How to switch broadband provider with One Touch Switch

Since September 2024 you only need to contact your new provider to switch broadband in the UK. Here is how One Touch Switch works, step by step.

Switching broadband used to mean ringing your old provider, sitting through a retention pitch, and hoping the two companies lined up the dates. One Touch Switch changed that. It launched in September 2024, and it means you only need to deal with your new provider, even when you move between different networks.

How it works, step by step

1. Choose your new deal and a start date. You sign up with the new provider only.
2. The new provider “matches” you with your old provider, using your name, address and account details.
3. Your old provider sends you an end-of-contract summary. It tells you when your service ends and whether you owe anything, such as early exit fees.
4. You confirm you want to go ahead. Nothing moves until you agree.
5. The new provider switches you on the agreed date. You may get a new router in the post, or an engineer visit if a new line is needed.
6. Your old service stops when the new one starts. You do not need to cancel it yourself.

Before you switch: three checks

• Are you still in contract? If so, you will usually pay early exit fees. The summary in step 3 tells you exactly how much. Weigh that against what you save.
• What is actually available at your address? Speeds advertised nationally mean little. A postcode check shows which networks reach your home.
• Do you have anything plugged into the phone line? If you have a landline, an alarm or telecare, read our landline switch-off guide first.

Keeping your phone number

If you have a landline number and want to keep it, tell the new provider when you sign up. Number porting is part of the switching process.

What if the switch goes wrong?

One Touch Switch works well most of the time, but matching is not 100% reliable. If it fails, the new provider should ask you to check your details. Having a recent bill to hand helps.

If your new service does not start on the agreed date and you are with a provider that is signed up to Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, you should be paid for each day of delay without having to ask. See our guide to automatic compensation.

When is the best time to switch?

The best moment is just before your contract ends. Your provider must tell you when that is, between 10 and 40 days before it happens. After that date, you can usually leave without exit fees, and out-of-contract prices tend to be noticeably higher. Our guide to price rises and your rights explains the rules.

Tip: you do not have to leave to get a better price. Once you have a quote from another provider, it is worth asking your current one to match it. You can still use One Touch Switch if they will not.