Ofcom accelerates telecoms complaint resolution for consumers

Telecoms customers in the UK will soon gain quicker access to independent dispute resolution for unresolved complaints, following strengthened rules announced by Ofcom.

The communications regulator is reducing the timeframe before consumers can escalate their issues to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme from eight weeks to six weeks. This change is set to come into effect on April 8, 2026.

ADR schemes are impartial bodies that assess unresolved complaints between customers and their communications providers, aiming to ensure fair and effective handling of disputes. Ofcom’s decision follows a review launched in November 2023, which included consumer research into their experiences with the current system.

The review found that while a significant majority (79%) of complaints to major telecoms companies are resolved within a week, and 94% within six weeks, approximately 700,000 consumers still had open complaints at the six-week mark.

Ofcom noted that only about 19% of these issues were resolved or referred to ADR before the previous eight-week threshold. This meant a notable number of consumers faced an additional two-week wait, potentially incurring further inconvenience or detriment, before being granted access to independent resolution.

By reducing the waiting period to six weeks, Ofcom aims to ensure the ADR system remains effective and helps consumers achieve quicker complaint resolutions. In addition to this rule change, Ofcom has re-approved both Communications Ombudsman (formerly Ombudsman Services) and the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) as official ADR schemes for the telecoms sector, confirming their continued adherence to statutory assessment criteria.