The short version
General information, not advice
- Providers that have signed Ofcom’s code must give you a minimum guaranteed speed for your line before you buy, plus an estimate of the speed at busy times.
- If your speed falls below the minimum, they have 30 days to fix it.
- If they can’t, you can leave without an exit fee, including a phone line or TV bundled with the broadband.
- The guarantee covers the line into your home, not your Wi-Fi, so test with a cable before you complain.
- Signed up: BT, EE, NOW Broadband, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Zen Internet.
Ofcom, “Broadband speeds: what you need to know”, checked 27 September 2026.
See it step by step
When your speed drops below the minimum
Step 1 of 6
What you're told before you buy
Under Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice, providers that have signed it must tell you about the speed of your particular line before you commit.
- An estimate of the speed you're likely to get at the busiest times, 8pm to 10pm for home broadband.
- A minimum guaranteed speed, based on your address rather than a national average.
Keep the email or document that shows it. It's the number you'll hold them to.
Rules from the Switch4Good guide, Broadband speed guarantees, checked 4 October 2026, and checked at Ofcom's Broadband Speeds Code of Practice page: the 30-day period, the 8pm to 10pm busy times, the nine providers that have signed, and the December 2022 widening of the exit right; the 6-week ombudsman point is Ofcom's. Example figures are illustrative: the advertised speed, the minimum guaranteed speed, every test result and the day the problem is reported are invented. Not to scale.
What you should be told before you buy
Under Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice, providers that have signed it must give you accurate information about the speed of your particular line before you commit. That means an estimate of the speed you’re likely to get at the busiest times, 8pm to 10pm for home broadband, and a minimum guaranteed speed. It’s based on your address, not on an average across the country, which is why two neighbours can be quoted different figures. Keep the email or document that shows it: it’s the number you’ll hold them to.
Check it’s the line, not the Wi-Fi
The guarantee applies to the connection coming into your home. Wi-Fi inside it isn’t covered, because walls, an old router in a cupboard or an old phone can all slow things down on their own. Before you contact your provider, plug a laptop into the router with a network cable and run a speed test, at different times of day and on different days. Write down the date, the time and the result, or take a screenshot. If the cabled result is below your minimum, you have a case. If it’s fine and the far rooms are slow, see our guide to mesh Wi-Fi.
If your speed falls below the minimum
Tell your provider, and give them your test results. They’ll usually run their own tests on the line and may ask you to try a different router or a different socket. From the point you report it, they have 30 days to fix a problem on their network. If it’s still below the minimum after that, they must let you leave the contract without an early exit fee. Since December 2022 that right also covers anything bundled with the broadband: a landline, TV or other services linked to it financially, contractually or technically.
If your provider hasn’t signed the code
Look for the speed information in your contract and the summary you were given before you signed. Every provider has to give you a contract summary, and most include a minimum or estimated speed there. If the service doesn’t match what you were promised and your provider won’t sort it out, complain formally. After 6 weeks, or sooner if they send a deadlock letter, you can take it to the ombudsman scheme your provider belongs to (the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS), which is free.
What the compensation scheme covers, and what it doesn’t
Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme pays out for a total loss of service that isn’t fixed quickly, for missed engineer appointments, and for delays in setting up a new connection. It doesn’t pay out for slow speeds. For a line that works but is too slow, the remedy is the one above: a fix within 30 days, or the right to leave.
Sources, checked 27 September 2026: Ofcom: broadband speeds, what you need to know · Ofcom: customers’ right to exit broadband contracts. Switch4Good Limited is a commercial business and not a charity. General information, not advice.
Common questions
Is the advertised speed guaranteed?
No. The advertised figure is what at least half of customers get at peak times. Your minimum guaranteed speed is the figure that counts.
Does it cover Wi-Fi?
No. It covers the line into your home, which is why you test with a cable.
Can I leave straight away if it's slow?
Not straight away. Your provider has 30 days to fix it first.
Leaving a slow provider?
Compare broadband through Switch4Good. The price is the same as going direct, and at least 50% of eligible commission goes to the cause you choose.