Office of Communications

Ofcom is the UK's communications regulator, established by the Communications Act 2003. It regulates television and radio broadcasting, telecommunications (mobile, broadband, landline), postal services, and — increasingly — online safety under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom sets minimum broadband speeds, enforces rules on switching providers, and monitors network coverage obligations. Consumers with an unresolved complaint about a telecoms or postal provider can refer it after 8 weeks to whichever approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme their provider belongs to — the two Ofcom-approved schemes are Ombudsman Services: Communications and the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS). Ofcom investigates systemic breaches and can impose fines; it does not adjudicate individual disputes. You can check which scheme covers your provider on the Ofcom website.

What it means in practice. Ofcom sets the rules that give you leverage in a dispute. Providers must publish a complaints code of practice, tell you which ADR scheme they belong to, and issue a deadlock letter on request. The automatic compensation scheme means qualifying customers receive set daily payments for delayed repairs, missed engineer appointments, and delayed provision of a new service, without having to ask. Contract rules require clear pre-contract information, notification of price rises, and the right to exit without penalty if the provider changes terms to your detriment.

A worked example. Rosa loses her broadband for nineteen days after a fault. She reports it immediately and keeps the reference number. Under the automatic compensation scheme she should receive a daily payment for each full day of lost service after the first two, plus a payment for an engineer who did not turn up. The provider credits nothing. She complains in writing, waits the eight weeks without a satisfactory answer, obtains a deadlock letter, and takes the case to her provider's ADR scheme, which orders the compensation plus an additional award for the inconvenience.

Common pitfalls. Complaining on social media or by phone leaves no usable record — always put it in writing and keep the date, because that date starts the eight-week clock. People also cancel their direct debit in protest, which damages their credit file without resolving anything. And mid-contract price rises are usually lawful if properly notified in the original contract, so check what you actually signed before treating a rise as a breach.

How it relates to other terms. Ofcom is a regulator rather than an ombudsman, so redress comes through the ADR scheme, one of the approved bodies described under alternative dispute resolution. The gateway is a deadlock letter or final response letter. Faulty equipment supplied with the service is separately covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

What to do next. Follow our telecoms complaints guide to complain in writing and identify the right ADR scheme, or postal complaints for mail and parcel problems. Once eight weeks have passed, use escalating complaints to take the case further.