In September, Ofcom introduced rules that let broadband and landline customers move to a new supplier with just one request. According to Ofcom, the programme, called One Touch Switch, removes the need to phone the old company before switching.
Before this change, only households moving between companies on Openreach’s network could hand the organising to the incoming supplier. Anyone choosing or leaving a network such as Virgin Media had to speak to both sides and juggle dates. One Touch Switch ends that back and forth by making the gaining ISP handle everything.
The regulator also wrote in strong consumer safety measures. People no longer pay notice charges after the handover day, and suppliers must pay automatic compensation if a switch leaves the home without service for more than one working day. Trials ran in July, and a 6 week safety window kept the old method on standby for rare data mismatches.
How Busy Has the New System Been?
Since its launch, the scheme has already moved 1 million household lines, according to the One Touch Switching Company, which runs the central platform.
The process stays “gaining-supplier-led”, meaning the incoming company starts and guides every hand-over from end to end. TOTSCo chief executive Paul Bradbury said familiarity with the tool has trimmed help-desk calls and raised the match rate for customer details from 60 percent at launch to about 67 percent.
Most broadband brands now take part, but a group of small outfits still lag. Their delay traps would-be leavers and new shoppers alike, TOTSCo warned. Ofcom has yet to issue penalties, though it can step in if hold outs block consumer moves.
Bugs inside the shared messaging hub can still slow transfers, yet the milestone of 1 million switches shows a clear picture of real switching. That number stands well above the inflated estimates often quoted in opinion polls.
What Makes Business Switching Harder?
Office connections carry payment terminals, cloud software and phone traffic on a single line, so any downtime can freeze trade and harm staff morale.
Ofcom says business lines must still follow most One Touch rules, though it has not laid down a single method for them. TOTSCo is building a solution for businesses, running beside a separate ‘gaining-supplier-led’ business process overseen by the telecoms field.
First connection tests for the new directional start at the end of May 2025, according to TOTSCo. The goal is a full launch in early 2026 once every element, from address matching to billing, passes muster.
Designing that path takes more than copying the home-user template. Business packages differ in speed, contract length and added hardware, which raises the risk of mismatched data when two carriers trade records.
Suppliers also face stiff service level policies. A delay that a household might shrug off can cost a firm orders and reputation, so tolerance for errors is low and accountability is really important here.
When Could Businesses Press One Button?
TOTSCo expects its business track to open in 2026, once trials prove that complex accounts can go across networks with the same ease now enjoyed by households.
Until then, companies that want to move still juggle dual contacts and older paperwork. Ofcom advises any company planning a switch to speak first with its chosen incoming supplier, who must explain the current steps and set out any temporary workaround.
The consumer success story shows the concept clearly works. Should the technology scales to office needs, the UK may soon see a livelier telecoms market where price and service standards, rather than red tape, keep customers loyal.
