Make switching ISP easier

Despite the introduction of new laws to ensure switching broadband provider is a straightforward process it still puts too much responsibility on the customer. That's according to price-comparison service Firsthelpline.com's Aamir Baloch, who thinks changing ISP should be like changing energy supplier. "When a customer switches energy providers their request goes into a central clearing database. It is then up to the energy suppliers to arrange the switch – not the customer, and we believe the model should be extended to include broadband," said Baloch. Earlier this year, the law was changed to compel ISPs to provide a migration authorisation code (MAC) to customers who wished to switch. But the fact that it is up to the customer to organise the switch is leading to delays in them getting back online, said Baloch. "It’s the sole responsibility of the customer to oversee the switch – and this is affording providers more leeway to delay the process," he said. Industry regulator Ofcom yesterday released an update on the ISP migration issue, exactly six months after the new rules came into force. "Since the introduction of the enforcement programme, the number of complaints received by Ofcom about broadband migration issues has fallen by about half, from around 480 complaints per week at the start of March to around 250 complaints per week at the start of August," it said. Ofcom said that it would continue to monitor the situation over the next six months and hinted that it would look to introduce similar rules to ensure broadband providers with their own unbundled networks didn't delay customers trying to switch. www.firsthelpline.com

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