UK broadband switching hub 2026: One Touch Switch, price rises, compensation and your rights

Switching is now the easy part: since One Touch Switch launched on 12 September 2024 you contact only the new provider, and 1.625 million people had moved that way within the first year. The part worth learning is your rights. This hub covers the five ways out of a contract without paying, the 2026 compensation rates when a switch goes wrong, exactly how the process runs behind the scenes, and the traps, from bundles to house moves, where the easy path does not apply.

Adrian James, Broadband Editor at BroadbandSwitch.uk
Adrian James Broadband Editor · wrote this hub
Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Head of Editorial at BroadbandSwitch.uk
Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith Head of Editorial · reviewed it
Last updated . Next review by . Regulatory facts, rates and volumes as published at 5 August 2026. Editorial policy · Corrections log
Step one of any switch: see your options

Every provider and speed at your address, with live prices, ranked by total contract cost, before you touch your current contract.

Independent and free. See how we rank deals.
Can you leave without paying? Tap your situation Instant verdict from the rights on this page, with the rule behind it and your next step.
    • 1.625M+UK switches under One Touch Switch by September 2025
    • 60 secondsfor your old provider to answer the switch request electronically
    • £32.31automatic compensation per missed engineer appointment
    • 6 weeksto ombudsman escalation from April 2026, down from 8
    You only ever talk to one provider

    How One Touch Switch actually runs

    Since 12 September 2024 the new provider owns the whole switch, coordinated through the industry's central TOTSCo Hub. You never contact the old provider, you never pay two providers past the switch date, and the old contract ends the day the new line goes live.

    1. Pick the new deal at your addressRun the postcode check first: networks, speeds and prices are address facts. Weigh the rise schedule too, since several altnets hold prices flat for the whole term.
    2. Order with the new provider onlyName, address, current provider. Their system fires a match request into the TOTSCo Hub, and your old provider must answer electronically within 60 seconds, or 24 hours by post.
    3. Read the Switching Information Notification, 1 to 5 working daysIt states any early-termination charges, hardware returns, the final bill arrangements, anything in a bundle needing separate cancellation, and the agreed switch date.
    4. Consent, with a cushionSign and confirm. Your 14-day cooling-off runs from the day after activation, and Sky stretches it to 31 days for broadband.
    5. Switch day does itselfNew service live, old service disconnected, same day. Cross-network installs usually run old and new in parallel, so cutover downtime is often zero.
    6. Return kit if askedThe notification says what goes back and how. Keep proof of postage, since router return charges are an avoidable classic.
    The machinery behind the magic

    The TOTSCo Hub, in one minute

    The One Touch Switching Company is the industry-funded, not-for-profit operator of the central messaging platform every residential fixed-line switch passes through. You never see it, but it explains both the speed and the occasional stumble: 22 million messages processed in the first year, with the address-match rate climbing from 60 percent at launch to roughly 67 percent as providers refined their matching. When a switch stalls, it is usually a data mismatch at this stage, and the Hub's records become your evidence. The rules have teeth: under General Conditions C7.47 to C7.49, if a provider's OTS failure forces you to chase the old provider yourself, you are typically entitled to compensation.

    The five-step One Touch Switch process: you order with the new provider; the TOTSCo Hub matches your line with a 60-second electronic response from the old provider; the Switching Information Notification arrives within 1 to 5 working days; on switch day the new line goes live and the old contract ends the same day; and a 14-day cooling-off period runs from the day after activation, 31 days with Sky. 1.625 million UK switches in the first year, most completing inside 10 to 14 working days.
    Figure 1. One Touch Switch end to end: one provider, one hub, one switch day, one cushion. Process and figures as published from Ofcom and TOTSCo updates to September 2025.
    Same wire fast, new wire slower

    Timelines by network route

    How long a switch takes depends less on the brands and more on the wires beneath them. Staying on the same physical network needs no engineer; crossing networks needs an install, though old and new usually run in parallel so you are rarely offline. The routes, honestly drawn:

    • Openreach to OpenreachBT to Sky, TalkTalk to Vodafone, Plusnet to Zen and most UK switches. Typically 10 working days, sometimes 1 to 2, with an hour or two of downtime in the handover window.No engineer, same line
    • CityFibre to CityFibreVodafone to toob to Cuckoo and the other CityFibre brands. Typically 10 working days with minutes of downtime; CityFibre claims installs within 5 working days in its footprints.No engineer, same line
    • Crossing onto CityFibre or an altnetFrom Openreach onto CityFibre, or onto YouFibre's Netomnia network. Typically 10 to 20 working days with an engineer install, old line running in parallel, so cutover downtime is often zero.Engineer, parallel running
    • Crossing onto or off Virgin MediaHistorically the fiddliest route, now fully OTS-supported. Expect 10 to 20 working days with a Virgin Media install when joining the cable network for the first time.Engineer, parallel running
    • Hyperoptic, building already wiredIn blocks with Hyperoptic infrastructure under an existing wayleave, switches can complete in days, sometimes same-day, with only in-building work.Fastest case of all
    • Hyperoptic, building not wiredThe freeholder must sign a wayleave before anything can be installed, which can take weeks or months. The slowest case, and out of any individual resident's hands.Wayleave first, then install

    Worth knowing. Virgin Media O2's February 2026 acquisition of Netomnia, bringing the YouFibre and Brsk retail brands into the group, is gradually simplifying switches within that family, part of the consolidation story our Great Consolidation report tracks. If a fast switch matters, favour a same-network route at your address, and always ask the new provider to confirm parallel running before you order.

    The number under the headline price

    2026 price rises, provider by provider

    Since 17 January 2025, new contracts must state any future rise in pounds and pence at the point of sale; inflation-linked formulas are banned for new sign-ups, and the February 2026 Telecoms Consumer Charter makes April 2026 the final legacy inflation-linked increase. The fixed April amounts, as published:

    • BT, EE and Plusnet£4 per month each April. Out-of-contract customers are being moved from the old inflation formula onto the fixed plan.
    • Virgin Media£4 per month across broadband, TV and phone. Contracts from before 9 January 2025 may see one final RPI-based year.
    • Sky£3 per month, and uniquely a 30-day penalty-free exit on any rise, disclosed or not. NOW Broadband shares the exit stance, with £2 rises applied in July for contracts signed 8 September 2024 to 8 November 2025.
    • Vodafone£3.50 per month for contracts from 2 July 2024; earlier sign-ups may face a final CPI plus 3.9 percent year.
    • TalkTalk£3 per month, rising to £4 for contracts signed from 16 November 2025.
    • ThreeFixed pounds-and-pence rises for contracts from 1 September 2024.

    And the counterweight: a growing group holds prices flat for the whole minimum term, including Zen with its Contract Price Promise, Cuckoo, toob, YouFibre, Brsk on fixed-term plans, Trooli's 24-month lock, and selected Community Fibre and Plusnet tiers. One notable pivot the other way: Hyperoptic, long the flag-bearer for no mid-contract rises, moved new customers onto fixed annual increases in 2025/26. The arithmetic is why this matters: a £25 deal with one £4 April rise inside a 24-month term costs £628, not £600, and two April rises cost more again. Price the whole contract, and see the full rises guide for every date and clause.

    The £60 to £240 a year habit

    Timing: the cheapest trick in broadband

    Your provider must send an end-of-contract notification 10 to 40 days before your minimum term ends, naming the date, the price if you do nothing, and their best renewal offers. Treat it as your starting gun: out-of-contract customers typically pay £5 to £20 a month over new-customer rates, the single biggest avoidable broadband cost. Because most providers want 30 days' notice even out of contract, start comparing 30 to 40 days before the end date, order the new deal to activate around it, and let One Touch Switch handle the rest. If the renewal offer genuinely competes, ring retentions and ask for the new-customer equivalent; if it does not, the switch-before-it-ends guide shows how to line the dates up. A calendar reminder 40 days out is the highest-value broadband admin a household can do.

    Your rights, in writing

    The five penalty-free exits

    Outside these, early-termination fees apply, typically the remaining months at a small discount. Inside them, you leave without paying, and every one is a written right rather than a favour. The checker at the top of the page runs on exactly these cards.

    The five penalty-free broadband exits: the cooling-off period of 14 days from the day after activation, 31 with Sky; being out of contract, leaving any time on 30 days notice; speeds below the Guaranteed Minimum Speed after a 30-day fix window; a price rise not clearly disclosed in the original contract, with exit within 30 days of the notice; and a fault unfixed for 30 days. If none apply, exit fees are due, but switching credit deals can cover them.
    Figure 2. Five doors out, each a written right, each opened by documentation. Rights as published on this page, August 2026.
    • 1. The cooling-off period14 days from the day after activation under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, for any reason at all. Sky gives 31 days for broadband, the only major to exceed the floor.Verdict: yes, leave freely
    • 2. Out of contractMinimum term done means 30 days' notice and nothing more. This is also where the £5 to £20 monthly loyalty penalty lives, so it is the exit most worth taking promptly.Verdict: yes, leave freely
    • 3. Speeds below the guaranteeAll the majors signed Ofcom's Voluntary Code of Practice. Consistently under your Guaranteed Minimum Speed, after a reasonable 30-day chance to fix, opens the door.Verdict: yes, after the fix window
    • 4. A rise you were not clearly told aboutUndisclosed or mis-stated rises give a 30-day exit from the notification under Ofcom's General Conditions. Sky and NOW go further and release you on any rise at all.Verdict: it depends on your contract
    • 5. A fault unfixed for 30 daysOnce logged, the provider gets 30 days. Beyond that the contract has not been delivered, and mid-contract exit is yours, with your records doing the arguing.Verdict: yes, with documentation
    • Also asked: moving homeNot one of the five, and not covered by OTS either. Whether fees apply turns on whether your provider can serve the new address and their moves policy, so raise it early and get the answer in writing.Verdict: it depends on the provider
    • Also asked: just fed up mid-contractHonesty corner: with no trigger, fees apply. Check the exit fees guide for the maths, and the switching credit deals where a new provider pays them for you.Verdict: fees apply, but help exists

    Documentation opens every door. Keep the original Key Facts document, every Switching Information Notification, wired speed-test screenshots across days and times, fault references, and dated logs of every call and email. Providers resolve claims quickly against clear records and slowly against vague recall, and if you ever escalate, your file is your case.

    Paid automatically, not claimed

    When a switch goes wrong, the meter runs for you

    Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme pays without you lifting a finger, credited to your next bill, at 2026 rates uprated annually:

    • £6.46per day your activation runs late, from the day after the agreed date until the service goes live.
    • £10.34per day of total loss of service, counting from the third day after you report it.
    • £32.31per missed engineer appointment, every time a confirmed visit simply does not happen.

    Five late days plus one missed engineer is £64.61 without a single form. Separately, General Conditions C7.47 to C7.49 entitle you to reasonable compensation when a provider's OTS failure causes harm, such as being forced to chase the losing provider yourself. If compensation due is not paid, complain formally; from April 2026 an unresolved complaint escalates to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS after just 6 weeks, down from 8, and their decisions bind the provider. The compensation calculator does the arithmetic, and the rates guide holds the small print.

    Six stumbles, six fixes

    When switches wobble, and what to do

    • No Switching Information within 5 daysUsually an address mismatch at the Hub or a wrong current-provider name. Chase the new provider with corrected details; escalate through their complaints process if re-matching fails.
    • New line live, old one still billingAn OTS failure under C7.47 to C7.49. Send the old provider proof of activation, insist on backdated cancellation to that date, and keep everything for the compensation claim.
    • Engineer missed or install delayed£32.31 per missed appointment, £6.46 per day past the agreed activation date, automatically. Record the agreed and actual dates.
    • Total loss of service mid-switch£10.34 per day from day three after reporting. Push the new provider to expedite and log the outage start and end times.
    • New service far slower than soldThe Voluntary Code applies from day one: documented tests, the 30-day fix window, then a penalty-free walk if speeds stay under the guarantee.
    • Provider refuses a legitimate exitFormal complaint first. Unresolved after 6 weeks, or deadlocked sooner, it goes to the Ombudsman or CISAS free of charge, and their ruling binds the provider.
    Where the easy path ends

    Three places OTS does not go

    • Mobile and 4G or 5G home broadbandOTS is fixed-line only. Switching to or from a 4G or 5G home service means cancelling with the old provider yourself and aligning the dates to avoid double billing.
    • Partial bundle switchesMoving just the broadband out of a TV, mobile or phone bundle may leave the rest running. The Switching Information Notification lists what cancels and what does not; check the next bill either way.
    • Moving homeThe most common surprise of all: moves sit outside OTS entirely. Contact your provider 4 to 6 weeks ahead, ask whether service transfers to the new address, and ask explicitly about fee waivers where it cannot. The moving home guide and the moving and renting hub carry the full playbook.

    Flats and new-builds bring one more gatekeeper: the wayleave. Without an agreement between the network and your building's owner, no altnet can wire the block, however keen you are, which is why choice in some buildings is Openreach, Virgin Media where cabled, and whichever altnets the freeholder has signed. The wayleave guide, the flats overview and the new-builds guide cover the workarounds, from asking your managing agent to sign, to Project Gigabit's rural build programme.

    Coming to premises near you

    Business switching and the 2026 launch

    Businesses still coordinate switches with both providers, but that ends soon: TOTSCo's separate business OTS has been in trial since first connection tests in late May 2025, with full launch expected during 2026. The economics are already public: the unit price drops from £1.70 to £1.60 per business customer for 2026, providers under 20,000 customers pay nothing until live operations begin, 2027 is expected at no higher than £1.60, and from 2028 the price could roughly halve as development costs are recovered. Unlike residential, Ofcom has not mandated a single method, so a gaining-supplier-led industry process runs alongside, and ethernet leased lines stay on bespoke arrangements. Until launch, the practical playbook is unchanged: start 60 to 90 days out, read the contract's notice terms, ask for parallel running, and lean on the without-downtime guide and the business hub.

    And the Charter above it all. The February 2026 Telecoms Consumer Charter, signed by BT, Virgin Media O2, Sky and TalkTalk, is voluntary but meaningful: no more unexpected mid-contract rises, easier access to social tariffs for households on qualifying benefits, clearer end-of-contract messaging, and the complaint deadlock window cut from 8 weeks to 6 from April 2026. Your binding protections still come from Ofcom's General Conditions and consumer law; the Charter stacks promises on top, and a signatory falling short of them is itself grounds for a complaint.

    Rights read, options next

    You know the rules. Now see the prices.

    Whichever door you are walking through, the destination is the same: what your address can actually get, and what it genuinely costs across the contract, rises included.

    Thirty seconds, every option

    Every provider and speed at your address, live prices, ranked by total contract cost.

    Independent and free. Takes about 30 seconds.
    Common questions

    Frequently asked questions

    How does One Touch Switch work in 2026?

    You contact only the new provider, who runs the whole switch through the central TOTSCo Hub: your old provider answers the match request electronically within 60 seconds, the Switching Information Notification arrives within 1 to 5 working days setting out charges, returns and the switch date, and on that date the new line goes live as the old contract ends. Most switches complete within 10 to 14 working days, same-network ones sometimes in a day or two, and you never pay two providers past the switch date.

    What is the cooling-off period for UK broadband?

    Fourteen days, starting the day after your service activates rather than the day you signed, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. You can cancel for any reason, paying only pro-rata for days used, and the right applies whatever the contract says. Sky is the one major that goes further, offering 31 days for broadband, with NOW Broadband taking a similarly flexible stance.

    When can I cancel broadband without paying exit fees?

    In five situations: within the cooling-off period; once your minimum term has ended, on 30 days' notice; when speeds stay below your Guaranteed Minimum Speed after the provider's 30-day fix window under the Voluntary Code; when a price rise was not clearly disclosed in pounds and pence in your original contract, giving a 30-day exit from the notice; and when a logged fault goes unfixed for 30 days. Sky and NOW additionally release you on any price rise at all. Outside these, early-termination fees apply, though switching credit deals can cover them.

    How much compensation does Ofcom give if a switch goes wrong?

    The 2026 automatic rates are £6.46 per day of delayed activation, £10.34 per day of total service loss from the third day after reporting, and £32.31 per missed engineer appointment, paid as a bill credit without any claim from you. Separately, if a provider's failure to follow the switching rules causes you harm, General Conditions C7.47 to C7.49 entitle you to reasonable compensation on top, and an unresolved complaint reaches the ombudsman after six weeks from April 2026.

    Does One Touch Switch apply to all UK broadband types?

    No. It covers residential fixed-line broadband and voice, which is most switches, but not mobile or 4G and 5G home broadband, not every element of a bundle when you move only the broadband, and not house moves. In those three cases you deal with the old provider directly, so read the Switching Information Notification carefully for what cancels automatically and check the following month's bills.

    How do I switch broadband when moving home?

    Moves sit outside One Touch Switch entirely, so contact your current provider four to six weeks before the move with the new address and date. Many will transfer service where their network reaches the new property; where it cannot, ask explicitly whether early-termination charges are waived for genuine moves, since policies differ. Then order at the new address in advance so activation lands within days of moving in, and consider 4G or 5G home broadband as a stopgap if there is a gap.

    When will One Touch Switch be available for business broadband?

    During 2026, on current TOTSCo plans. The business solution has been in trial since May 2025, with launch pricing already confirmed at £1.60 per business customer for 2026, free for providers under 20,000 customers until live operations, and an expected halving of the unit price from 2028. Until it arrives, businesses coordinate with both providers, ideally starting 60 to 90 days ahead, and ethernet leased lines will stay on bespoke processes even afterwards.

    How current is this page?

    Every rate, date and clause is stated as published at 5 August 2026, from the compensation figures to the April rise amounts and the six-week deadlock window, and the exit checker reads its verdicts from this page's own cards so the tool and the text cannot disagree. The page sits inside the site's 90-day review cycle, and anything that ages can be flagged through the public corrections process.

    How we put this hub together. Compiled by Adrian James and reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith from Ofcom's General Conditions of Entitlement, in particular C7.18 to C7.27 on switching and C7.47 to C7.49 on compensation, the Voluntary Code of Practice on Speeds, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, Ofcom's 17 January 2025 pounds-and-pence statement, TOTSCo's published updates through the September 2025 first-year milestone and the 2026 business pricing confirmation, and the February 2026 Telecoms Consumer Charter, with all figures stated as published at 5 August 2026. The exit checker runs in your browser from this page's own markup and stores nothing. This guide is general information, not legal advice: for a specific dispute, Citizens Advice, your provider's complaints team, and where appropriate the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS are the routes. Our commercial framework: the ranking methodology, methodology and trust hub and affiliate disclosure. Spotted something out of date? Use the corrections process or contact us.

    Keep going

    References

    Rights sorted? Price it Compare deals