Broadband providers must make switching easier, Govt says
Broadband providers must make switching easier, Govt says
Communications regulator Ofcom has confirmed that it still believes it is too difficult to switch broadband providers, despite new measures recently introduced aimed at assisting customers.
Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, told an industry panel that the measures – which were rolled out in August to help consumers change providers more easily – have still not enabled customers to make full use of the options available to them.
Despite the UK offering its broadband consumers one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world, there remain barriers to accessing the most suitable options, Mr Richards said.
He urged broadband providers “to remove the inconvenience, delays and uncertainty that currently can bedevil consumers when trying to change their provider,” The Telegraph reported. Mr Richards also called upon broadband providers to help deliver “a system that enables consumers to take advantage of the increasing competition and innovation available,” the newspaper reported.
Mr Richards did say that last month’s measures – which now see the provider which gains the new customer leading the transfer on behalf of the consumer, rather than them having to do it themselves – were a “step in the right direction.”
He went on to say that providers should be addressing issues that are hindering consumers’ ability to switch between bundles and between different networks. This step was essential to allow the communications sector in the UK to “continue to deliver real improvement in value for money during a time when the cost of living is so important for millions of people across the UK and Europe”.
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