In the UK, start with the provider you want to join. Under Ofcom’s One Touch Switch process, the new provider coordinates the transfer and the old service normally ends automatically. Check the new package, read the switching information and any early-termination charge, and keep your existing equipment connected until the new provider tells you to change it. Ofcom says any loss of service should not last longer than one working day, with compensation in specified cases; that is a maximum service-loss period, not a promise of uninterrupted connectivity.
What happens when you switch broadband
Most residential broadband moves now use One Touch Switch. You contact the provider you want to join, give it your address and current-provider details, and it coordinates the transfer. You should not normally cancel the old broadband first. The gaining provider should tell you the planned activation date, whether an engineer is needed, what equipment will arrive and whether you must do anything on the day.
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Your current provider sends switching information before the change completes. Read it carefully: it can show the services affected, the date the old service will stop and any early termination charge (ETC) if you are still inside a minimum term. The rule that prevents notice-period charges after the switch date does not remove an ETC that is valid under your existing contract.
Ofcom’s consumer guide, last updated 25 August 2026, says the new service should be working before the old service ceases automatically. In practice, a short interruption can still occur. Ofcom describes one working day as the maximum service-loss period covered by its guidance, and qualifying failures can trigger compensation.
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Before ordering: check whether the move is right for your household
Confirm availability at the exact address
Networks and technologies vary by street, building and even unit. Enter the complete address, including flat or apartment details, into the prospective provider’s availability checker. Ask what service type is actually available there and whether the quoted speed is an estimate or a guaranteed minimum. Do not compare headline speeds from different addresses.
Calculate the total cost, not just the monthly price
| Cost item | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Promotional period, standard price afterward and any scheduled increases | A low introductory rate may not be the cheapest over the contract. |
| Contract length | Minimum term and the date it begins | Leaving early can create an ETC. |
| Setup costs | Installation, activation, delivery or engineer fees | One-off charges change the first-year total. |
| Existing contract exposure | ETC and any remaining minimum-term payments on the old service | Switching savings may be reduced if the old contract has not ended. |
| Equipment | Whether a router or other device is supplied, rented or required | Follow the new provider’s instructions rather than buying a generic router. |
Ask the new provider for the expected total over the initial contract, including one-off charges. Ask the current provider for the exact ETC that would apply on the proposed switch date. Keep those figures separate: a new provider’s price does not cancel an old provider’s contractual charge.
Match speed and features to actual use
Compare the expected service with what the household does: video calls, remote work, cloud backups, gaming, streaming and the number of simultaneous users. Check upload as well as download speed if you send large files or use cameras. Also verify data limits, phone options, customer-support hours and any service-level commitments. The provider must confirm what it can deliver at your address; an advertised maximum is not a guarantee for every line.
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Check installation and equipment requirements
Ask these questions before accepting the order:
- Is an engineer appointment required, and who must be present?
- When will the router or other equipment be delivered?
- Will the service activate on a stated date or within a window?
- Do I need to return old equipment, and is there a return deadline or fee?
- Will the new provider use the existing wall socket and cabling?
A new router is likely, but do not assume you must purchase one yourself. Use the supplied device and setup instructions unless the provider explicitly confirms that your own equipment is supported.
Step-by-step: switch through One Touch Switch
- Choose the replacement service. Confirm address availability, expected speed, package features, contract term, total cost, equipment and any installation appointment.
- Contact the new provider first. Tell it that you want to switch your existing broadband using One Touch Switch. Provide the service address, current provider and the services you want moved. The new provider is responsible for coordinating the transfer.
- Check the order details. Confirm the activation date, engineer arrangements, equipment delivery and what happens to linked phone or television services. Save the order confirmation and reference number.
- Read the current provider’s switching information. Check the proposed stop date, affected services and any ETC. If something is wrong, contact the new provider before the order is allowed to proceed.
- Do not independently cancel the old broadband. Under the normal route, the old service should cease automatically after the new service is ready. Cancelling separately can create an avoidable gap or duplicate administrative work. Only follow a different cancellation instruction if the new provider specifically says the order is not using One Touch Switch.
- Prepare for activation. Keep the old modem or router connected until the new provider’s instructions say otherwise. Have the new router, power supply and cables ready. If an engineer is booked, make sure access to the relevant socket or equipment is available.
- Activate and test the new service. Follow the provider’s setup sequence, check wired and Wi-Fi connections, and test the services your household relies on. Record the time any fault starts and the troubleshooting steps you tried.
- Reconnect household devices. Phones, laptops, printers, cameras and smart-home devices may need to join the new Wi-Fi network. If the new router supports it, using the previous network name and password can reduce reconnection work, but change weak or reused passwords and use a strong unique Wi-Fi password.
How to avoid losing access during the change
Understand the one-working-day protection
Ofcom’s guidance says a loss of service should not last longer than one working day. This is a limit used for the switching protection and compensation rules, not a guarantee that your connection will never drop. A delay in activation, an engineer problem or an equipment fault can still cause an interruption. If the outage exceeds the applicable period, ask the provider how compensation is calculated and when it will be credited.
Keep essential work and safety options available
If anyone in the household depends on broadband for work, medical monitoring, education or alarms, plan a temporary fallback. A mobile hotspot can provide basic access, but check mobile data allowance and indoor signal before relying on it. Keep important phone numbers, two-factor-authentication methods and offline copies of essential documents available. These precautions do not change the provider’s obligations; they reduce the impact of a fault.
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Use a separately managed overlap when zero downtime is critical
You can arrange for the new service to be installed while the old service remains active. Tell the new provider that you want an overlap, then arrange cancellation separately with the old provider. One Touch Switch does not apply to this self-managed path. You may pay for both services during the overlap, and if installation is delayed you may need to move the old cancellation date to avoid a gap.
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|---|---|---|---|
| One Touch Switch | New provider | Loss should not exceed one working day under Ofcom guidance; interruption is still possible. | Old notice-period charges are not due after the switch date, but a valid ETC may apply. |
| Self-managed overlap | You coordinate both providers | Old and new services can run together if installation and cancellation dates are managed correctly. | You can pay for two services and may need to change the old cancellation date. |
Services that can be disrupted even when broadband switches correctly
Provider email
Some broadband accounts include an email address that may not continue after you leave. Ask the current provider whether the mailbox and address remain available, for how long and under what conditions. If access will end, create a replacement account before switching and update banking, shopping, work, school, recovery and two-factor-authentication details. Export or forward messages and save contacts while the old mailbox still works.
Landline telephone
Broadband and landline service are often moved together. If you want to keep the landline with the old provider, ask before confirming the broadband order; moving one service can affect the other. Check whether your number will transfer, whether the handset or alarm equipment is compatible and when the old phone service will stop.
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Television and other bundles
A television package, mobile discount or other bundled service may not transfer automatically. Ask both providers what remains active, what must be cancelled separately and whether a separate minimum term applies. You may need to contact the old provider yourself to end or adjust the TV service. Record each cancellation date and any equipment-return instruction.
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Early termination charges
If you are still inside the old contract’s minimum term, the current provider may apply an ETC. Request the amount for the exact proposed switch date and ask whether it changes as the contract approaches its end. This charge is distinct from a notice-period fee. Ofcom says the old provider must not charge notice-period fees after the switch date under the normal switching process, but that rule does not erase an ETC allowed by the contract.
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Canceling the new order
Ofcom’s current guide states that you can cancel the new order within 14 calendar days by contacting the new provider. If the service has already started, you may still owe for service used and for installation. Canceling the new order does not automatically restore the old broadband, so ask both providers what service will remain active and on what date.
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Returning equipment
Follow the provider’s return instructions for routers, TV boxes or other loaned equipment. Photograph the packed equipment and keep the tracking receipt until the provider confirms receipt. A missed return deadline can lead to a charge even when the broadband switch itself was completed correctly.
What to do if the switch goes wrong
No service after the activation date
- Check the provider’s service-status page or activation message and confirm that the router’s power and broadband lights match its instructions.
- Restart the supplied equipment once, then follow the provider’s fault checks. Avoid repeatedly resetting a router if doing so erases configuration details.
- Contact the new provider, quote the order reference and report the exact time the service failed. Ask for a fault reference, an estimated restoration time and whether compensation may apply.
- If the problem continues, make a formal complaint rather than relying only on informal chat. Keep screenshots, engineer reports, outage times and copies of messages.
The old service stopped before the new one worked
Tell the new provider immediately that the switch has caused a loss of service and ask it to restore or complete the transfer. Contact the old provider as well if you need confirmation of the stop date or if the switch appears to have been processed incorrectly. Ask how the provider will apply the one-working-day protection and any compensation that may be due.
An unauthorized switch
If broadband was moved without your agreement, contact both the old and new providers promptly and state clearly that you did not authorize the change. Ask the old provider to restore service and ask the new provider to cancel the unauthorized order. Keep every reference number and message. Do not wait for the next bill before reporting it.
Complaint escalation
First use the provider’s customer-service and formal-complaint process. If it cannot resolve the issue, request a deadlock letter. Ofcom says you can take the complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme after six weeks from the formal complaint, or sooner if the provider issues a deadlock letter. The provider must identify the scheme it belongs to; the schemes Ofcom lists are CISAS and the Communications Ombudsman.
Quick Recap
A practical switching checklist
- Verify availability and expected speed at the full service address.
- Compare monthly price, contract length, setup fees and the full first-contract cost.
- Ask the current provider for the ETC on the intended switch date.
- Check whether landline, email, TV or other bundled services are affected.
- Confirm engineer, delivery, activation and equipment-return requirements.
- Order through the new provider using One Touch Switch unless you deliberately choose an overlap.
- Save the order confirmation, activation date and both providers’ contact details.
- Keep the old router connected until the new provider says to change it.
- Back up provider email and update important account-recovery addresses.
- Test the new connection and record any outage from the first minute.
- Ask about compensation if service loss exceeds the applicable one-working-day limit.
- Keep complaint references and request a deadlock letter if the issue remains unresolved.
Decision guide: which switching method fits?
| Your priority | Best-fit route | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Simplest administration and one provider coordinating | One Touch Switch | Do not promise yourself zero downtime; prepare for a possible short interruption. |
| No tolerance for a broadband gap | Separately managed overlap | You must coordinate cancellation and may pay two bills. |
| You are still in a minimum term | Compare the saving with the quoted ETC and consider waiting | The notice-period rule does not cancel the ETC. |
| You rely on an old provider email address | Arrange a replacement mailbox before switching | Update logins and recovery details while the old account works. |
| You need the old landline or TV package | Confirm bundle treatment with both providers before ordering | Some services require a separate cancellation or adjustment. |
Frequently misunderstood points
- “I must cancel first.” Usually not. For One Touch Switch, the new provider starts and coordinates the move.
- “One working day means no interruption.” No. It is the maximum service-loss period described in Ofcom’s guidance, with compensation in specified cases.
- “The new provider’s price is the whole cost.” No. Include setup charges and any ETC from the old contract.
- “My email and TV will follow automatically.” Not necessarily. Check each linked service separately.
- “Canceling within 14 days wipes every charge.” No. Service used and installation can still be payable, and the old service is not automatically restored.
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