Coronavirus: broadband switching rising despite engineer visit difficulties

Interest in moving to a new broadband package is on the rise, as households are forced to lean on connections more.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so keenly aware of how much I rely on my home broadband.

I’ve worked from home since 2016 so having a decent, reliable connection has been important for a long time.

But at least if something went wrong, I always had the option of heading to a relative’s house and working there until it was fixed.

No such luck now  – it’s not just me relying on it either.

My kids are depending on it too for their communication with their school teachers, who are not just setting work but also devising lessons that involve a large amount of internet use, never mind the fact that given we can’t really go outside streaming services are in greater use than usual.

Throw in our attempts at video calls with family, so that we at least have some sort of social element to our lives, and connectivity becomes vital.

With everyone else in the country in a similar position, it’s perhaps not surprising that large numbers of people are choosing now to shop around for a new broadband deal.

Search for a cheap new deal with Broadband Genie

Getting connected

Comparison site Compare The Market has reported a 30% jump in the number of people using the site to switch broadband deals in March compared to February, so just as the lockdown measure kicked in.

Perhaps unsurprisingly there’s also been a substantial increase in people looking for rapid download speeds.

Back in February less than half of switchers went for deals with download speeds of above 51MB a second, but this has jumped to almost two thirds.

Meanwhile, the number of people going for superfast deals of above 61MB a second has jumped 95% month on month.

This is just one site of course, but it’s reasonable to assume that other broadband comparison sites are seeing some sort of increase in interest over switching. But does that mean it’s a good time to do it?

Do I need an engineer?

In some cases, people will require the installation of a phone line in order to switch broadband deals.

However, Openreach ‒ which oversees this ‒ has said that engineer visits, which would be required for such installations, are being reserved only for vulnerable people.

So if you’re with Virgin Media, for example, which has its own network, and want to switch to one of the providers that use Openreach, then you may not be able to do so for a while.

Certain deals from providers that use Openreach always require some form of home installation too, such as those full-fibre deals which deliver the higher speeds.

These deals will therefore be off the table for a while too.

However, Virgin and Hyperoptic ‒ another provider with its own network ‒ do allow socially distanced engineer appointments so you may be able to switch to them still.

Overall then while you may be a bit more limited in terms of what providers and deals you can move to, switching broadband packages is far from impossible.

Indeed, as BroadbandChoices puts it “the overwhelming majority of broadband switches are going ahead as normal”.

Compare TalkTalk broadband deals

Looking beyond the headline numbers

Whenever you’re thinking about switching broadband deals, it’s crucial that you do your homework beyond simply comparing the main features of the package.

Sure, a package that promises ultra-fast speeds and huge data allowances is going to be tempting at the best of times, let alone at the moment. 

But first you need to get a decent idea of what speeds are actually possible in your area.

There are all sorts of different checkers online ‒ personally I tend to use BroadbandSpeedChecker, which does exactly what it says on the tin ‒ and they will provide you with an indication of what speeds are realistic in your town.

Once you’ve pinpointed a possible package, you now need to cast your eye over just how reliable the provider is.

There’s no point going for an all-singing, all-dancing broadband deal that you can’t actually rely on working, after all.

We regularly update our piece on the best and worst broadband providers, based on the latest complaints figures reported by the regulator Ofcom, so that’s an excellent place to start.

But reading reviews and polling friends and family about their experiences with certain providers is also worthwhile.

Compare Plusnet broadband deals

Not so automatic compensation

Finally, it’s worth reflecting on the automatic compensation scheme introduced by Ofcom in April last year. 

As the name suggests, the scheme was designed to ensure people are automatically compensated in certain situations, such as the delay of the start of a new broadband service.

Providers signed up to the scheme ‒ which make up the majority of major firms in the UK ‒ committed to paying £5 for each day of delay.

However, Ofcom has said that given the “unique circumstances”, it is “legitimate” for providers not to pay automatic compensation currently.

However, they will need to clearly explain the reasons why to their customers, and “continue to act in their customers’ best interests” according to the regulator.

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