Ofcom puts EE, BT, TalkTalk and Vodafone in broadband complaints focus
Ofcom’s Q2 2026 figures put BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone at the top of the UK fixed-broadband complaints table.
Ofcom’s latest quarterly figures put BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone at the top of the UK fixed-broadband complaints table for April to June 2026. The regulator says overall complaints fell compared with the previous quarter, largely because fewer people complained about pay-TV, while fixed broadband, landline and pay-monthly mobile complaints stayed broadly level. 1
The figures are calculated as complaints per 100,000 subscribers, rather than simply counting the raw number of complaints. That matters because the table compares providers with different customer bases. Ofcom’s release lists Plusnet, Sky and Virgin Media among the least complained-about fixed-broadband providers, while the four providers at the top of the table recorded the highest complaint rates in the quarter. 1
What the figures show
Ofcom says BT’s broadband complaint rate remained unchanged from the previous quarter. EE’s rate increased, while TalkTalk and Vodafone both saw their rates fall. They nevertheless remained in the group with the highest complaint rates for fixed broadband during Q2. The regulator’s wider report covers broadband, landline, mobile and pay-TV providers that meet its market-share criteria. 2
The rest of the release shows why a single “worst provider” label would be misleading. Plusnet was the most complained-about landline provider, while O2 attracted the most mobile complaints, mainly around faults, service and connections. Sky Mobile led the pay-monthly mobile table in the source report’s detailed breakdown, and EE and Virgin Media were among the most complained-about pay-TV providers. 1
Ofcom does not handle individual customer complaints directly. Its role is to set rules and publish comparative information, giving customers a way to judge service performance alongside price, availability and contract terms. The regulator says publishing the figures can help customers choose providers and services, but a quarterly ranking cannot explain every customer’s experience. 1
The data is also a snapshot of complaints received during one quarter, not a complete measure of network quality. A provider can have a low complaint rate while still offering poor service in a particular location, and a high rate can reflect issues affecting a specific product or process rather than every customer. The full tables should therefore be read before switching based on a headline alone. 2
Our opinion
The useful part of Ofcom’s release is not the temptation to crown a single villain. It is the reminder that complaint rates expose friction that broadband adverts rarely mention. EE’s increase and TalkTalk’s and Vodafone’s falls are worth tracking, but the most responsible comparison is the full per-100,000 table alongside local availability, price and how a provider handles problems.
For UK customers, the Q2 figures are a reason to ask better questions before signing a contract, not a standalone verdict on any network. The best provider on paper can still be the wrong choice for a particular address, while a provider near the top of the table has a clear reason to explain what it is doing about recurring complaints.