Ofcom is not your salesperson

Ofcom is a regulator. In British broadband copy it is treated as a character: a kindly inspector who has personally tasted the deal and found it wholesome. That character does not exist. The real organisation writes general conditions, publishes Connected Nations, and does not sit on our ranking committee.

What they actually do, for a household

• Set rules on switching, contract information, and pounds-and-pence rises.
• Publish coverage and quality data that we read and you can read.
• Oversee automatic compensation on qualifying services.
• Take enforcement action against providers — not against your individual bill.

A regulator is not a reviewer. A comparison that pretends otherwise is selling a costume.

A short cast list

Why adverts keep saying the word

Because it sounds like a stamp. Advertising rules exist because of that temptation. If you see “Ofcom-approved broadband” on a poster, you are looking at a costume. We will not wear it. If we cite Connected Nations or a scheme, we cite it as a dated source. Rankings live in another room. That separation is the product, not a footnote we hope nobody reads. It is also why this magazine exists.

Who you actually ring

Provider first, always. Then their ombudsman scheme. Ofcom for the rules and for some persistent failures, not for a restore this afternoon. TOTSCo is plumbing. We are a magazine. A poster that implies Ofcom blessed a deal is borrowing a logo. Send that poster to the ASA. Send the bill to the provider.