problem. They usually indicate more choice.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "duct-and-pole", "pia", "overbuild" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#telegraph-pole" }, { "id": "exchange", "term": "Telephone exchange", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The local building where lines terminate, most of which will close as fibre replaces copper.", "long_definition": "Exchanges house the equipment that serves a local area and, in unbundled exchanges, equipment belonging to competing providers as well. The fibre network needs far fewer of them, so the estate consolidates toward around a thousand handover points and the rest close.", "why_it_matters": "Exchange closures are the second half of the switch-off, and they set the timetable for many local migrations.", "example_in_context": "Services were rehomed to the handover point before the local exchange closed.", "common_misconception": "That exchanges are obsolete buildings only. Many are being repurposed as fibre aggregation sites.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ohp", "llu", "pcp", "pstn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#exchange" }, { "id": "telewest", "term": "Telewest", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Cable operator founded in 1984 as Croydon Cable, merged with NTL in 2006.", "long_definition": "Telewest traces to Croydon Cable in 1984 and adopted the Telewest name in 1992. It served a set of regional cable franchises with television, telephony and broadband, competing alongside NTL rather than against it geographically, and sold broadband under the Blueyonder brand. The two merged in March 2006 and the combined business became Virgin Media in February 2007.", "why_it_matters": "Together with NTL it explains the patchwork shape of UK cable coverage today.", "example_in_context": "Telewest began as Croydon Cable in 1984 and adopted the Telewest name in 1992.", "common_misconception": "That cable was ever a single national network. It was assembled from regional franchises.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ntl", "vmo2", "docsis" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#telewest" }, { "id": "tesco-broadband", "term": "Tesco Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A supermarket-branded broadband service whose customers were sold to TalkTalk in 2015.", "long_definition": "Tesco sold home broadband as part of a wider push into household services, positioned as simple and low cost. In 2015 it sold its broadband customer base to TalkTalk and withdrew from the market.", "why_it_matters": "It belongs to a wave of retail-branded broadband services that have almost all now gone.", "example_in_context": "Tesco sold its broadband customers to TalkTalk in 2015.", "common_misconception": "That supermarket broadband still exists in the UK. These brands have exited.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "john-lewis-broadband", "post-office-broadband" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tesco-broadband" }, { "id": "test-server", "term": "Test server selection", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Which server a speed test uses, which materially changes the result.", "long_definition": "Speed tests measure to a chosen server. A nearby well-connected one shows what your line can do; a distant or busy one shows less. Comparing results only makes sense against the same server, which is why casual comparisons between different tests mislead.", "why_it_matters": "Two tests giving different numbers usually means two different servers, not a changing line.", "example_in_context": "The distant server returned a substantially lower figure than the local one.", "common_misconception": "That all speed tests are equivalent. Server choice changes the result significantly.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-test", "throughput", "latency", "cdn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#test-server" }, { "id": "speed-test-method", "term": "Testing properly", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The method that produces a result worth reporting to a provider.", "long_definition": "Connect by cable to the router, close other applications, pause background updates, test several times across the day and record the results with timestamps. A wireless test taken once during a video call tells a provider nothing it can act on.", "why_it_matters": "A properly conducted set of tests is what turns a complaint into a fault report.", "example_in_context": "Wired tests taken across the day, with timestamps, supported the fault report.", "common_misconception": "That one wireless test proves a problem. It usually proves nothing at all.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-test", "test-server", "complaint-evidence", "fault-reporting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" }, { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#speed-test-method" }, { "id": "tethering", "term": "Tethering", "expansion": "Personal hotspot", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "Sharing a phone's mobile data with other devices over Wi-Fi or cable.", "long_definition": "Tethering turns a handset into a small wireless access point so laptops and tablets can use its mobile connection. Most UK tariffs allow it within the normal allowance, though some restrict it, and it draws heavily on battery.", "why_it_matters": "It is the fastest fallback when home broadband fails during a working day.", "example_in_context": "Tethering to a phone kept the meeting running through the broadband outage.", "common_misconception": "That tethering always uses extra allowance. It usually draws on the same one.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "data-cap", "4g-home", "outage", "fair-use-policy" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tethering" }, { "id": "fourth-utility", "term": "The 4th Utility", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A provider focused on apartment blocks, developments and managed residential buildings.", "long_definition": "The 4th Utility concentrates on multi-dwelling buildings and new developments, working with developers and managing agents to wire whole buildings rather than individual homes.", "why_it_matters": "In a managed block, the building's arrangement often decides your options before you move in.", "example_in_context": "The development was wired by The 4th Utility before completion.", "common_misconception": "That you always choose your provider freely in a new block. Building arrangements can constrain it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wayleave", "hyperoptic", "community-fibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "4th Utility deals", "url": "/4th-utility-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#fourth-utility" }, { "id": "third-party-access", "term": "Third party account access", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Authorising someone else to manage your account, essential when helping a relative.", "long_definition": "Providers can add a nominated person authorised to discuss and manage an account, which is far simpler than attempting to act on someone's behalf without it. Formal arrangements such as a lasting power of attorney carry broader authority and should be registered with the provider in advance.", "why_it_matters": "Setting this up before it is needed avoids an impossible conversation during a fault or a bereavement.", "example_in_context": "The nominated contact was added so the account could be managed on the customer's behalf.", "common_misconception": "That being a family member is sufficient. Without authorisation the provider cannot discuss the account.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "vulnerability", "bereavement", "priority-fault" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#third-party-access" }, { "id": "three-home", "term": "Three Home Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Fixed wireless home broadband over the Three mobile network, with no fixed line needed.", "long_definition": "Three sells 4G and 5G home broadband delivered by a plug-in router using its mobile network. There is no installation and no landline, and performance depends on local coverage and mast congestion.", "why_it_matters": "Where fibre has not arrived but 5G has, it can outperform anything else available at the address.", "example_in_context": "The 5G router was working the same day, with no engineer and no line.", "common_misconception": "That it needs a phone line or an engineer. It needs neither.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "5g-home", "4g-home", "fwa", "fair-use-policy" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Three Home Broadband", "url": "/three-home-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "5G home broadband", "url": "/5g-home-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#three-home" }, { "id": "throttling", "term": "Throttling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Deliberately slowing a connection or a type of traffic, usually at peak times.", "long_definition": "Throttling reduces speed either across a connection or for specific traffic types. It was widespread in the era of restrictive fair use policies and is far less common now, though traffic management of some kinds persists and must be disclosed.", "why_it_matters": "If speeds collapse at the same hour every evening, it is worth establishing whether it is throttling or contention.", "example_in_context": "Speeds fell sharply every evening at the same time regardless of household activity.", "common_misconception": "That all evening slowdowns are throttling. Contention causes most of them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "traffic-management", "fair-use-policy", "contention" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#throttling" }, { "id": "throughput", "term": "Throughput", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The speed you actually get, as opposed to the speed the line is capable of.", "long_definition": "Sync speed is what the line negotiates; throughput is what reaches your device after contention, Wi-Fi losses and remote server limits. Throughput is always the lower and more honest number.", "why_it_matters": "It is the figure a speed test reports, and the one worth comparing against what you were sold.", "example_in_context": "The line synced at 900 Mbps but throughput over Wi-Fi measured 340 Mbps.", "common_misconception": "That a shortfall is always the provider's fault. Wi-Fi accounts for most of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "contention", "latency", "wifi7" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" }, { "anchor": "Run a speed test", "url": "https://ukspeedtest.co.uk" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#throughput" }, { "id": "thus", "term": "Thus", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "A Scottish telecoms operator that owned Demon Internet, acquired by Cable & Wireless in 2008.", "long_definition": "Thus demerged from ScottishPower in 2002 and operated business telecoms and internet services, owning Demon Internet. Cable & Wireless made a takeover offer in June 2008 and completed the acquisition on 1 October 2008 in a deal valuing Thus at around £330 million.", "why_it_matters": "It is a link in the chain that carried Demon Internet from independence to Vodafone.", "example_in_context": "Cable & Wireless completed the acquisition of Thus on 1 October 2008.", "common_misconception": "That Demon was independent until it closed. It changed hands repeatedly.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "demon", "cable-and-wireless" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#thus" }, { "id": "time-to-first-byte", "term": "Time to first byte", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How long a page takes to start arriving, which decides whether browsing feels fast.", "long_definition": "Time to first byte combines name lookup, connection setup and the server's own response time. It is dominated by latency rather than bandwidth, which is why a gigabit connection with high latency can still feel sluggish to browse.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a fast connection can still feel slow, and why more speed does not fix it.", "example_in_context": "Pages felt slow despite high bandwidth because latency dominated the response.", "common_misconception": "That page loading speed follows bandwidth. Latency matters far more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "latency", "dns", "cdn", "bufferbloat" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#time-to-first-byte" }, { "id": "switch-timing", "term": "Timing a switch", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Starting the process before your contract ends, so the new service begins as the old one finishes.", "long_definition": "Because a switch takes days and an install can take weeks, beginning around a month before the contract end date usually means the new service starts as the old term expires. Leaving it until afterwards means paying the standard rate in the interim.", "why_it_matters": "Starting a month early is what avoids paying even one month at the out-of-contract price.", "example_in_context": "Beginning a month ahead meant the new service started as the old term ended.", "common_misconception": "That you must wait until the contract ends to arrange anything. You should not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "contract-end-date", "ecn", "install-slot", "transfer-date" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch before your contract ends", "url": "/switch-broadband-before-contract-ends-and-still-save-money.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switch-timing" }, { "id": "tiscali", "term": "Tiscali", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "tiss-KAH-lee", "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "Italian-owned ISP whose UK business was bought by TalkTalk in 2009 for £236 million.", "long_definition": "Tiscali UK grew substantially by acquisition, absorbing Pipex, Nildram and Freedom2Surf. Carphone Warehouse announced the purchase of Tiscali's UK operations on 8 May 2009 for £236 million, completing on 3 July 2009 and creating the largest UK residential broadband provider with over four million customers. The Tiscali brand was retired in January 2010.", "why_it_matters": "It is one of the most common answers to what happened to a provider people remember using.", "example_in_context": "Tiscali UK was rebranded to TalkTalk in January 2010.", "common_misconception": "That Tiscali left the market entirely. The Italian parent continued.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "talktalk", "pipex", "aol-uk" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "TalkTalk deals", "url": "/talktalk-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "ISPreview, thinkbroadband and Comms Business, May 2009 to January 2010", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tiscali" }, { "id": "toob", "term": "toob", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "TOOB", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre altnet concentrated on Southampton and the central south of England.", "long_definition": "toob builds and sells its own full fibre in a focused geographic area rather than nationally, with a deliberately simple product range.", "why_it_matters": "Within its footprint it is frequently among the cheapest gigabit options available.", "example_in_context": "toob was live at the address before any Openreach fibre had been built.", "common_misconception": "That it operates nationally. Its footprint is regional and deliberately so.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "vertically-integrated", "footprint" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "toob deals", "url": "/toob-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#toob" }, { "id": "totsco", "term": "TOTSCo", "expansion": "The One Touch Switching Company", "pronunciation": "TOT-sco", "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The industry body that runs the switching hub behind One Touch Switch.", "long_definition": "TOTSCo operates the messaging hub through which providers exchange the information needed to complete a switch. It is invisible to customers but is the machinery that makes a single point of contact possible.", "why_it_matters": "When a switch stalls, it is usually a messaging problem between providers rather than anything you did.", "example_in_context": "The switch order passed through the TOTSCo hub to the losing provider.", "common_misconception": "That TOTSCo is a regulator. It is industry-owned infrastructure.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "ots", "ofcom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#totsco" }, { "id": "traceroute", "term": "Traceroute", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A test showing every network hop between you and a destination, with timings.", "long_definition": "Traceroute lists each router along the path to a destination and how long each takes to respond. It shows whether a delay sits on your own connection, within your provider's network or somewhere beyond it, which is exactly the distinction a fault report needs.", "why_it_matters": "It answers the question of whose network the problem is actually on.", "example_in_context": "The trace showed latency rising sharply beyond the provider's own network.", "common_misconception": "That a slow hop midway indicates a fault. Intermediate routers deprioritise these replies.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "latency", "ping", "speed-test", "fault-reporting" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Latency, jitter and packet loss", "url": "/latency-jitter-packet-loss-hidden-broadband-metrics.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#traceroute" }, { "id": "tracker", "term": "Trackers and ad blocking", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Scripts following you between sites, and the tools that stop them.", "long_definition": "Trackers embedded in web pages record browsing across sites to build advertising profiles. Browser settings, extensions and network-level blocking all reduce them, and blocking at the router covers every device including those with no browser settings to change.", "why_it_matters": "Blocking at the router covers the smart television, which has no privacy settings to speak of.", "example_in_context": "Network-level blocking covered devices with no browser controls of their own.", "common_misconception": "That private browsing stops tracking. It clears local history rather than blocking trackers.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cookie-consent", "dns-filtering", "privacy", "incognito" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Free DNS filtering", "url": "/online-safety/free-dns-filtering/" }, { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tracker" }, { "id": "traffic-management", "term": "Traffic management", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Prioritising some traffic over others to keep a network usable under load.", "long_definition": "Traffic management covers legitimate engineering, such as prioritising real-time voice over bulk downloads, as well as commercially motivated restriction. Providers are expected to disclose their policies, and the distinction between reasonable management and unfair discrimination is a live regulatory question.", "why_it_matters": "How your provider manages traffic determines whether video calls survive a busy evening.", "example_in_context": "The policy prioritised voice and video traffic during peak hours.", "common_misconception": "That any traffic management is unfair. Some of it is what keeps a network working.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "throttling", "contention", "fair-use-policy" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#traffic-management" }, { "id": "transfer-date", "term": "Transfer date", "expansion": "Switch date", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The agreed day your service moves, which both providers work to.", "long_definition": "The transfer date is confirmed when the switch is arranged and is the day the old service closes and the new one begins. For a like-for-like move on the same network the change is usually momentary; where networks differ there may be a short gap.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing the date lets you plan around any interruption rather than discovering it mid-meeting.", "example_in_context": "The transfer completed on the agreed date with a brief interruption during the morning.", "common_misconception": "That you should cancel the old service on that date yourself. The process handles it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ots", "cease-and-reprovide", "activation-date", "overlap-billing" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" }, { "anchor": "Switching without downtime", "url": "/business-broadband-switching-without-downtime.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#transfer-date" }, { "id": "transit", "term": "Transit", "expansion": "IP transit", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Paying a larger network to carry your traffic to the rest of the internet.", "long_definition": "Where a network has no direct relationship with a destination, it buys transit from a provider that can reach everywhere. Transit is billed on capacity, so networks peer wherever they can to reduce what they must buy.", "why_it_matters": "Transit cost is one of the running costs sitting behind your monthly bill.", "example_in_context": "Increased peering cut the volume of paid transit the network needed.", "common_misconception": "That the internet is free to interconnect. Transit is a substantial operating cost.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "peering", "core-network", "pop" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#transit" }, { "id": "trial-service", "term": "Trials and pilot areas", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Limited launches used to test new services before wider rollout.", "long_definition": "Operators trial new products, speeds and migration processes in selected areas before general launch. Being in a trial area frequently means early access, and occasionally means being the first to encounter problems the process has not yet solved.", "why_it_matters": "Living in a trial area means getting things first, for better and for worse.", "example_in_context": "The area received the new service early as part of a limited trial.", "common_misconception": "That trials are purely technical. They test processes and support as much as technology.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "stop-sell", "priority-exchange", "fibre-first", "rfs" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#trial-service" }, { "id": "trooli", "term": "Trooli", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "TROO-lee", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre network in the south east of England, serving homes and businesses.", "long_definition": "Trooli builds full fibre across parts of the south east, including smaller towns and rural areas, with both residential and business products.", "why_it_matters": "For a small business in its footprint it offers an alternative to the national providers.", "example_in_context": "The business connection was delivered on Trooli's own fibre.", "common_misconception": "That regional networks cannot serve businesses. Many have dedicated business products.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "sla", "footprint" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Trooli business broadband", "url": "/trooli-business-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#trooli" }, { "id": "truespeed", "term": "Truespeed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre network serving rural communities in the south west of England.", "long_definition": "Truespeed builds full fibre in villages and rural areas of the south west, often working with communities to establish demand before building.", "why_it_matters": "In south west villages it is regularly the first full fibre option to arrive.", "example_in_context": "The village organised collective demand before the Truespeed build began.", "common_misconception": "That rural builds happen only with public money. Community-led demand also drives them.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "greenfield", "take-up" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Truespeed deals", "url": "/truespeed-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#truespeed" }, { "id": "tsa-tec", "term": "TSA / TEC", "expansion": "TEC Services Association / Technology Enabled Care", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "The care technology industry body and its quality certification scheme.", "long_definition": "The TSA represents the technology enabled care sector, covering telecare, telehealth and connected care services, and operates a quality standards framework its members are audited against. It has been a central voice in migration planning for telecare users.", "why_it_matters": "It is the body arguing for telecare users inside a programme designed around telephony.", "example_in_context": "The provider held TSA certification for its telecare service.", "common_misconception": "That telecare regulation sits with Ofcom. Care standards sit largely with the sector and health bodies.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "telecare", "arc", "dsa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#tsa-tec" }, { "id": "two-factor", "term": "Two-factor authentication", "expansion": "2FA, MFA", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "A second check beyond your password, and the single most effective account protection available.", "long_definition": "Two-factor authentication requires something beyond the password, usually a code from an app or a physical key. App-based codes are considerably safer than text messages, which can be intercepted through SIM swap fraud. Enabling it on email first protects everything else, since email resets every other password.", "why_it_matters": "Email is the master key to your other accounts. Protect that one before anything else.", "example_in_context": "The stolen password was useless because the account required a second factor.", "common_misconception": "That text message codes are as safe as an app. They are better than nothing and weaker than an app.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "password-manager", "phishing", "sim-swap", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#two-factor" }, { "id": "provider-types", "term": "Types of provider", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "Network owner, wholesaler, retailer or reseller, and why the difference matters.", "long_definition": "A network owner builds and runs infrastructure. A wholesaler sells access to it. A retailer sells to households, sometimes over its own network and sometimes over another's. A reseller sells a service built entirely by someone else. Coverage follows the network; service follows the retailer.", "why_it_matters": "Knowing which type you are buying from tells you who fixes a fault and who sets the price.", "example_in_context": "The network owner handled the fault while the retailer handled the billing.", "common_misconception": "That your provider owns the line. Most do not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wholesale", "whitelabel", "mvno", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#provider-types" }, { "id": "uc", "term": "UC", "expansion": "Universal Credit", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The main working-age benefit, and the most common gateway to a social tariff.", "long_definition": "Receiving Universal Credit qualifies a household for the discounted broadband packages most large providers offer. Other benefits qualify with some providers, and eligibility criteria vary.", "why_it_matters": "It is the single most common qualifying route to halving a broadband bill.", "example_in_context": "Universal Credit qualified the household for a social tariff at under £20 a month.", "common_misconception": "That only Universal Credit qualifies. Several other benefits do, depending on the provider.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "social-tariff" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Social tariffs UK", "url": "/social-tariffs-uk.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#uc" }, { "id": "ucaas", "term": "UCaaS", "expansion": "Unified Communications as a Service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Cloud-hosted phone, video and messaging replacing an on-site phone system.", "long_definition": "Unified communications combines telephony, video, messaging and presence in one hosted service, removing the need for equipment on site. It is the standard replacement for a traditional phone system as ISDN is retired, and it moves the cost from capital to a monthly subscription.", "why_it_matters": "Businesses replacing ISDN mostly land here rather than buying another physical system.", "example_in_context": "The on-site system was replaced with a hosted service ahead of the ISDN cease date.", "common_misconception": "That it needs special connectivity. It runs over ordinary broadband.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pbx", "sip", "isdn", "voip", "ccaas" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Business broadband hub", "url": "/business-broadband-hub.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ucaas" }, { "id": "trade-press", "term": "UK telecoms trade press", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "Specialist publications covering UK connectivity, frequently ahead of mainstream coverage.", "long_definition": "A small number of specialist UK publications track network builds, regulatory decisions, provider announcements and market data in detail. They are frequently the first public record of an outage, a price change or a consolidation move.", "why_it_matters": "Sector news appears here days or weeks before mainstream coverage picks it up.", "example_in_context": "The consolidation move was reported in specialist press before wider coverage.", "common_misconception": "That telecoms news breaks in national media. Specialist press is usually first.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "analyst-firms", "connected-britain", "consolidation", "inca" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#trade-press" }, { "id": "unable-to-switch", "term": "Unable to switch", "expansion": "Switch failure", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "A switch request that cannot proceed, usually because address records disagree.", "long_definition": "Switches fail most often when the address, account details or line records held by the two providers do not match, which is common in flats and converted properties. It is an administrative mismatch rather than a refusal, and correcting the address record generally resolves it.", "why_it_matters": "A failed switch is usually a records problem, not an obstruction by your old provider.", "example_in_context": "The mismatch between flat numbers in the two address records blocked the switch until corrected.", "common_misconception": "That a failure means the old provider is blocking you. They are not permitted to.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ots", "totsco", "gaining-provider", "switching-information" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "One Touch Switch explained", "url": "/one-touch-switch-uk.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for flats", "url": "/broadband-for-flats.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#unable-to-switch" }, { "id": "unit-economics", "term": "Unit economics", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Whether a single customer makes money, before any question of scale.", "long_definition": "Unit economics examines the revenue and cost attributable to one customer: acquisition, connection, service and margin. A business with poor unit economics does not improve by growing, which is a distinction that matters when a network reports rapid customer growth alongside deepening losses.", "why_it_matters": "Growth only helps a business that already makes money on each customer.", "example_in_context": "Rapid growth deepened losses because each customer was unprofitable.", "common_misconception": "That scale fixes losses. It only does so where each unit is profitable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "cac", "ltv", "payback", "arpu" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#unit-economics" }, { "id": "upgrade", "term": "Upgrade and downgrade", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "Changing speed tier with the same provider, which usually restarts your contract.", "long_definition": "Moving up a tier is normally instant and frequently restarts the minimum term. Moving down is often restricted during a term or carries conditions. Both are treated as contract changes rather than as adjustments to an existing agreement.", "why_it_matters": "Accepting a small speed upgrade can quietly commit you for another two years.", "example_in_context": "The upgrade took effect immediately and restarted the 24 month term.", "common_misconception": "That changing speed leaves your contract untouched. It usually resets it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "recontracting", "minimum-term", "provisioned-speed", "right-to-exit" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband contract lengths", "url": "/broadband-contract-lengths.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#upgrade" }, { "id": "upload-saturation", "term": "Upload saturation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "A full upload stalling downloads, because acknowledgements cannot get out.", "long_definition": "Downloads depend on small acknowledgements travelling back upstream. When the upload is completely full, those acknowledgements are delayed and downloads slow dramatically, which is why a large backup can appear to break the entire connection.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a cloud backup can stop the whole house browsing on an asymmetric line.", "example_in_context": "The large upload delayed acknowledgements and downloads slowed to a crawl.", "common_misconception": "That upload and download are independent. A saturated upload cripples downloads.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "asymmetric", "upload-speed", "qos", "bufferbloat" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#upload-saturation" }, { "id": "upload-speed", "term": "Upload speed", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "How fast data leaves your home, and the number most people never check.", "long_definition": "Upload governs video calls, cloud backup, sending large files, streaming from home and how responsive online gaming feels. It is quoted less prominently than download and is frequently a small fraction of it.", "why_it_matters": "If your video calls freeze while your downloads are fine, upload is almost always the reason.", "example_in_context": "A 20 Mbps upload struggled with two simultaneous video calls and a cloud backup.", "common_misconception": "That upload only matters to people who publish content. It matters to anyone on a call.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "download-speed", "symmetric", "asymmetric", "jitter" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for home working", "url": "/broadband-for-home-working.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#upload-speed" }, { "id": "upnp", "term": "UPnP", "expansion": "Universal Plug and Play", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A feature letting devices open router ports by themselves, convenient and worth understanding.", "long_definition": "UPnP allows applications to request incoming connections without manual port forwarding, which is why games and consoles usually work without configuration. Because any device on the network can request it, some prefer to disable it and forward specific ports deliberately.", "why_it_matters": "If gaming works without you configuring anything, this is usually why.", "example_in_context": "The console reported an open network type because UPnP handled the ports.", "common_misconception": "That disabling it improves security with no cost. Several applications will need manual configuration.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "port-forwarding", "router", "nat", "cyber-hygiene" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband for gaming", "url": "/broadband-for-gaming.html" }, { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#upnp" }, { "id": "ups", "term": "UPS", "expansion": "Uninterruptible Power Supply", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A battery keeping your router running through a power cut.", "long_definition": "A small uninterruptible supply keeps a router and any voice equipment running during a mains failure, which matters more now that landlines depend on the router. For a home office it also protects against the brief outages that would otherwise drop a call.", "why_it_matters": "Once your phone runs through the router, keeping the router powered keeps the phone working.", "example_in_context": "The battery supply kept the router and phone running through the outage.", "common_misconception": "That a mains failure inevitably means losing the phone. A small battery prevents it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "battery-backup", "digital-voice", "outage", "router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#ups" }, { "id": "upsell", "term": "Upsell and cross-sell", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Selling a higher tier or an additional service to an existing customer.", "long_definition": "Selling more to someone already a customer costs far less than winning a new one, which is why renewal conversations feature speed upgrades, mobile lines and television add-ons. Each addition also lengthens the effective switching decision.", "why_it_matters": "Every service added to a bundle makes leaving marginally harder to contemplate.", "example_in_context": "The renewal conversation added a mobile line and a television package.", "common_misconception": "That add-ons are offered purely as convenience. They also increase switching friction.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "rgu", "bundle-unbundling", "cac", "switch-blocker" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#upsell" }, { "id": "uptime", "term": "Uptime", "expansion": "Availability", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "The share of time a service is working, and a headline figure in business agreements.", "long_definition": "Availability is normally quoted as a percentage over a period. The difference between 99.9% and 99.99% sounds trivial and represents roughly eight hours of downtime a year against under an hour, which is why business agreements are specific about it.", "why_it_matters": "For a business, the second decimal place is what you are actually paying the premium for.", "example_in_context": "The agreement specified availability with credits payable if it was not met.", "common_misconception": "That consumer broadband carries an availability commitment. It generally does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "sla", "outage", "leased-line", "automatic-compensation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Home vs business broadband", "url": "/home-vs-business-broadband-for-small-companies.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#uptime" }, { "id": "usage-monitoring", "term": "Usage monitoring", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Seeing which devices are consuming the most data, and when.", "long_definition": "Many routers report usage per device over time, which identifies what is actually consuming a connection. Background updates, cloud backups and streaming devices frequently account for far more than anyone expects, and the fix is usually scheduling rather than more speed.", "why_it_matters": "Before buying more speed, it is worth seeing what is using the speed you have.", "example_in_context": "Monitoring showed background updates accounted for most daytime usage.", "common_misconception": "That heavy usage means active use. Background activity accounts for much of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "device-list", "off-peak", "backup", "qos" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#usage-monitoring" }, { "id": "usb-tethering", "term": "USB tethering", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Sharing a phone's connection over a cable rather than wirelessly.", "long_definition": "Connecting a phone to a computer by cable shares its mobile connection while charging the handset, avoiding the battery drain and instability of wireless tethering. It is the more reliable option when a fixed connection has failed mid-task.", "why_it_matters": "Cable tethering is more reliable than wireless and does not flatten the phone.", "example_in_context": "The cable connection kept the laptop online without draining the handset.", "common_misconception": "That tethering must be wireless. A cable works better in most situations.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tethering", "failover", "outage", "data-cap" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to avoid downtime when working from home", "url": "/how-to-avoid-broadband-downtime-when-you-work-from-home.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#usb-tethering" }, { "id": "valuation", "term": "Valuation", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "What a business is judged to be worth, usually expressed per premises or as a multiple of earnings.", "long_definition": "Fibre networks are commonly valued per premises passed or connected, or as a multiple of earnings. Valuations fell sharply across the sector as interest rates rose and take-up disappointed, which changed the terms of every subsequent transaction.", "why_it_matters": "Falling valuations are what turned an expansion story into a consolidation one.", "example_in_context": "The implied value per premises was well below earlier transactions.", "common_misconception": "That valuation reflects network quality. It reflects what buyers will pay today.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "ev-ebitda", "distressed-sale", "impairment", "consolidation" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#valuation" }, { "id": "vdsl", "term": "VDSL", "expansion": "Very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "The technology behind FTTC, running from the street cabinet over copper.", "long_definition": "VDSL and its successor VDSL2 carry broadband over the copper run between a street cabinet and the property. Speed falls with distance, which is why two homes on the same package can perform very differently depending on how far they sit from the cabinet.", "why_it_matters": "It explains the variability in FTTC speeds along a single street.", "example_in_context": "The same package delivered 74 Mbps near the cabinet and 38 Mbps at the end of the road.", "common_misconception": "That the package determines the speed. On VDSL, distance largely does.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "fttc", "gfast", "adsl", "sync-speed" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "FTTC deals", "url": "/fttc-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Fibre types compared", "url": "/full-fibre-vs-fttc-vs-cable-vs-4g-5g.html" } ], "source_primary": "ITU-T G.993 series", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vdsl" }, { "id": "vertically-integrated", "term": "Vertically integrated", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Owning both the network and the retail brand selling over it.", "long_definition": "A vertically integrated operator builds the infrastructure and sells directly to customers, capturing the full margin and controlling the customer experience end to end. It also means carrying both construction risk and retail competition at the same time.", "why_it_matters": "It is why some networks can price aggressively: they keep the whole margin rather than sharing it.", "example_in_context": "The vertically integrated operator sold directly, keeping the entire retail margin.", "common_misconception": "That integration always means better service. It means one company is accountable for all of it.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "wholesale-only", "altnet", "hyperoptic", "community-fibre" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vertically-integrated" }, { "id": "virgin-net", "term": "Virgin.net", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "An earlier Virgin-branded ADSL provider, folded into Virgin Media at the 2007 rebrand.", "long_definition": "Virgin.net was a dial-up and later ADSL provider carrying the Virgin brand, distinct from the cable business. It became part of the NTL:Telewest group and its web properties were merged into virginmedia.com alongside ntlworld.com and blueyonder.co.uk at the February 2007 rebrand.", "why_it_matters": "It is why some people remember being with Virgin long before Virgin Media cable existed.", "example_in_context": "Virgin.net, ntlworld.com and blueyonder.co.uk were merged into virginmedia.com in 2007.", "common_misconception": "That Virgin.net and Virgin Media cable were the same service. They were not.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "vmo2", "ntl", "telewest" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#virgin-net" }, { "id": "vlan", "term": "VLAN", "expansion": "Virtual Local Area Network", "pronunciation": "VEE-lan", "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "Splitting one physical network into separate logical ones.", "long_definition": "VLANs divide a network so devices in one group cannot see traffic in another, despite sharing the same cabling and switches. Businesses use them to separate payment systems, guest access and internal systems, and the principle is the same one behind a home guest network.", "why_it_matters": "It is why a card terminal on the office network can be isolated from everything else.", "example_in_context": "Payment terminals were placed on a separate VLAN from staff computers.", "common_misconception": "That separation requires separate cabling. VLANs achieve it in configuration.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "guest-network", "network-switch", "vpls", "ethernet" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Card machines and EPOS", "url": "/broadband-for-card-machines-and-epos.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vlan" }, { "id": "vmo2", "term": "VMO2", "expansion": "Virgin Media O2", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The cable and mobile operator behind the nexfibre build.", "long_definition": "Virgin Media O2 combines the former cable network with O2's mobile business. It sells broadband over its own cable and fibre footprint plus the nexfibre build, rather than over Openreach.", "why_it_matters": "It is the main national alternative to an Openreach line, with a different footprint and different availability rules.", "example_in_context": "The address was cabled by Virgin Media rather than served by Openreach.", "common_misconception": "That Virgin Media is available everywhere. Its footprint is separate and narrower.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "nexfibre", "ntl", "telewest", "docsis", "netomnia" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Virgin Media deals", "url": "/virgin-media-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vmo2" }, { "id": "vodafone", "term": "Vodafone Broadband", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A major retail provider selling over both the Openreach and CityFibre networks.", "long_definition": "Vodafone sells UK home broadband over Openreach lines and, in CityFibre areas, over the CityFibre network. That is why its fastest packages are available in some towns and not in others.", "why_it_matters": "A Vodafone line in a CityFibre town is a different product from a Vodafone line elsewhere.", "example_in_context": "The gigabit package was delivered over CityFibre rather than Openreach.", "common_misconception": "That Vodafone builds its own fixed network. It sells over other networks.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cityfibre", "openreach", "fttp" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Vodafone deals", "url": "/vodafone-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vodafone" }, { "id": "voice-over-fibre", "term": "Voice over fibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Telephone service delivered over a full fibre connection rather than copper.", "long_definition": "Where a property has full fibre, voice is carried as data over that connection, with the handset plugging into the router. It removes the copper line entirely and is the end state the switch-off programme is working toward.", "why_it_matters": "It is the destination of the entire phone network migration.", "example_in_context": "The phone service ran over the fibre connection with no copper line remaining.", "common_misconception": "That fibre cannot carry a phone service. It carries it better than copper did.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "fttp", "pstn", "wlr" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#voice-over-fibre" }, { "id": "voicemail", "term": "Voicemail", "expansion": "Answerphone service", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Network-held message storage, which usually survives a switch but may not carry messages across.", "long_definition": "Voicemail held in the network is a provider service rather than a feature of your line. Switching provider generally means a new voicemail service, and stored messages are not transferred, so anything worth keeping should be saved beforehand.", "why_it_matters": "Saved messages that matter are worth recording before a switch, since they will not follow.", "example_in_context": "Stored messages were lost at the switch because they were held by the old provider.", "common_misconception": "That voicemail follows the number. It follows the provider.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "number-porting", "ots", "digital-voice", "switching-information" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#voicemail" }, { "id": "voicemail-pin", "term": "Voicemail security", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Changing the default voicemail code, which was once trivially easy to bypass.", "long_definition": "Voicemail systems historically shipped with common default codes and permitted access from any phone, which enabled well-documented interception. Setting a personal code and disabling remote access closes it, and both take a minute.", "why_it_matters": "A default voicemail code on an old account is an open door nobody thinks about.", "example_in_context": "The default access code was replaced and remote access disabled.", "common_misconception": "That voicemail is private by default. Older systems frequently were not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "voicemail", "two-factor", "identity-theft", "sim-swap" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#voicemail-pin" }, { "id": "voicemail-to-email", "term": "Voicemail to email and transcription", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Messages delivered as audio files or text rather than requiring a call to retrieve.", "long_definition": "Hosted voice services can send messages by email as an attachment, frequently with an automatic transcription. It removes the need to dial in and makes messages searchable, and it means the message survives changing provider in a way network voicemail does not.", "why_it_matters": "Messages delivered to email survive a switch, which network voicemail does not.", "example_in_context": "Messages arrived by email with a transcription rather than requiring a dial-in.", "common_misconception": "That voicemail must be retrieved by phone. Hosted services deliver it several ways.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "voicemail", "ucaas", "softphone", "digital-voice" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#voicemail-to-email" }, { "id": "voip", "term": "VoIP", "expansion": "Voice over Internet Protocol", "pronunciation": "VOY-p", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Phone calls travelling over a broadband connection rather than a phone line.", "long_definition": "VoIP converts speech into data and carries it over the internet. It is the technology beneath Digital Voice, SIP trunking and most business phone systems, and it is what the entire UK landline estate is migrating to.", "why_it_matters": "Every UK landline becomes a VoIP service before the analogue network retires.", "example_in_context": "The landline became a VoIP service plugged into the router.", "common_misconception": "That VoIP means calling from an app. Your ordinary handset can be VoIP without you noticing.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "digital-voice", "sip", "pstn", "isdn" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Digital Voice and switching", "url": "/digital-voice-and-broadband-switching-what-happens-to-your-landline.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#voip" }, { "id": "volte", "term": "VoLTE", "expansion": "Voice over LTE", "pronunciation": "VOL-tee", "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Mobile voice calls carried over the 4G data network rather than older voice channels.", "long_definition": "VoLTE carries calls as data over 4G, improving call quality and allowing simultaneous voice and data use. Its adoption matters because it is part of how older 2G and 3G networks can eventually be retired.", "why_it_matters": "It is the mobile equivalent of the fixed-line switch-off, and it is already largely done.", "example_in_context": "Calls moved to VoLTE, so 4G data continued during the call.", "common_misconception": "That VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling are the same. One uses mobile data, the other your broadband.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "wifi-calling", "voip", "spectrum" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "3GPP standards", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#volte" }, { "id": "vpn", "term": "VPN", "expansion": "Virtual Private Network", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "An encrypted tunnel that hides traffic from the local network, including from home filters.", "long_definition": "A VPN encrypts traffic between a device and a remote server. It has legitimate uses for privacy and remote working, and it also routes around any filtering applied at the router or by the provider, which is why VPN apps appear on children's devices when filters are introduced.", "why_it_matters": "If filtering suddenly stops working on one device, check whether a VPN app has appeared on it.", "example_in_context": "The filter covered the network but not the device running a VPN.", "common_misconception": "That a VPN is inherently suspicious. It is a normal tool with a side effect worth knowing about.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "doh", "network-filtering", "device-controls", "cgnat" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router controls", "url": "/online-safety/router-controls/" }, { "anchor": "Online Safety hub", "url": "/online-safety/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vpn" }, { "id": "vpn-speed", "term": "VPN speed impact", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "02", "category": "Speed and performance", "short_definition": "Routing traffic through a VPN reduces speed and adds delay.", "long_definition": "A VPN encrypts traffic and routes it via a remote server, adding processing and distance. The effect ranges from modest to severe depending on server location and protocol, and a VPN left running is a common explanation for a connection that seems inexplicably slow.", "why_it_matters": "Check whether a VPN is running before reporting a speed problem.", "example_in_context": "Speeds returned to normal once the VPN client was disconnected.", "common_misconception": "That a VPN is speed neutral. It always costs something.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "vpn", "speed-test", "latency", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Broadband speed guide", "url": "/broadband-speed-guide.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vpn-speed" }, { "id": "vulnerability", "term": "Vulnerability", "expansion": "Vulnerable customer protections", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Ofcom rules requiring extra care for customers whose circumstances need it.", "long_definition": "Providers must identify customers in vulnerable circumstances and establish policies to support them, covering matters such as accessible communication, priority handling, and protection where disconnection or migration could cause harm. The obligations bite hardest around the retirement of the analogue phone network.", "why_it_matters": "If you or a relative depends on a phone line for care or medical alerts, these protections exist to be used.", "example_in_context": "The household was registered as vulnerable ahead of the digital voice migration.", "common_misconception": "That you must be elderly to qualify. Vulnerability is defined by circumstance, not age.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "gc", "telecare", "battery-backup", "priority-fault" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching for an elderly relative", "url": "/switch-broadband-on-behalf-of-elderly-parent-or-relative.html" }, { "anchor": "Care alarms and switching", "url": "/broadband-switching-care-alarm-health-pendant-security-alarm.html" } ], "source_primary": "Ofcom General Conditions, vulnerable customer provisions", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#vulnerability" }, { "id": "wanadoo", "term": "Wanadoo", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "WAN-ah-doo", "category_id": "11", "category": "Providers, historic", "short_definition": "France Télécom's consumer internet brand, applied to Freeserve from 2004 until the Orange rebrand in 2006.", "long_definition": "Wanadoo was France Télécom's consumer internet division. Having acquired Freeserve in 2000, it renamed the UK business Wanadoo UK plc on 28 April 2004. The brand was retired across the group on 1 June 2006, when the UK operation became Orange Home UK with around two million broadband customers.", "why_it_matters": "It is the middle link in the chain from Freeserve to EE that confuses people looking back.", "example_in_context": "Wanadoo UK became Orange Home UK on 1 June 2006.", "common_misconception": "That each name change meant a different company. It was one lineage with several names.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "freeserve", "orange-home", "ee" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "EE broadband deals", "url": "/ee-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "Wikipedia and contemporaneous trade press, cross-checked", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wanadoo" }, { "id": "warning-signs", "term": "Warning signs", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "13", "category": "Online safety", "short_definition": "Behavioural changes that suggest something is wrong online.", "long_definition": "Common indicators include secrecy about devices, distress after being online, new contacts or gifts with no clear source, switching screens when approached, and withdrawal from usual activities. Any one may be nothing; a cluster is worth a calm conversation rather than a confrontation.", "why_it_matters": "Noticing early and asking gently works better than any monitoring software.", "example_in_context": "Several changes appeared together and prompted a conversation rather than a confiscation.", "common_misconception": "That monitoring software substitutes for noticing. It does not.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "grooming", "cyberbullying", "conversations", "ceop" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Warning signs", "url": "/online-safety/warning-signs/" }, { "anchor": "Talking to kids", "url": "/online-safety/conversations-with-kids/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Online Safety hub", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#warning-signs" }, { "id": "wayleave", "term": "Wayleave", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "WAY-leev", "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "The landowner's written permission a network needs to run cable across a property.", "long_definition": "Before a network can install equipment in or across land it does not own, it needs a wayleave from the owner. In flats and apartment blocks this means the freeholder or managing agent, which is the single most common reason fibre stops at the front door of a building.", "why_it_matters": "If your block has no fibre while the street does, a missing wayleave is usually why.", "example_in_context": "The build stalled for eight months awaiting a wayleave from the managing agent.", "common_misconception": "That your landlord can refuse indefinitely without consequence. There are routes forward.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "hyperoptic", "community-fibre", "pia" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Wayleaves explained", "url": "/wayleave-explained-broadband-flats-apartment-blocks.html" }, { "anchor": "Tenant rights to full fibre", "url": "/moving-renting/tenant-rights-full-fibre-landlord-permission.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wayleave" }, { "id": "wdm", "term": "WDM, CWDM and DWDM", "expansion": "Wavelength Division Multiplexing", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Carrying many separate signals down one fibre using different colours of light.", "long_definition": "Wavelength division multiplexing sends multiple independent channels along a single fibre on different wavelengths. Dense multiplexing packs many channels into a narrow band and is how long-haul networks carry enormous capacity over fibre laid decades ago.", "why_it_matters": "It is why fibre installed in the 1990s still carries far more traffic today than it did then.", "example_in_context": "Multiplexing allowed many channels to share the same physical fibre.", "common_misconception": "That capacity is fixed when fibre is laid. Equipment upgrades multiply it repeatedly.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "dark-fibre", "core-network", "olt", "splice" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wdm" }, { "id": "weather-impact", "term": "Weather and network faults", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "How storms, flooding and heat affect networks differently.", "long_definition": "Copper is highly susceptible to water ingress at joints, so faults spike after heavy rain. Fibre is largely immune to moisture but vulnerable to physical damage from falling trees and flooding of chambers. Heat mainly affects powered equipment in cabinets.", "why_it_matters": "A fault that appears after every storm points at copper joints rather than equipment.", "example_in_context": "Faults spiked after heavy rain, indicating water ingress at external joints.", "common_misconception": "That weather affects all connections equally. Copper is far more susceptible.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "line-plant", "cable-cut", "fault-reporting", "chamber" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#weather-impact" }, { "id": "welcome-pack", "term": "Welcome pack and contract documents", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The paperwork arriving after you order, which is worth reading once.", "long_definition": "The documents sent after ordering restate the price, term, speed estimate, any scheduled increases and the cancellation period. If any of it differs from what was agreed verbally, raising it immediately is far easier than arguing months later.", "why_it_matters": "Checking it against what you were told, once, prevents most later disputes.", "example_in_context": "The documents disclosed a term length different from the one discussed on the call.", "common_misconception": "That the paperwork simply repeats the sales conversation. Discrepancies are common.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "contract-summary", "pre-contract-info", "cooling-off", "mis-selling" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switching checklist", "url": "/broadband-switch-checklist.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#welcome-pack" }, { "id": "wftmr", "term": "WFTMR", "expansion": "Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "04", "category": "Regulation and policy", "short_definition": "Ofcom's rules governing the wholesale price of lines, the predecessor settlement to the TAR.", "long_definition": "The WFTMR set the wholesale access rules for the period preceding the Telecoms Access Review, deliberately holding back some price regulation on full fibre to encourage competitive network build.", "why_it_matters": "It is the policy choice that made the UK altnet boom possible, and the one now being reassessed.", "example_in_context": "The WFTMR's approach was designed to encourage investment rather than minimise short-term prices.", "common_misconception": "That it capped retail prices. It governed wholesale terms.", "status": "retired", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": true, "audience": "regulatory", "related_terms": [ "tar", "ofcom", "smp", "pia" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "The Great Consolidation report", "url": "/reports/the-great-consolidation/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wftmr" }, { "id": "switching-savings", "term": "What switching actually saves", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "03", "category": "Switching and contracts", "short_definition": "The gap between an out-of-contract price and a new customer deal at the same address.", "long_definition": "The saving depends on how long you have been out of contract and how competitive your address is. Households with several networks available and a long out-of-contract period see the largest gap, and those figures are what make the loyalty penalty measurable.", "why_it_matters": "The longer you have stayed, the more switching is likely to be worth.", "example_in_context": "A long out-of-contract period at a competitive address produced the largest saving.", "common_misconception": "That savings are similar for everyone. They vary enormously by address and tenure.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "loyalty-penalty", "ooc", "overbuild", "price-war" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How to save money on broadband", "url": "/how-to-save-money-on-broadband.html" }, { "anchor": "Cheapest deals", "url": "/cheapest-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 28, The Loyalty Penalty", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#switching-savings" }, { "id": "comparison-checklist", "term": "What to compare", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "The six things that actually decide which broadband deal is better.", "long_definition": "Speed at your address rather than advertised, contract length, total cost including setup and scheduled rises, what happens at the end of the term, upload speed if you work from home, and the provider's complaints record. Everything else is secondary.", "why_it_matters": "Six checks separate a genuinely good deal from one that merely tops a comparison table.", "example_in_context": "Comparing on all six changed which package was actually the better choice.", "common_misconception": "That price and speed are enough. Term, end price and support decide as much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "tcv", "tariff-comparison", "speed-estimate", "ofcom-complaints-data" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Compare deals by postcode", "url": "/compare-broadband-by-postcode.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk ranking methodology", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#comparison-checklist" }, { "id": "which", "term": "Which?", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The consumer champion, whose provider satisfaction surveys are widely cited.", "long_definition": "Which? tests products and services and publishes independent consumer research, including annual broadband provider satisfaction surveys covering speed, reliability, value and customer service.", "why_it_matters": "Its satisfaction rankings are one of the few independent service quality comparisons available.", "example_in_context": "The provider ranked well on customer service in the annual survey.", "common_misconception": "That satisfaction rankings track speed. Service and value weigh heavily too.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "complaints-code", "ofcom", "citizens-advice" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "How we rank deals", "url": "/how-we-rank-broadband-deals.html" } ], "source_primary": "Which?", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#which" }, { "id": "whitelabel", "term": "White label", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Selling another company's service under your own brand.", "long_definition": "White label arrangements let a retailer sell a service built and operated by someone else under its own name and pricing. Many smaller broadband brands are white label operations, which is why their coverage and speeds match a larger provider exactly.", "why_it_matters": "It explains how a brand with no network can offer identical coverage to a major one.", "example_in_context": "The retail brand sold a white label service operated by a larger provider.", "common_misconception": "That every brand operates its own service. Many resell under their own name.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "mvno", "wholesale", "host-network", "onestream" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#whitelabel" }, { "id": "who-to-contact", "term": "Who to contact about what", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Matching a problem to the right organisation, which saves weeks.", "long_definition": "Faults and billing go to your provider first. Unresolved disputes go to the adjudication scheme after eight weeks or at deadlock. Data and marketing go to the Information Commissioner. Premium charges go to the phone-paid services regulator. Fraud goes to the national reporting centre.", "why_it_matters": "Sending a complaint to the wrong body can cost you months and sometimes the right to complain.", "example_in_context": "The complaint reached the correct body only after several weeks had been lost.", "common_misconception": "That Ofcom resolves individual complaints. It regulates rather than adjudicates.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ncc", "adr", "ico", "psa", "action-fraud" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Compensation and service failure", "url": "/broadband-compensation-and-service-failure.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#who-to-contact" }, { "id": "wholesale", "term": "Wholesale", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Selling network access to other companies rather than to households.", "long_definition": "A wholesale network sells capacity to retail providers who brand, price and support the service. Some networks are wholesale only, some sell direct as well, and the distinction determines whether you can buy from the company whose cable is outside your door.", "why_it_matters": "It is why the network you are on and the company you pay are frequently different businesses.", "example_in_context": "The network operated wholesale only, so all customers came through retail partners.", "common_misconception": "That the network owner is always your provider. Often it never touches the customer.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "cityfibre", "gea", "anchor-tenant", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wholesale" }, { "id": "wholesale-only", "term": "Wholesale-only model", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "07", "category": "Money and market", "short_definition": "Building a network and selling access exclusively to retailers, never to households.", "long_definition": "A wholesale-only operator avoids the cost of retail marketing, billing and customer service, and avoids competing with its own customers. In exchange it depends entirely on retail partners to generate take-up, which concentrates commercial risk in a small number of relationships.", "why_it_matters": "It is why some networks outside your window will never sell to you directly.", "example_in_context": "The wholesale-only network relied on three retail partners for all its customers.", "common_misconception": "That wholesale-only means less consumer choice. It can mean several retailers on one network.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "investor", "related_terms": [ "wholesale", "vertically-integrated", "anchor-tenant", "cityfibre" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Which network does my provider use?", "url": "/how-to-tell-which-network-your-broadband-provider-uses.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 27, The Great Consolidation", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wholesale-only" }, { "id": "wifi4", "term": "Wi-Fi 4", "expansion": "IEEE 802.11n", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The older standard still running in many devices, and a common hidden bottleneck.", "long_definition": "Wi-Fi 4 remains present in older laptops, printers, cameras and smart devices. Because wireless is shared, one old device transmitting slowly occupies airtime disproportionately, which is why a single ageing item can hold back an otherwise modern network.", "why_it_matters": "One old device on the network slows everything else, not just itself.", "example_in_context": "An old printer transmitting slowly occupied airtime the whole network shared.", "common_misconception": "That old devices only affect their own speed. On shared wireless they affect everyone.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "airtime", "wifi5", "wifi6", "concurrent-devices" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE 802.11n", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi4" }, { "id": "wifi5", "term": "Wi-Fi 5", "expansion": "IEEE 802.11ac", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The 5 GHz generation still running in a great many homes and now the weak link on fast lines.", "long_definition": "Wi-Fi 5 introduced wider channels and beamforming on the 5 GHz band and remains extremely common in supplied routers. On a gigabit connection it is frequently the limiting factor, since achievable real-world throughput falls well short of the line rate.", "why_it_matters": "If your router is a few years old, this is probably why your gigabit line tests at half that.", "example_in_context": "The older router capped throughput well below what the line could deliver.", "common_misconception": "That any modern-looking router is current. Wi-Fi 5 hardware is still widely in use.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wifi6", "wifi7", "throughput", "byo-router" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE 802.11ac", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi5" }, { "id": "wifi6", "term": "Wi-Fi 6 and 6E", "expansion": "IEEE 802.11ax", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The generation before Wi-Fi 7, with 6E adding the less crowded 6 GHz band.", "long_definition": "Wi-Fi 6 improved efficiency in homes with many connected devices rather than raising peak speed dramatically. Wi-Fi 6E extended it into the 6 GHz band, which is far less congested than 2.4 and 5 GHz but has shorter range.", "why_it_matters": "In a flat surrounded by neighbouring networks, moving to a clearer band often helps more than a faster package.", "example_in_context": "Switching to the 6 GHz band removed the evening congestion in the block.", "common_misconception": "That every 6 GHz-capable device benefits everywhere. Range is shorter than 5 GHz.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "wifi7", "bands", "router", "mesh" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "IEEE 802.11ax", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi6" }, { "id": "wifi-alliance", "term": "Wi-Fi Alliance", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "12", "category": "Industry bodies", "short_definition": "The industry body that certifies Wi-Fi products work together and owns the Wi-Fi name.", "long_definition": "The Wi-Fi Alliance tests and certifies devices for interoperability, manages the Wi-Fi trademark and assigns the generation numbering that replaced the older specification names. It also defines security certifications such as WPA3.", "why_it_matters": "Certification is the reason a router from one maker works with a laptop from another.", "example_in_context": "The router carried Wi-Fi Alliance certification for WPA3.", "common_misconception": "That the Alliance writes the standards. It certifies against IEEE specifications.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "ieee", "wifi7", "wpa3" ], "internal_links": [], "source_primary": "Wi-Fi Alliance", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi-alliance" }, { "id": "wifi-analyser", "term": "Wi-Fi analyser", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "An app showing which channels neighbouring networks are using.", "long_definition": "Analyser apps display nearby networks, their channels and signal strengths, making congestion visible. Walking around a home with one is the quickest way to find dead spots and to establish whether a problem is coverage or congestion.", "why_it_matters": "Ten minutes with a free app usually explains a Wi-Fi problem better than any support call.", "example_in_context": "The app showed eleven networks crowded onto the same channel.", "common_misconception": "That poor Wi-Fi means poor broadband. Analysers separate the two.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "channel", "rssi", "mesh", "speed-test" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi-analyser" }, { "id": "wifi-calling", "term": "Wi-Fi calling", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "06", "category": "Voice and the switch-off", "short_definition": "Making mobile calls over your home broadband when the mobile signal is weak.", "long_definition": "Wi-Fi calling routes mobile voice traffic over a broadband connection instead of the mobile network, using your normal number and dialler. It is supported by the major UK networks and most recent handsets, and needs only a modest connection to work well.", "why_it_matters": "In a rural home with poor mobile coverage, it turns your broadband into your mobile signal.", "example_in_context": "Wi-Fi calling made the house usable for mobile calls despite no outdoor signal.", "common_misconception": "That it uses your minutes differently. Calls are normally billed exactly as usual.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "volte", "voip", "fwa" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wifi-calling" }, { "id": "channel", "term": "Wi-Fi channel", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The specific frequency slice your Wi-Fi uses, which neighbours may be sitting on too.", "long_definition": "Each band is divided into channels. In dense housing, many networks crowd onto the same ones, and interference rather than distance becomes the limiting factor. Most routers select automatically, though a manual choice sometimes performs better in a congested block.", "why_it_matters": "In a block of flats, changing channel can help more than any hardware upgrade.", "example_in_context": "Moving off the congested channel doubled usable throughput in the flat.", "common_misconception": "That a stronger signal always means better performance. A clear channel matters as much.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "technical", "related_terms": [ "bands", "wifi6", "router", "throughput" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#channel" }, { "id": "extender", "term": "Wi-Fi extender", "expansion": "Repeater, booster", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "A device that rebroadcasts your Wi-Fi further, usually at the cost of speed.", "long_definition": "An extender receives the existing Wi-Fi signal and retransmits it. Because most single-band extenders use the same radio to talk in both directions, throughput past the extender is typically halved. A mesh system or a wired access point avoids that penalty.", "why_it_matters": "An extender is the cheap fix, but it is why the far end of the house is slow rather than absent.", "example_in_context": "The extender restored coverage in the garden room at roughly half the speed.", "common_misconception": "That an extender and a mesh node are equivalent. They behave quite differently.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "mesh", "wifi7", "powerline", "backhaul" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#extender" }, { "id": "wightfibre", "term": "WightFibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The Isle of Wight's own full fibre network and retail provider.", "long_definition": "WightFibre builds and sells full fibre across the Isle of Wight, operating as the island's local network rather than as a national builder.", "why_it_matters": "It is a rare example of a single-island network reaching near-complete local coverage.", "example_in_context": "WightFibre served the address directly rather than through Openreach.", "common_misconception": "That island addresses are poorly served. Coverage there is unusually complete.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "vertically-integrated", "footprint" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "WightFibre deals", "url": "/wightfibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wightfibre" }, { "id": "wisp", "term": "WISP", "expansion": "Wireless Internet Service Provider", "pronunciation": "WISP", "category_id": "01", "category": "Connection technology", "short_definition": "A provider delivering broadband by radio link, typically in rural areas.", "long_definition": "Wireless providers mount equipment on masts, silos or church towers and beam capacity to receivers on customers' buildings. It requires line of sight and has served rural communities for years where fixed lines were poor, though many operators are now building fibre instead.", "why_it_matters": "In hilly or remote areas it has often been the fastest option available for years.", "example_in_context": "The farm was served by a wireless link from a mast four kilometres away.", "common_misconception": "That wireless broadband means mobile. Fixed wireless uses dedicated point-to-point links.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "fwa", "quickline", "spectrum", "satellite" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Rural broadband guide", "url": "/rural-broadband-switching-guide-when-full-fibre-not-available.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wisp" }, { "id": "wlr", "term": "WLR", "expansion": "Wholesale Line Rental", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "05", "category": "Network and wholesale", "short_definition": "Renting BT's copper line to sell on, a product now being withdrawn.", "long_definition": "WLR let other providers sell a phone line running over BT's copper under their own brand. As the analogue network retires, WLR is being withdrawn, which is why line rental is disappearing from bills and why SOGEA and its successors exist.", "why_it_matters": "The disappearance of line rental from your bill is this withdrawal working through to consumers.", "example_in_context": "The account moved off WLR to a broadband-only product.", "common_misconception": "That losing WLR means losing your phone number. Numbers port across.", "status": "withdrawing", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": true, "is_rule": true, "audience": "industry", "related_terms": [ "pstn", "sogea", "llu", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Switch without a landline", "url": "/switch-without-landline.html" }, { "anchor": "The Last Dial Tone report", "url": "/reports/the-last-dial-tone/" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk Report No. 26, The Last Dial Tone", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "26", "27", "28" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wlr" }, { "id": "household-needs", "term": "Working out what you need", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "09", "category": "Consumer protection", "short_definition": "Matching a package to how a household actually uses its connection.", "long_definition": "The questions that matter are how many people are online at once, whether anyone works from home, whether anyone games competitively and whether large files are uploaded regularly. Those answers point to a speed tier far more reliably than household size alone.", "why_it_matters": "How you use a connection matters far more than how many people live in the house.", "example_in_context": "Two similar households needed different packages because one included a home worker.", "common_misconception": "That household size determines the right package. Usage pattern matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "speed-tier", "concurrent-devices", "upload-speed", "headroom" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "What speed do I need?", "url": "/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need.html" }, { "anchor": "Broadband for large households", "url": "/broadband-for-large-households.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk editorial", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#household-needs" }, { "id": "wpa3", "term": "WPA3", "expansion": "Wi-Fi Protected Access 3", "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "08", "category": "Home network and kit", "short_definition": "The current Wi-Fi security standard, and the one your router should be using.", "long_definition": "WPA3 replaced WPA2 with stronger protection against password guessing and better handling of open networks. Most routers offer a mixed mode so older devices that only support WPA2 can still connect while newer ones use WPA3.", "why_it_matters": "If your router is still set to WPA or WEP, that is a security problem worth fixing today.", "example_in_context": "The router was set to WPA2 only and was moved to mixed WPA2 and WPA3 mode.", "common_misconception": "That changing it breaks old devices. Mixed mode exists precisely to avoid that.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "ssid", "router", "firmware" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Router login and settings", "url": "/broadband-help/router-login-and-settings/" } ], "source_primary": "Wi-Fi Alliance", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#wpa3" }, { "id": "youfibre", "term": "YouFibre", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "The retail brand selling over the Netomnia full fibre network.", "long_definition": "YouFibre sells symmetric full fibre packages to households over Netomnia's network, with upload speeds matching download, which remains unusual among UK consumer providers.", "why_it_matters": "If you upload large files or work from home, symmetric speeds are a material difference rather than a specification detail.", "example_in_context": "The package delivered 1 Gbps in both directions.", "common_misconception": "That upload always matters less than download. For home working and creative work it often matters more.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "netomnia", "altnet", "symmetric" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "YouFibre deals", "url": "/youfibre-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "Upload vs download speed", "url": "/upload-speed-vs-download-speed-what-broadband-switchers-should-compare.html" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [ "27" ], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#youfibre" }, { "id": "zen", "term": "Zen Internet", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": null, "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A long-established independent provider selling over Openreach and CityFibre, known for service rather than price.", "long_definition": "Zen is an employee and founder-owned ISP with a long record in both consumer and business broadband, selling over Openreach and CityFibre networks.", "why_it_matters": "It rarely wins on headline price and frequently wins on support, which matters if you work from home.", "example_in_context": "The connection was Zen over a CityFibre line.", "common_misconception": "That independent means small-scale or unreliable. Zen has operated for over thirty years.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "cityfibre", "openreach" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Zen deals", "url": "/zen-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#zen" }, { "id": "zzoomm", "term": "Zzoomm", "expansion": null, "pronunciation": "ZOOM", "category_id": "10", "category": "Providers, current", "short_definition": "A full fibre altnet focused on market towns rather than major cities.", "long_definition": "Zzoomm builds full fibre in smaller towns that larger operators deprioritised, selling direct to households.", "why_it_matters": "In the towns it covers it is frequently the first full fibre option to arrive.", "example_in_context": "Zzoomm reached the town centre well ahead of the national networks.", "common_misconception": "That smaller networks are less capable. Its packages are gigabit capable.", "status": "current", "sunset_date": null, "on_bill": false, "is_rule": false, "audience": "consumer", "related_terms": [ "altnet", "footprint", "greenfield" ], "internal_links": [ { "anchor": "Zzoomm deals", "url": "/zzoomm-broadband-deals.html" }, { "anchor": "UK market directory", "url": "/broadband-providers.php" } ], "source_primary": "BroadbandSwitch.uk provider directory", "reviewed_by": "Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith", "reviewed_date": "2026-07-22", "reports_used_in": [], "anchor": "https://broadbandswitch.uk/glossary.html#zzoomm" } ] }