Ofcom reveals the latest broadband complaints rankings

Ofcom's latest complaints rankings look at which UK providers fared the best (and worst) in the eyes of their own customers at the end of 2022.

The most recent table shows little change compared to other recent reports, with Shell Energy Broadband receiving the most complaints, and Sky receiving the least, once again.

Overall, the volume of customer complaints didn't change much either, but this is largely because the time period this looks at was October-December 2022.

We're expecting a much larger increase in complaints overall in Ofcom's next release, which looks at January-March this year when the latest mid-contract price increases were announced.

The most complained-about broadband providers

There have been some slight changes at the bottom of Ofcom's complaints rankings for the end of 2022.

While Shell Energy Broadband still received the most complaints by a long way, with 27 complaints per 100,000 customers, Virgin Media is now out of the bottom three and Vodafone has jumped up to second-last place.

Virgin's complaints went down from 18 per 100,000 customers to 14, whereas Vodafone's jumped from just 12 in the previous report to 19 complaints per 100,000 this time around. TalkTalk's volume of complaints stayed the same at 18 per 100,000, so it retains its spot in the bottom three.

If your broadband contract is ending soon, Ofcom's complaints are good to keep in mind if you're looking for a smooth, painless experience. Take a look at our range broadband deals to decide if you could get a better service.

The least complained-about broadband providers

As has been the case for years, Sky and EE received the least complaints from its customers between October-December 2022. However, both providers has a slight increase in the number of their complaints compared to the previous period.

Top of the list Sky only received five complaints per 100,000 customers in this report, which is an increase from four complaints last time. And EE received six complaints, which is an also increase of one per 100,000 compared to the third quarter of 2022.

Plusnet showed some improvement compared to the previous report, receiving fewer complaints from its customers than last time, and claiming a place in the top three for the first time in a while.

However, it matched the likes of NOW Broadband and BT, with all three providers receiving ten complaints per 100,000 - one below the industry average of 11.

Pay-TV complaints rankings

Sky TV also received the fewest complaints for its service than any other provider too, getting just one per 100,000 customers. TalkTalk also performed relatively well, receiving the industry average of three per 100,000.

However, Virgin Media and BT received far higher than the average number of pay-TV complaints, with eight complaints and seven complaints per 100,000 respectively.

The main reasons for customers to complain about their TV service during this period was complaints handling, billing and pricing, and connection faults. Complaints handling was the reason for one-third of pay-TV complaints, and billing & connection faults made up a quarter of complaints each.

Our view on the Ofcom complaints rankings

On the latest Ofcom complaints list, Uswitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku said:

“It’s good to see the downward trend in customer complaints continuing into Q4 2022. 

“This shows that providers are listening, and pushing forward with innovations, which is ultimately good news for consumers. 

“Sky is consistently a top performer and is also one of the few providers that lets you cancel a broadband contract penalty free if they increase prices mid-contract. It would be great to see the rest of the industry follow their lead.  

“EE also performed well across mobile, broadband and landline, reflecting their win for Best Broadband Provider for Customer Service in the Uswitch Telecoms Awards 2023.

“In general, mobile complaints were consistently less frequent than landline complaints, with Sky, EE, Tesco Mobile and Three all faring well. Credit should be given to the comprehensive roll-out and reliability of the UK’s 4G network, however this also highlights the equal importance of broadband reliability at home.

“It’s concerning to see consistently poor feedback for Shell Energy, which received over five times as many complaints as the leading provider for broadband.

“Given the massive shift to remote working over the past few years, it’s unacceptable that ‘faults, service and provisioning’ remains the most complained about broadband issue across the industry, by a distance (44%). 

“With millions of consumers facing major price increases in 2023, the very least they should expect is a service that they can entirely depend on.”

Which broadband provider is right for me?

While Ofcom complaints help to give a good idea of which providers are causing the most issues for their customers, they're not the only way to judge whether a provider is right for you or not.

Lots of different factors can affect your broadband service, including pricing, internet speed, customer service, connection reliability and so much more.

To help you make a better decision for you and your household, we've judged each of the biggest broadband providers in the UK for all of these things. Our broadband provider reviews give a clear, detailed assessment of the service each of them offer, and which brands may be best for your particular situation.