New stats have revealed the worst broadband for reliability. (Image: Getty)
We rely on our home every day to keep us connected. Whether it’s chatting with friends on , video calls to farflung countries using FaceTime, streaming the latest box sets on or settling in for a night of Call of Duty, it’s more vital than ever that Brits are able to trust their broadband provider to offer a consistently good internet service.
According to the latest research from comparison firm , some internet service providers (ISPs) are doing a better job than others when it comes to broadband reliability.
After surveying 3,200 broadband customers in December 2024, it has been found that has the worst broadband reliability in the UK, with 40 percent of those asked reporting they had encountered at least one internet outage in the past year.
That’s in stark comparison to , which came out top of the pile with 81 percent of surveyed customers saying they had experienced no outages at all over the same period.
Close behind BT with 77 percent of customers reporting no problems was , while came in third with 72 percent of customers unaffected by broadband blips.
BT owns the nationwide Openreach broadband network that TalkTalk and Plusnet also use. But it’s notable that EE, which is owned by BT, also uses Openreach yet ranked dead last for reliability, suggesting certain providers are more reliable despite having access to the same infrastructure.
Virgin Media operates its own cable network for broadband services and placed fourth on the list with 70 percent of customers reporting zero outages. Openreach providers and placed fifth and seventh respectively, while Hyperoptic, which uses its own network, came in sixth.
Here are the full results, including the percent of customers of the corresponding ISP that reported zero outages over the period:
- BT: 81%
- TalkTalk: 77%
- Plusnet: 72%
- Virgin Media: 70%
- Sky: 69%
- Hyperoptic: 65%
- Vodafone: 63%
- EE: 60%
“It’s pretty shocking that in 2025 even the most reliable broadband provider in the UK still sees 19% of its customers experiencing broadband outages,” said Peter Ames, Broadband Expert at Broadband Genie. “If this level of service was delivered by other essential utilities, serious questions would be asked.”
All eight of the studied broadband providers belong to UK regulator Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme that lets you claim £9.67 per day if you still have no service for more than two full working days after first reporting the outage to your provider.
Broadband Genie advises that if you’re experiencing a loss of broadband connection but get your service from another ISP, you’ll have to request compensation directly from your provider.
Here are the firm’s recommendations if that applies to you:
Check your provider’s terms and conditions – Some companies offer their own compensation for service outages.
Complain to your provider – Contact their customer service and explain how the outage has affected you. They may offer a goodwill gesture.
Escalate the complaint – If your provider refuses compensation and you’re unhappy with their response, you can escalate your complaint to an independent ombudsman like CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman, depending on who your provider is registered with.
Consider switching – If outages are frequent and your provider isn’t offering fair compensation, it might be worth moving to a provider that’s part of Ofcom’s scheme.