Half of homes could boost their broadband Add to Your Pages
14 December 2018
Millions could get faster internet today without paying more, research reveals
Providers must tell customers about their best deals, under planned new rules
Ofcom also announces review of broadband pricing for loyal customers
And consumer campaign launches to help you Boost Your Broadband
Half of British households could switch to faster broadband today, Ofcom has found, as it announces a range of action to protect loyal broadband customers and help people get a better deal.
Ofcom figures show that 94% of UK homes and offices can now get superfast broadband, but less than half have taken it up.
And many people are paying more than they need to. Around four million households with old-style, basic broadband have passed their initial contract period and could switch to superfast for the same or less money than they currently pay.
So Ofcom is announcing a range of measures today to help people get the best deal.
Clearer information. We are proposing that, from next year, broadband companies as well as mobile, landline and pay-TV providers will have to tell customers about their best available deal, both when their deals are coming to an end, and every year after that if they don't change their deal.
Reviewing broadband prices. We are launching a review of broadband companies' pricing practices examining why some customers pay more than others, and whether vulnerable customers need extra protections to ensure they get a good deal.
Consumer campaign. A major new information campaign and website, Boost Your Broadband, launches today. Backed by consumer champion Gloria Hunniford OBE, the Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and consumer body Which?, the website uses Ofcom data to tell people what broadband they can get in their area, and offers impartial advice on how to find the best deal today.
The broadband market is highly competitive, with superfast broadband packages now available from around £20 a month. But while eight in ten broadband users are happy with their service, Ofcom wants to ensure the market works for everyone.
Sharon White, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: We're concerned that many loyal broadband customers aren't getting the best deal they could.
So we're reviewing broadband pricing practices and ensuring customers get clear, accurate information from their provider about the best deals they offer.
Alerting customers to the best dealUnder new rules proposed by Ofcom today , broadband companies as well as mobile, landline and pay-TV providers must alert customers about the best deal or tariff' they can offer. They must do so when any discounted deal customers are on is coming to an end, and also every year for longstanding customers who have stayed with them.
These measures, which build on proposals announced by Ofcom in July, will help give customers the information they need to save money, which could include shopping around and changing their provider.
Fair deals for customersIn addition to these new customers alerts, Ofcom has today commenced a detailed review of pricing practices in the broadband market.
We are concerned some customers are paying more than others for similar or worse services, particularly when introductory offers have passed. For example, we estimate that customers who take a landline and broadband service together are paying an average of 19% more once their discounted deal has expired.
So our review will examine how companies change prices for customers over time, and who this most affects. Where we see evidence of harm, we will act to protect consumers particularly those who may struggle to engage in the market.
In addition, we are currently reviewing how mobile operators charge their customers for handsets, when these are bundled with airtime in a single contract, and expect to publish findings next year.
Customers urged to Boost Your Broadband
Finally, to help people get the best broadband deal for them today, Ofcom has launched Boost Your Broadband, an information campaign and website backed by consumer champion Gloria Hunniford OBE, DCMS, BEIS and consumer body Which?
The campaign aims to demystify the broadband market, particularly for people who might be daunted by the choice on offer.
By following three simple steps at BoostYourBroadband.com, broadband users can check their options, decide what they need and get clear, independent advice on how to go about getting the best broadband deal for them. This is how it works:
Enter your postcode to see what type of broadband standard, superfast or ultrafast is available at your address. This checker draws on Ofcom's latest, authoritative information.
Decide what you need by seeing what kind of broadband user you are.
Speak to your provider armed with information on what to ask for, and how to get the best deal. Or shop around to see what deals other providers offer.
Gloria Hunniford OBE, said: Millions of people could boost their broadband in the run-up to Christmas, when lots of families really need the internet. So I'm encouraging people to visit the new website, which offers independent advice on how to get the best deal and possibly a faster service from your broadband company, with a single phone call.
Margot James MP, Digital Minister, said: Our rollout of superfast broadband is reaching thousands more homes and businesses every week and millions of people across the UK can now enjoy the clear benefits that superfast broadband provides. This is a welcome, positive step by Ofcom and I urge people to visit the website, check what services are available in their local area and then see if they can get a better deal.
Kelly Tol
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
20/11/2025
LONDON The winners of the Rise Awards 2025, which recognize women and companies whose achievements have stood out in the media technology industry, have been an...
20/11/2025
SANTA MONICA & NEW YORK Lionsgate's Worldwide Television Distribution Group and Debmar-Mercury have launched MovieSphere Gold in more than 30 million homes....
20/11/2025
ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has introduced its four-channel HelixNet beltpack, a next-generation advancement of its widely used two-channel model, and anticipates...
20/11/2025
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. Streaming technology and services provider Kiswe has launched Kiswe Core, a next-generation cloud-based platform designed to simplify the s...
20/11/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Dolby Laboratories has signed on as an official signature partner of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) for the 2026 Super Bowl and the we...
20/11/2025
STUTTGART, Germany 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has announced that the Canadian multiservice operator Telus has launched its Telus TV+ entertainment platform on Sam...
20/11/2025
Major League Baseball has announced deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix covering 2026-2028 that make ESPN the exclusive rightsholder of MLB.TV, see regula...
20/11/2025
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and ...
19/11/2025
Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...
19/11/2025
The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...
19/11/2025
One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...
19/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...
19/11/2025
Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
Brighton & Hove Albion'...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...
19/11/2025
MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...
19/11/2025
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...
19/11/2025
Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...
19/11/2025
Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...
19/11/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
19/11/2025
Calrec gives Phoenix Broadcast Solutions its full support in strategic multi-year enterprise partnership New Singapore OB company invests in Calrec technology f...
19/11/2025
October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...
19/11/2025
NEVADA CITY, Calif. Telestream has introduced ARGUS Version 2.3, which introduces Live Look, a feature that lets operators inspect live and on-demand streams vi...
19/11/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK Charter Communications, Inc. has announced a major deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that establishes AWS as one of Charters stra...
19/11/2025
TOKYO Atomos has announced a major firmware update that brings integrated camera control to the Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX its new CFexpress-based monitor-recor...
19/11/2025
Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...
19/11/2025
PlayBox Neo departed the NAB Show New York 2025 on a high note. The company's all-new PlayBox Neo Suite made a splash on the show floor, drawing strong inte...
19/11/2025
AAVBR (American Audio Visual Baton Rouge), a leading full-service event production company serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, has enhanced its product...
19/11/2025
In its mission to deliver live event services combining advanced engineering with a creative approach to captivating live sports and entertainment experiences, ...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK Short-form vertical video has exploded across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but a new survey commissioned by Media.net, a provider of c...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK YES Network, the regional sports network home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, and CAMB.AI have struck a partnership they said will leverage ...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has issued detailed guidance on filings that were disrupted by the government shutdown. While many of those fil...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK The popularity of NFL games is largely responsible for continued seasonal momentum in TV viewership into October (measured Sept. 29-Oct. 26), according...
19/11/2025
DirecTV has announced that its MyFree DirecTV streaming service has added seven new channels. Those include four sports services, NBA FAST, Red Bull TV, DAZN Ri...
19/11/2025
SURREY, U.K. Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has launched Flair Bridge, a compact device that transforms how operators control the company's motion-contr...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission, which is continuing to rapidly ramp up its operations after the end of the federal government shutdown, has se...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Martin Freeman, Jessie Buckley, Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon, Eddie the Eagle and ...
19/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with Broadcom to enable testing and validation of n...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Innato, starring Imanol Arias and Elena Anaya, arrives on Netf...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Guillermo del Toro Sits Down With Troll 2 Director Roar Uthaug...
19/11/2025
Some projects feel monumental from the moment the first phone call comes in. When BCE, the host broadcaster appointed to coordinate the national coverage, asked...
19/11/2025
November 19 2025, 08:00 (PST) BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE AND DOLBY PARTNER TO DELIVER IMMERSIVE FAN EXPERIENCES
During the Week of Football's Biggest Game...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
19/11/2025
Scripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development New AI system helps scientists rapidly pinpoint the most pro...
18/11/2025
Independent media across Central America are operating under intensifying financial pressure, yet there is a clear appetite for models that can sustain both ind...
Half of homes could boost their broadband Add to Your Pages 
