Ofcom's complaints figures for April to June 2026, published on 26 October 2026, show fixed broadband at 6 complaints per 100,000 customers for the second quarter running. That is level with the lowest point in a series that started at 35 in late 2010. Virgin Media (4), Plusnet and Sky (5) drew the fewest; BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone (7 each) drew the most.
In one line
UK broadband complaints to Ofcom stayed at a record-low 6 per 100,000 customers in Q2 2026; Virgin Media, Sky and Plusnet had the fewest, BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone the most, and Ofcom says the gaps inside each of those groups are too small to rank.
The broadband league table, Q2 2026
Every provider in Ofcom's fixed broadband table is shown below, with the previous quarter and the same quarter a year earlier. Lower is better. The figures are complaints made to Ofcom per 100,000 residential customers, rounded to whole numbers by Ofcom.
Bars are scaled to 10. Source: Ofcom, Telecoms and pay-TV complaints, Q2 2026 summary data, published 26 October 2026.
| Provider | Q2 2026 | Q1 2026 | Q2 2025 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 4 | 6 | 8 | Halved in a year |
| Plusnet | 5 | 4 | 4 | Up one on the quarter |
| Sky | 5 | 5 | 6 | Steady |
| Industry average | 6 | 6 | 8 | Unchanged; down two in a year |
| BT | 7 | 7 | 9 | Steady; down two in a year |
| EE | 7 | 6 | 10 | Up one on the quarter; down three in a year |
| TalkTalk | 7 | 10 | 9 | Down three on the quarter |
| Vodafone | 7 | 8 | 9 | Down one on the quarter |
Two things stand out. Virgin Media has gone from 8 a year ago to 4, the lowest figure in the table, which is a long way from the 32 it recorded in Q3 2023. TalkTalk has dropped from 10 to 7 in a single quarter, which takes it out of a position it had held on its own and puts it level with BT, EE and Vodafone.
Why Ofcom will not call one provider the winner
Ofcom rounds every figure to a whole number and says that where the actual difference between two providers is less than one complaint per 100,000, their performance should be treated as equivalent. For Q2 2026 that puts Virgin Media, Sky and Plusnet in one group, Plusnet alongside the industry average, and EE, Vodafone, TalkTalk and BT in another. So the honest reading is not "Virgin Media is best" but "three providers are at the low end and four are at the high end, and the gap between the two ends is close to double".
It also helps to remember what the number measures. It is complaints that reached Ofcom, not complaints made to the provider or to an ombudsman, so it is a partial picture, and Ofcom says it has not checked the truth of individual complaints. A provider in the news for an outage or a fine tends to see a spike as people look for somewhere to complain. Smaller providers move more from quarter to quarter because their customer base is smaller.
Landline, mobile and pay TV
The same release covers three other services. Each is a separate count, and Ofcom does not add them together.
| Service | Average | Fewest | Most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed broadband | 6 | Virgin Media 4; Plusnet, Sky 5 | BT, EE, TalkTalk, Vodafone 7 |
| Landline | 3 | Utility Warehouse 1; Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone 2 | Plusnet 10; TalkTalk 6; BT 5; EE 4 |
| Pay-monthly mobile | 2 | EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Vodafone 1 | Sky Mobile 3; O2, Three 2 |
| Pay TV | 2 | TalkTalk 0.2; Sky 2 | EE 4; Virgin Media 3 |
The landline figure for Plusnet is the one to watch: 10 per 100,000, up from 7 in Q1 2026 and 3 a year earlier, at a time when the whole industry is moving landlines onto digital voice before the analogue network is retired on 31 January 2027. Ofcom's own caution applies here too: Plusnet's landline base is small, so its rate swings further than a large provider's would on the same number of complaints.
The long view: from 35 to 6
Ofcom has published this series every quarter since 2011, with the first point covering Q4 2010. Fixed broadband complaints started at 35 per 100,000, peaked at 40 in Q1 2011, were still 19 in early 2021, and have been 10 or below since Q2 2024. The pattern is not a smooth decline: 2015, 2020 and 2023 each saw a jump before the fall resumed. The running chart, the provider tables for every quarter and the full history for all four services are on our UK Broadband in Numbers tracker, which refreshes the card the day Ofcom publishes.
Bars are scaled to 40. Source: Ofcom Q2 2026 summary data; quarters picked to show the peak, the plateaus and the latest low.
What to do with this if you are choosing a provider
Use it as one input, not the decision. A provider with 7 complaints per 100,000 customers is still resolving the overwhelming majority of problems without the regulator hearing about it. Price, the speed you can get at your address, the length of the contract and the size of any mid-contract rise usually matter more month to month, and all four are shown on every deal when you compare deals at your postcode. Where two deals are close, the complaints table and Ofcom's satisfaction survey (84% of broadband customers satisfied in 2024, Plusnet highest at 91%) are a fair tie-breaker.
What to do if your own complaint is stuck
Complain to the provider first, in writing if you can, and keep the reference. If it is not sorted, or the provider writes to say you have reached deadlock, you can take it to the independent dispute scheme the provider belongs to. Every provider must be a member of one of two: the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS. Both are free to use. You can also tell Ofcom, which is where the figures above come from; Ofcom does not settle individual cases, but the pattern of complaints feeds its enforcement work. Our compensation calculator works out what automatic compensation you are owed for missed appointments, delayed starts and loss of service.
Questions people ask
Which broadband provider had the fewest complaints in Q2 2026?
Virgin Media, with 4 complaints per 100,000 customers, followed by Plusnet and Sky on 5. Ofcom treats the three as comparable because their actual figures differ by less than one complaint per 100,000. Source: Ofcom, Telecoms and pay-TV complaints, Q2 2026, published 26 October 2026.
Which broadband provider had the most complaints in Q2 2026?
BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone each drew 7 complaints per 100,000 customers, against an industry average of 6. Ofcom groups the four together as comparable. TalkTalk's figure fell from 10 in Q1 2026; EE's rose from 6.
What is the industry average for broadband complaints?
6 complaints per 100,000 fixed broadband customers in Q2 2026, unchanged from Q1 2026 and level with the lowest point since Ofcom's series began in Q4 2010, when the average was 35. The peak was 40 in Q1 2011.
How does Ofcom count complaints?
Ofcom counts complaints made to Ofcom itself by residential customers, up to two per service per contact, and divides them by the provider's residential subscriptions to give a rate per 100,000. Complaints made to the provider or to an ombudsman are not included. Providers with a stable market share of 1.5% or more are reported.
What should I do if my broadband provider will not resolve my complaint?
Complain to your provider first and keep a record. If it is not resolved, or the provider sends a deadlock letter, you can take it to the free Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme your provider belongs to (Communications Ombudsman or CISAS). Ofcom records complaints but does not resolve individual cases.
Key takeaways
- Fixed broadband complaints to Ofcom: 6 per 100,000 customers in Q2 2026, the same as Q1 and level with the lowest since 2010.
- Fewest: Virgin Media 4, Plusnet 5, Sky 5. Most: BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone, 7 each. Ofcom treats each group as comparable.
- Virgin Media has halved its rate in a year; TalkTalk dropped from 10 to 7 in a quarter.
- Landline averaged 3 (Plusnet 10 the outlier), pay-monthly mobile 2, pay TV 2.
- The figures count complaints to Ofcom only, so treat them as one signal among several when you choose.
Adrian's take. The direction is what matters, and it has been one way for three years. When I started covering this series, an industry average under 10 looked unlikely; now the worst figure in the table, 7, is lower than the industry average was in any quarter before the end of 2025. The gap that is left is between providers, not between the industry and its customers, and that is exactly the kind of gap a comparison can close.
Closing thought. If your provider is in the top group, that is a reason to check what else is available at your address, not a reason to panic. If it is in the bottom group and you are out of contract, you are probably paying for a service other people are getting cheaper.
References
- Ofcom. (2026a). Telecoms and pay-TV complaints: Q2 (April to June) 2026 [Web page, last updated 26 October 2026]. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
- Ofcom. (2026b). Telecoms and pay TV complaints, Q2 (April to June) 2026: Summary data [Data set, CSV]. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/multi-sector/pay-tv-complaints/2026/q2-2026-summary-csv.csv (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
- Ofcom. (2026c). Telecoms and pay-TV complaints: Background and methodology [Methodology document, published 26 October 2026]. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
- Ofcom. (2025). Comparing customer service: Mobile, home broadband and landline [Report, published 22 May 2025, reissued 18 September 2026]. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/report (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
- Openreach. (2026). Upgrading the UK to digital phone lines. https://www.openreach.com/upgrading-the-UK-to-digital-phone-lines (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
- BroadbandSwitch.uk Data Lab. (2026). UK Broadband in Numbers (Edition 1, October 2026) [Data set]. https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-statistics/ (Retrieved 26 October 2026)
Written by Adrian James, Broadband Editor. Reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Founder. Figures as published by Ofcom on 26 October 2026; the next quarterly release (Q3 2026) is expected in late January 2027. Spotted a mistake? Email editorial@broadbandswitch.uk.