Switching guides
Practical UK broadband answers, grouped by the decision. The Briefing magazine is separate and keeps its own URLs.
Contracts and costs
Will this cost less over the term you will actually keep?
- Broadband contract ending? Compare renewing, switching and stayingWhen a minimum term ends, compare the follow-on price, a renewal and leaving. Check the term, scheduled changes and the total cost.
- Early termination charges when you switch broadbandHow UK broadband exit fees work, how to ask for the figure, and how to weigh them against a new deal.
- Broadband price rises in the UKHow price changes work on older inflation-linked contracts, and on contracts entered into from 17 January 2025.
Switching
What happens if you decide to change provider?
- What happens when you switch UK broadbandThe sequence after you order: confirmation, the old provider’s message, installation and go-live.
- Switching broadband when you need a landlineHow digital voice, number retention and care alarms change a broadband switch.
- Switching broadband when you have a TV packageWhy Sky, Virgin TV and similar bundles may need a separate decision when you change broadband.
- Returning your router after a broadband switchHow to return old broadband equipment and avoid non-return charges.
- Compensation if a broadband switch goes wrongWhat automatic compensation and complaints routes can mean if a UK switch is delayed or missed.
Full fibre
What the technology is, and what it is not.