Ofcom’s latest quarterly report is out, and it doesn’t look great for some of the UK’s biggest telecom providers. The Q4 2024 complaints data reveals who’s struggling with customer satisfaction – and who’s keeping things on track. This time, NOW Broadband and TalkTalk recorded the highest broadband complaints. O2 topped the mobile complaints list, and Virgin Media took the hit in Pay TV.
The good news? Some providers are improving – especially Virgin Media, which has steadily reduced complaints all year. The numbers reflect only complaints made directly to Ofcom, not those handled by providers or dispute resolution schemes. They’re adjusted for the size of each company’s customer base to keep the comparison fair.
How Ofcom Tracks Complaints
Ofcom regularly collects and publishes data on customer complaints to help consumers see how UK telecom providers compare when things go wrong. These figures come directly from people who contact Ofcom to report issues — by phone, online forms, email, or social media. It doesn’t include complaints made directly to the provider or those handled through dispute resolution bodies like the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS.
To keep things fair and meaningful, Ofcom reports complaint figures as a rate per 100,000 customers. This allows smaller and larger providers to be compared on equal terms, regardless of how many users they serve. For example, a provider with a small customer base won’t appear to be performing better simply because they receive fewer total complaints — it’s all based on proportion, not volume.
Who Gets Measured?
Only telecom companies with a residential market share of 1.5% or more are included in the published results. That means the data covers the biggest names in broadband, mobile, landline, and pay TV — the providers most people are likely to encounter. However, some of the smaller or regional ISPs may still offer excellent service, even though they’re not included in Ofcom’s comparison tables due to limited available data.
Ofcom doesn’t get involved in individual complaint cases, but if a pattern emerges across many users, it can trigger a closer investigation or regulatory action. Over time, these reports help hold providers accountable and give the public a clearer picture of who’s delivering reliable service — and who’s not.
Broadband Complaints
Ofcom’s latest data for Q4 2024 puts NOW Broadband and TalkTalk as the most complained-about broadband providers in the UK, with each recording 13 complaints per 100,000 customers. That figure puts both providers above the industry average and highlights ongoing issues with how they manage service and support.
Best and Worst Performers
| Provider | Complaints per 100k (Q4 2024) |
|---|---|
| NOW Broadband | 13 |
| TalkTalk | 13 |
| EE | 12 |
| Virgin Media | 11 |
| Vodafone | 11 |
| BT | 10 |
| Sky Broadband | 6 |
| Plusnet | 5 |
| Industry Average | 9 |
The complaints about NOW Broadband were mostly related to how it handled complaints themselves. In many cases, users raised concerns not just about the initial fault but about the difficulty in getting those issues properly resolved. Poor customer support, lack of updates, and delays in resolution were all common themes.
In TalkTalk’s case, most complaints were focused on service faults and provisioning problems — in other words, either the service wasn’t working as expected or there were delays in getting customers connected in the first place. These kinds of problems can have a serious impact, especially for households that rely on a stable connection for work, study, or essential services.
At the other end of the spectrum, Plusnet had the lowest complaint rate in the broadband category with just 5 complaints per 100,000 customers, followed closely by Sky Broadband, which recorded 6 per 100,000. Both providers remain well below the industry average, indicating stronger performance in service delivery and customer support.
These numbers suggest that while some broadband providers are still struggling with fault resolution and support processes, others are maintaining a more consistent and reliable experience for their users. For anyone comparing broadband options, complaint trends like these can offer useful insight into how providers handle problems when they arise.
Landline Complaints
In the fixed-line phone category, NOW Broadband once again recorded the highest number of complaints, with 10 per 100,000 customers during Q4 2024. The main issues raised by users were linked to service provisioning delays and persistent faults — including setup problems, dropped connections, and general reliability concerns. These kinds of issues can seriously affect customers who still rely on landlines for regular communication, especially in areas with limited mobile coverage.
| Provider | Complaints per 100k (Q4 2024) |
|---|---|
| NOW Broadband | 10 |
| EE | 8 |
| TalkTalk | 7 |
| BT | 7 |
| Virgin Media | 6 |
| Plusnet | 4 |
| Vodafone | 3 |
| Sky Talk | 2 |
| Utility Warehouse | 1 |
| Industry Average | 5 |
Who’s Performing Well?
On the other hand, Utility Warehouse reported just 1 complaint per 100,000 customers, maintaining its position as the lowest-complained-about provider in the landline category for the fourth quarter running. Sky Talk also kept its complaints low, with only 2 per 100,000, showing strong consistency in customer satisfaction and network reliability.
While fewer customers use landline services compared to broadband and mobile, the complaint data still gives a good indication of service standards and technical stability. It’s clear that some providers continue to offer dependable phone connections with minimal disruption, while others are still falling short when it comes to delivering a smooth and reliable experience.
Mobile Complaints
Mobile services generally attract fewer complaints than broadband or landline, but O2 once again recorded the highest complaint rate among mobile operators, with 4 complaints per 100,000 customers in Q4 2024. The most common frustration for O2 users was poor handling of complaints — from slow response times to unsatisfactory resolutions. It’s a recurring issue that continues to put pressure on O2’s customer service reputation.
| Provider | Complaints per 100k (Q4 2024) |
|---|---|
| O2 | 4 |
| Three UK | 3 |
| iD Mobile | 3 |
| EE | 2 |
| Vodafone | 2 |
| Sky Mobile | 1 |
| Tesco Mobile | 1 |
| Industry Average | 2 |
Low Complaints from Sky and Tesco Mobile
In contrast, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile both maintained excellent performance, with just 1 complaint per 100,000 customers each. These two providers have consistently stayed at the lower end of the complaint scale, reflecting stable service and effective customer support. Their ability to keep users satisfied appears to come from a combination of network reliability, simple pricing, and efficient issue resolution.
Even though mobile networks tend to see fewer problems overall, how they handle the occasional issue still matters. As users increasingly rely on mobile data for work, streaming, and communication on the go, timely support and reliable connections remain key factors in customer satisfaction.
Pay TV Complaints
Virgin Media received the highest volume of complaints for pay TV services in the final quarter of 2024. However, the trend is clearly moving in the right direction. The provider saw a steady decline in complaints across the year, dropping from 11 complaints per 100,000 customers in the first quarter to just 7 in the fourth. That reduction marks a significant improvement and suggests that efforts to address service and support issues are starting to have an effect.
| Provider | Complaints per 100k (Q4 2024) |
|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 7 |
| EE (formerly BT) | 6 |
| Sky TV | 2 |
| TalkTalk | 2 |
| Industry Average | 3 |
This drop is part of a broader strategy by Virgin Media to improve customer experience across all services, including broadband and mobile. While it’s still at the top of the complaints chart for TV, the progress made over the year is worth noting and could signal further improvements ahead if the same momentum continues.
Sky TV and TalkTalk TV, on the other hand, reported the lowest number of complaints in this category, each with only 2 per 100,000 users. Both have consistently remained at the lower end of the complaint scale, reflecting fewer service disruptions and better overall reliability in the TV experience they offer. For customers prioritising fewer service issues with TV packages, both providers continue to set the standard.
Summary: Best and Worst Telecom Providers – Q4 2024
In Ofcom’s Q4 2024 complaints report, NOW Broadband and TalkTalk ranked as the worst performers for broadband and landline services. O2 had the highest complaint levels in the mobile sector, while Virgin Media topped complaints for Pay TV — though it showed notable improvement through the year.
On the positive side, Plusnet and Sky were among the most reliable for broadband and landline, while Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile had the fewest mobile complaints. Sky TV and TalkTalk TV also led with the lowest Pay TV complaint levels.
| Sector | Best Providers | Worst Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband | Plusnet, Sky Broadband | NOW Broadband, TalkTalk |
| Landline | Utility Warehouse, Sky Talk | NOW Broadband, EE |
| Mobile | Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile | O2, iD Mobile |
| Pay TV | Sky TV, TalkTalk TV | Virgin Media, EE |
You can view Ofcom report