The company selected to be the new broadband provider would manage the entire switching process on behalf of the client.
Ofcom believes the so-called ‘One Touch Switch’ will not only make the process less hassle, but also enable people to take advantage of the best deals.
It would also prevent a gap between the old service ending and the new one starting.
Since 2015, the practice has been possible when switching between companies using Openreach’s copper network, such as BT, Sky and TalkTalk.
But so far this has not applied when changing to or from firms using different networks, like Virgin Media and Hyperoptic, meaning the customer has the burden of contacting their existing provider.
Four in ten people (41 per cent) who decide against switching say they are put off by the hassle of having to contact more than one provider, according to an Ofcom survey of 3,104 people.
Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of those who do go ahead with switching say they have faced unwanted attempts to persuade them to stay when informing their current provider.
The company selected to be the new broadband provider would manage the entire switching process on behalf of the client.
Ofcom believes the so-called ‘One Touch Switch’ will not only make the process less hassle, but also enable people to take advantage of the best deals.
It would also prevent a gap between the old service ending and the new one starting.
Since 2015, the practice has been possible when switching between companies using Openreach’s copper network, such as BT, Sky and TalkTalk.
But so far this has not applied when changing to or from firms using different networks, like Virgin Media and Hyperoptic, meaning the customer has the burden of contacting their existing provider.
Four in ten people (41 per cent) who decide against switching say they are put off by the hassle of having to contact more than one provider, according to an Ofcom survey of 3,104 people.
Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of those who do go ahead with switching say they have faced unwanted attempts to persuade them to stay when informing their current provider.
Under this process:
1. A customer would contact their chosen new provider and give their details.
2. The customer would then automatically receive important information from their current provider. This would include any early contract termination charges they may have to pay, and how the switch may affect other services the customer has with the company.
3. If the customer wants to go ahead, the new provider would then manage the switch.
‘There are lots of different offers out there from a wide range of broadband and landline providers,’ said Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s networks and communications group director.
‘And we want to make it even easier for people to get a better deal or upgrade to a faster, more reliable service.
‘We know some customers can be put off by the hassle of having to deal with more than one provider when trying to switch.
‘So our proposals today aim to make the process as seamless as possible, for everyone.’
Ofcom has also come up with alternative idea it is considering, called the ‘Code to Switch’, which works similar to how transferring mobile phone numbers works with a code.
If either system is chosen, companies will need to make significant changes to their systems, Ofcom said.
The regulator is consulting on the proposals until March 31, with the aim of publishing a decision in the summer and enforcing the new rules in December 2022.
Mark Shurmer, Managing Director of Regulatory Affairs at Openreach, said: ‘We already manage around 175,000 switches every month between providers on the Openreach network and that process is designed to be very straightforward for customers.
‘We support Ofcom’s ambition to make switching between different network providers equally simple.
‘We believe that any solution for cross-platform switching needs to be really simple for consumers and businesses and we’ll be responding to the consultation with that in mind.’
