Devastating blow for BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin Media as Brits deliver verdict on the best UK broadband

Virgin Media was rated poorly for several core areas, like ease of contact, customer service, communication, technical support and value for money. For its part, NOW Broadband fared poorly for connection speed and ease of contact.

TalkTalk (61%), Sky Broadband (62%), BT Broadband (64%), EE (68%), and Vodafone (69%) rounded out the bottom half of the table. BT and Sky customers raised concerns about value for money, while TalkTalk and Sky received poor ratings for connection speed.

Aside from Virgin Media, which operates its own full-fibre network to 16.1 million homes and businesses — all with access to gigabit-capable download speeds, the rest of the brands surveyed by Which? all rely on Openreach for their cable infrastructure.

BT-owned Openreach is available in 99% of UK homes and businesses, with an ambitious goal to upgrade 25 million premises to future-proofed full-fibre broadband by December next year.

If you can sign-up for broadband with any of these brands — you'll be able to switch to (almost) any of the others. In fact, Openreach works with over 650 individual service providers across its network.

Since these brands all rely on the same underground cable, you'll unlikely to see any seismic differences in download speeds when switching between providers. But while it won't solve that complaint, it does mean that you have plenty of flexibility to switch to a new broadband deal to escape rising monthly bills or unsatisfactory customer service.

So, if the most-recognisable broadband brands can all be found in the bottom-half of the ranking ...which companies fared well in the Which? customer satisfaction survey?

Zen Internet, which has decided not to impose mid-contract price hikes, earned the highest ratings across the board and a customer score of 77% — with 9 in 10 customers saying they would recommend it. Plusnet, which is owned by BT Broadband, achieved second place with a respectable score of 73%.

Utility Warehouse scored 72%, with a third of customers rating its customer service as excellent.

Discussing the results, Which? home products and services editor Natalie Hitchins said: “Our research shows that smaller providers are outshining the biggest broadband firms across the board. Many smaller providers offer better customer service, more reliable connections and fixed contracts or lower annual price rises – giving their customers more certainty about what their monthly bill will look like over the course of their contract.

"Any broadband customers who are nearing the end of their contract and are unhappy with their current provider, or could stand to make savings, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider."

Despite the poor scores in the latest Which? report, Virgin Media customers face an increase of £3.50 a month from April. The shake-up will add £42 to their bills every year. The company is simultaneously being investigated by Ofcom for its complaints handling and the difficulties faced by customers when cancelling contracts.

A spokesperson for the brand said: "Complaints to Ofcom about Virgin Media were at their lowest levels since 2017 at the end of last year, while 92% of complaints raised in the past three months were resolved within 24 hours, and call transfers and waiting times have fallen significantly.

"These green shoots are a more accurate reflection of the improvements we’re making than Which?’s survey, which represents just 0.01% of our customer base, and shows that while we can’t fix every issue overnight, our strategy – investing almost £1 million a day into customer-facing areas of the business, simplifying systems and processes, upskilling staff and removing persistent pain points – is delivering real improvements for our customers."

In response to its score, a spokesperson for BT said: “We provide our customers with an ultra-reliable and fast broadband, with speeds up to 900 Mbps.

"We’re committed to keeping our customers connected and providing the best possible customer service with all of our calls being handled in the UK and Ireland. In the last 12 months, our Ofcom complaints data has steadily been below or at industry average and our customer satisfaction scores continue to rise."

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Zen Internet chief executive Richard Tang said: “Broadband is an essential service, and customers shouldn’t feel stuck with poor service – there are better options out there. If people start voting with their feet, it could push the industry as a whole to raise its game.”

If you're unhappy with your current broadband deal, Which? recommends shopping around for better service, value for money, and more reliable connections. There's never been a better time to rethink your current broadband supplier, with price increases due to kick-in next month.

Stick or twist — Which?’s advice on whether to switch or haggle

Switch if...

1. You want to save money. Our research routinely shows that switching providers is the best way to save money – and you could save an average of £105 per year.
2. You’re sick of bad service. If you experience a dodgy connection or poor customer service, move on. A new provider can mean better service – technical or personal.
3. You want fast speeds. Given the pace of the full fibre roll-out, there’s a decent chance that faster connections are available in your area from a wider range of providers.

Haggle if...

1. You love your provider. If you can’t fault your provider, don’t feel the need to ditch it. Negotiate when your contract ends to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
2. You want an upgrade. If you want a faster speed, better router or additional services such as pay TV, then simply ask your provider what they can do for you.
3. You don’t have alternatives. Not everybody has multiple providers to choose from. If you’re in that boat, it’s essential to stay on top of your contract and renegotiate regularly.