Original article ISPreview UK:Read More
The UK communications and media regulator, Ofcom, has this morning hailed the fact that 1.6 million consumers have now switched landline (phone) or broadband provider using their new One Touch Switch (OTS) process since it launched for the first time exactly one year ago.
The OTS system, which went live on 12th September 2024 – after over 17 months of delays (here), remains a Gaining Provider Led (GPL) process, where the customer contacts their new (“gaining“) ISP to start and manage the process on their behalf. But unlike the old system, which was primarily geared toward Openreach’s network, the new one expanded that to work across the UK’s increasingly diverse market of alternative networks.
The process itself, which still has some problems to overcome, was then implemented through the industry-led The One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo), which operates a centralised messaging platform (hub) for internet and phone providers to harness. TOTSCo are also developing a separate solution for switching between business connectivity providers, which is currently in testing and due to go live in early 2026 (here).
The OTS process also got rid of notice-period charges beyond the switch date, as providers must now coordinate the switch over date. “This can save both time and money, as people do not need to coordinate this themselves,” said Ofcom. And providers must also compensate customers if there’s a delay to the start of the new service, or if they are left without a connection for more than one working day.
Cristina Luna Esteban, Ofcom’s Telecoms Policy Director for Networks and Comms, said:
“It’s never been simpler to switch, so we’re pleased that millions of customers have taken advantage of One Touch Switch in the last year and got themselves a new deal.
But there are still many customers who are out of contract and could be missing out on savings. So, we’re urging people to check their contract, compare the offers out there and if changing provider gives them the best deal to switch and save.”
We should point out that the figure of 1.6m is up from 1m at the start of May 2025 and 1.5m in mid-August 2025. Sadly, it’s difficult to know how much of a positive impact OTS has had on switching itself, since there wasn’t a lot of comparable data available on the activity before the OTS system was introduced. But a few ISPs have anecdotally told us that they haven’t seen much of a change in the level of migration activity, although this may vary across the wider market – often for reasons other than OTS itself.