Broadband rights

Slow broadband: can you leave if you're below your guaranteed speed?

Short answer

Often, yes. Nine providers, including BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, have signed Ofcom's broadband speeds code. It gives you a minimum guaranteed download speed when you buy. If your speed falls below it because of their network and they cannot fix it within 30 days of your report, you can leave without an exit fee.

Updated 15 October 2026

30 days

For your provider to fix a speed problem on its network, from the day you report it

9 providers

On Ofcom's list of residential speeds code signatories, updated 8 October 2026

8pm to 10pm

The evening peak the code uses for home broadband speed estimates

Can I switch broadband mid-contract?Am I overpaying for broadband?

Ofcom's broadband speeds code is voluntary, so what you can do depends on your provider. We read Ofcom's code and nine providers' own help pages or terms on 15 October 2026 to set out what each promises, how to test properly and what to do if yours has not signed up.

The guarantee

What is a minimum guaranteed broadband speed?

The lowest download speed your provider promises, set before you buy. Ofcom says a provider on its code should always give you one.

Providers on Ofcom's code must give you a minimum guaranteed download speed before you agree to buy, alongside an estimate of the speed you are likely to get at busy times.
For full fibre and cable, the code says the guarantee must be at least 50% of the package's advertised speed. For copper and part-fibre lines, it is the speed the slowest 10% of similar lines get at peak time.
The estimates allow for the evening peak, which the code defines as 8pm to 10pm every day.
The code guarantees download speed only, measured at your router. It says upload speeds are estimates that do not give you a right to leave, and that providers are not responsible for wifi or older devices.
Find your figure in your order confirmation or welcome email: the code says signatories must send it in writing within 7 calendar days of the sale. Their website speed checkers must show it too.
Separately, Ofcom says every UK home has a legal right to request a decent connection, of at least 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload, if it cannot already get one.

Sources: Ofcom: broadband speeds, what you need to know (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: 2022 voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds (residential) (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: your right to request a decent broadband service (read 15 October 2026)

Your right to leave

When can you leave because your broadband is too slow?

When your download speed stays below the guarantee and a fault on the provider's side is not fixed within 30 days of your report.

Under the code you can leave without penalty at any point in your contract if your download speed is below the guarantee on at least three days in a row after you report it, and the problem is not fixed within 30 calendar days of your report.
The provider can offer the exit sooner if it has done everything it reasonably can and your speed is still below the guarantee.
Without penalty means no early termination fee, and a pro rata refund of any fees you paid upfront, such as advance line rental. The provider can charge a reasonable amount for equipment you do not return when asked.
The right covers linked services too. Ofcom says that since 21 December 2022 this includes anything linked financially, contractually or technically to the broadband, and the code lets you keep parts of a bundle that do not depend on that broadband, such as a mobile.
The provider can offer an upgrade or a discount instead, but you do not have to take it, and any time limit it sets for accepting the exit must be at least 30 days.
Ofcom says this process does not apply to rolling monthly contracts, but you can usually give a month's notice to leave those anyway.

Sources: Ofcom: broadband speeds, what you need to know (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: 2022 voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds (residential) (read 15 October 2026)

Testing

How do you test your broadband speed so the result counts?

Test at the router, on more than one day and in the evening, and use the provider's own test as well as an independent one.

Plug a computer into the router with an ethernet cable. Ofcom says wifi can slow the signal, and the guarantee is measured at the router.
Test more than once, on different days and at different times, including the 8pm to 10pm peak the code uses. Ofcom suggests trying a few different speed checkers.
Use your provider's own test too, because that is the one it relies on. Sky says another website's checker cannot confirm the speed to your hub, and BT measures its guarantee with its own speed test.
Keep a dated record of each result. The code says you do not need a speed test to report a problem, but a test you send must be treated as a serious and credible sign of one.
Just connected? BT says speeds can go up and down for the first 10 days or so while it finds the best speed for your line.

Sources: Ofcom: broadband speeds, what you need to know (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: get help with broadband and Wi-Fi problems (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: practical tips for improving your broadband speed (read 15 October 2026); Sky: Sky Speed Guarantee (read 15 October 2026); BT: not getting the expected Stay Fast Guarantee or minimum speed (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: 2022 voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds (residential) (read 15 October 2026)

Step by step

What should you do if your speed stays below the guarantee?

Six steps from finding your figure to switching, in the order the code expects them.

1
Find your minimum guaranteed speed
Check your order confirmation, welcome email or your provider's speed checker. Code signatories must send it in writing within 7 calendar days of the sale.
2
Test at the router
Run wired tests on several days, including between 8pm and 10pm, using your provider's own speed test as well as an independent one.
3
Report it as a speed problem
Tell your provider your download speed is below the guarantee and note the date. The 30-day clock starts from your report.
4
Let the provider try to fix it
Do the checks it asks for and allow an engineer visit. The code says you should not pay for that visit unless you miss it or the cause is in your control.
5
Ask to leave without penalty
If your speed is still below the guarantee 30 days after your report, the provider must offer you the exit. If you accept, it must confirm that in writing.
6
Switch with your new provider
Order from your new provider. The code says your old provider must note on your account that no early termination fee applies to the switch.

Sources: Ofcom: 2022 voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds (residential) (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: broadband speeds, what you need to know (read 15 October 2026)

Not a signatory?

What if your provider has not signed Ofcom's code?

Check Ofcom's list first, then your contract terms. Without the code, a discount or a waived exit fee is something you ask for.

On 8 October 2026 Ofcom listed nine residential signatories: BT, EE, NOW Broadband, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Zen Internet.
Ofcom says shoppers have been given a minimum guaranteed speed since changes to the code in March 2019, and the current version applies to broadband bought from 21 December 2022.
If your provider is not on the list, read its terms. Vodafone's terms, for example, have their own slow speed clause.
Citizens Advice says a provider that has not signed up does not have to act on your speed results, but you can ask for a discount, or ask it to waive the exit fee because of the poor service.
Complain in writing and keep a record. Ofcom says that if it is still unresolved after six weeks, or you get a deadlock letter, you can take it to a free, independent dispute resolution scheme.

Sources: Ofcom: codes of practice, updated 8 October 2026 (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: better broadband speeds information, voluntary codes of practice (read 15 October 2026); Vodafone: Home Broadband and Phone terms, November 2025, clause 4.2 (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: get help with broadband and Wi-Fi problems (read 15 October 2026)

Compensation

Do you get compensation for slow broadband?

Not automatically. Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme pays for three failures, and a slow connection that still works is not one of them.

The scheme pays when a service stops working and is not fully fixed after two full working days (£10.34 a day), when an engineer misses an appointment or cancels with less than 24 hours' notice (£32.31), and when a new service starts late (£6.46 a day).
For slow speeds, the remedy is the speeds code above. Sky's terms also say a total loss of service does not count towards its three-day speed test.
The scheme's members are BT, EE, Hyperoptic, Plusnet, Sky including NOW, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media, Vodafone and Zen Internet. TalkTalk's membership has restrictions for customers off the Openreach network.
Some providers offer separate wifi guarantees. EE says you can claim £100 once if its WiFi Extender 7 Pro cannot give 100 Mbps in every corner of your home, and Virgin Media offers a £100 one-off credit if its WiFi Guarantee does not give at least 30Mbps in every room.

Sources: Ofcom: automatic compensation, what you need to know (read 15 October 2026); Sky: Sky Speed Guarantee (read 15 October 2026); EE: broadband and speed guarantees (read 15 October 2026); Virgin Media: broadband speeds and minimum download speed guarantee (read 15 October 2026)

Where Taupia fits

How can Taupia help once you can leave?

Taupia keeps your broadband bill, monthly price and contract end date in one place, alongside energy, mobile and water.
When you are free to leave, it compares broadband deals and switches once your household approves.
In a shared house it splits the broadband bill between housemates and tracks who has paid. It never moves money itself.
The speed report and the exit request go to your provider, so keep its emails and reference numbers. Taupia is free.

Provider by provider

Which providers guarantee a minimum broadband speed?

We read each provider's own help page or terms on 15 October 2026. Policies change, so check your contract summary for your own figure.

Eight of the nine providers in the table below have signed Ofcom's code. Vodafone has not, but its own terms include a slow speed clause. Utility Warehouse has also signed the code.
Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media spell out the code's three-day test: speed below the guarantee on three days in a row.
BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media all measure the guarantee to the hub or router, not over wifi.
Older contracts work differently. BT and TalkTalk say contracts from before 1 March 2019 are judged on line speed, and Citizens Advice suggests asking for a discount on those instead.

What do nine broadband providers promise about slow speeds?

Provider	Speed guarantee	If it is not fixed
BT	A Stay Fast Guarantee or minimum download speed to your BT Hub, quoted when you order, which BT says you get at any time of day or night. Full Fibre 900 is guaranteed 700Mbps.	If a fault in BT's control is not fixed within 30 days, you can leave without an early cancellation charge, including phone line and TV but not BT Mobile. You must do BT's checks, allow an engineer visit and use BT's speed test.
EE	A personal speed guarantee for the speed to your hub. The EE app shows it under what's included in your plan.	EE says that as an Ofcom code signatory, if it does not fulfil your speed guarantee you can exit your contract without a charge for cancelling early.
NOW	A Guaranteed Minimum Download Speed promised when you join.	If NOW cannot provide that speed within 30 days, it says you can cancel without termination fees. It asks you to try its online checks first, then phone.
Plusnet	A Minimum Guaranteed Speed given when you sign up.	Its terms say that if your speed stays regularly below that minimum after you try its fixes, and the fault is still not resolved after at least 30 days, you can end the service without early termination charges.
Sky	A Guaranteed Minimum Download Speed to your hub, the speed the slowest 10% of similar lines get. It is on your order confirmation and in Sky's Service Checker.	Below it for 3 days in a row in the last 30 days, you can cancel Broadband and Talk with no early termination charges or change package with no upfront fees. Sky only accepts its Service Checker, the MySky app or an adviser.
TalkTalk	A Guaranteed Minimum Download Speed given at the point of sale, for the connection to your router or hub.	If your download speed is below it every day for at least 3 days in a row after you report it, and TalkTalk cannot fix it within 30 days, you may cancel without penalty.
Virgin Media	50% of the advertised speed on the day you ordered, to your Virgin Media Hub, if you joined or changed broadband on or after 28 February 2019.	Below it for three days in a row and not fixed within 30 days, you may be able to leave without an early disconnection fee. Outages are not covered.
Vodafone	Not on Ofcom's list of signatories. Your Service Confirmation Letter sets out a minimum guaranteed speed.	Its terms say that if your line speed continuously or regularly falls significantly below that minimum and it cannot resolve it, you can take a slower product or end the agreement without a termination fee. Fibre to the Home is excluded.
Zen	Your own minimum guaranteed speed, confirmed when you join.	If your speed drops below it and Zen cannot fix it within 30 calendar days, you can exit the contract without penalty, in line with Ofcom's code.

Slow broadband FAQ

Questions about slow broadband and guaranteed speeds

What happens if I don't get my minimum guaranteed speed?

If your provider has signed Ofcom's broadband speeds code, report it. The provider has 30 calendar days from your report to fix a problem on its network. If your download speed stays below the guarantee, you can leave without an early termination fee and take linked services, such as a landline or TV, with you.

Is there a minimum broadband speed by law?

Ofcom says every UK home has a legal right to request a decent connection, of at least 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload, from BT, or KCOM in Hull, if it cannot already get one. The minimum guaranteed speed in your contract comes from Ofcom's voluntary code, so it depends on your provider.

Can I leave my broadband contract if the speed is slow?

Yes, if your provider has signed Ofcom's code, your download speed is below its minimum guarantee and it cannot fix the problem within 30 days of your report. If it has not signed, Citizens Advice suggests asking for a discount, or asking it to waive the exit fee because of the poor service.

Does slow wifi count towards the guarantee?

No. The guarantee covers the download speed to your router or hub, not wifi to your devices. BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media all measure at the hub. Test with a computer plugged into the router before you report a problem, and try Ofcom's free fixes if only the wifi is slow.

Is Vodafone signed up to Ofcom's broadband speeds code?

Vodafone was not on Ofcom's list of residential signatories updated on 8 October 2026. Its own terms say that if your line speed regularly falls significantly below the minimum in your Service Confirmation Letter and it cannot fix it, you can end the agreement without a termination fee. Fibre to the Home is excluded.

Do I get compensation for slow broadband?

Not automatically. Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme pays when a service stops working and is not fixed after two full working days, when an engineer misses an appointment and when a new service starts late. For a connection that works but is slow, the remedy is the exit right, or a discount you negotiate.

How long does my provider have to fix slow broadband?

Under Ofcom's code, 30 calendar days from the day you report it. The deadline can be extended in some cases, for example if you cancel engineer visits or street works need permission, and the provider must explain any delay. It can offer you the exit sooner if it cannot fix the problem.

Related guides

Leaving, switching and checking your broadband price

Once you know whether you can leave, these guides cover the rest of the decision.

Start here

Can I switch broadband mid-contract?

Recommended

Exit fees, the other ways to leave without one and how long a switch takes.

Official references

Cite this page

Taupia. "Slow broadband: can you leave if you're below your guaranteed speed?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/compare-broadband-prices/slow-broadband-guaranteed-speed

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