Ofcom regulates UK communications services, but individual unresolved telecom disputes are normally decided through an approved ADR scheme rather than by Ofcom itself.
Ofcom sets rules for broadband, mobile, landline and other communications providers. It monitors compliance, publishes guidance and can take enforcement action. For an individual billing, service or contract dispute, you normally complain to the provider and then use its approved ADR scheme when eligible.
From 8 April 2026 the normal telecom ADR waiting period was reduced from eight weeks to six weeks for complaints raised from that date, unless deadlock is reached sooner.
Key points
- Ofcom is the sector regulator; ADR resolves individual disputes.
- Ask your provider which approved ADR scheme it belongs to.
- Deadlock can permit earlier referral; otherwise the current waiting period applies.
- Ofcom reports can still be useful for systemic issues or market intelligence.
What Ofcom does
Ofcom makes and enforces communications rules covering matters such as contracts, switching, complaints, vulnerable customers and service standards. It can investigate providers and impose regulatory action.
What Ofcom does not usually do
It does not generally investigate and decide your individual compensation claim. That is why the provider complaint process and approved ADR scheme are central for personal redress.
Why current dates matter
Telecom complaint rules change. A page that still tells every consumer to wait eight weeks is now outdated for complaints raised from 8 April 2026. Always check the date the complaint was raised and the current Ofcom rules.
In practice
- Use Ofcom rules as the framework for your provider complaint where relevant.
- Keep the complaint date and any deadlock letter because they affect ADR eligibility.
- Report systemic concerns to Ofcom separately from your individual ADR case.
What to do
A practical next-step plan
- Raise the complaint with the provider.
- Identify its ADR scheme.
- Record the complaint start date.
- Request/retain a deadlock or final response where applicable.
- Refer to ADR once eligible.
Common traps
Things that often confuse the issue
- Asking Ofcom to order your refund.
- Using the pre-April-2026 eight-week rule for a new complaint.
- Failing to identify which ADR scheme covers the provider.
Evidence worth keeping
Where to go next
Use the provider’s ADR scheme for individual redress and Ofcom for wider regulatory concerns.
Understand what the outcome can and cannot do
Use Ofcom to inform regulation and the approved ADR scheme to seek an individual resolution. If the provider’s conduct also creates a contractual, consumer-credit or data-protection issue, those routes can exist alongside telecom regulation.
Keep the routes separate.
Regulator, ombudsman/ADR, statutory appeal and court proceedings can have different purposes, powers and deadlines. Using one route does not automatically preserve another.
Build the complaint for an independent reader
When reporting to Ofcom, explain the suspected rule or recurring practice, for example price-rise information, switching problems, complaints access or treatment of vulnerable customers. When applying to ADR, convert the same facts into an individual claim with evidence and remedy.
| If they say… | What to check or say back |
|---|---|
| “Ofcom has logged my complaint.” | That does not mean Ofcom will adjudicate your personal dispute. |
| “You must wait eight weeks.” | For complaints first raised on or after 8 April 2026, the Ofcom rule reduced the normal ADR threshold to six weeks. |
| “We do not issue deadlock letters.” | If the normal waiting period has expired, a deadlock letter is not required merely to become time-eligible. |
| “ADR cannot consider this because Ofcom is the regulator.” | Regulator and ADR functions are complementary, not mutually exclusive. |
Check jurisdiction and timing before writing the full case
Do the gateway checks first. A perfectly argued complaint can still fail if it is sent to the wrong body, too early, too late or against a respondent outside the scheme.
- Make a formal complaint to the provider and obtain a complaint reference.
- Check which Ofcom-approved ADR scheme the provider belongs to.
- Record the complaint start date: the six-week ADR rule applies to complaints raised from 8 April 2026; earlier complaints can fall under the previous eight-week rule.
- Report systemic or regulatory concerns to Ofcom separately where useful, but preserve the individual ADR route.
Is Ofcom actually the right body?
Ofcom regulates UK communications services. It sets rules for providers and monitors industry compliance, but it does not normally decide individual billing, service or contract disputes. Those disputes usually go through the provider and then its approved ADR scheme.
For an individual unresolved telecom complaint, identify whether the provider belongs to Communications Ombudsman or CISAS. For complaints raised on or after 8 April 2026, the normal ADR waiting period is six weeks unless the provider issues deadlock earlier.
Official sources
Check the rules behind this guide
These are official or primary sources for this topic. Rules, scheme terms and deadlines can change, so check the live source before relying on a formal time limit or procedure.