For a normal residential One Touch Switch, start with the new provider and follow its process. Read the information from your current provider before confirming, especially any early termination charges, changes to linked services and equipment-return requirements.
Before your next order, compare London’s fibre networks and coverage alongside the practical steps in this guide.
Check the current agreement before choosing a date
Find your minimum-term end date and download the latest contract or account summary. List the services on the bill, including television, telephone and any extras you still use. Decide which you want to keep.
Compare the full cost of moving with the cost of waiting. A lower new monthly price is not the complete calculation if there is an early exit charge, an activation fee or an overlap. Keep any offer to cover exit fees in writing and check its conditions.
Let the gaining provider coordinate a standard switch
Ofcom says One Touch Switch starts with the provider you want to join. Your existing provider sends information about the implications, and the new provider arranges the change. Avoid separately cancelling the broadband unless the providers specifically instruct you to do so.
Changing network may involve new equipment or an engineer visit. Confirm the actual sequence with the new provider rather than assuming that a selected date means all installation prerequisites have been completed.
Give bundled services their own checklist
Ask what happens to a provider-supplied email account and save important information before the move. If you want to retain a telephone number, tell the new provider during the order and ask how the transfer will be handled.
TV subscriptions or other products may need separate instructions. Check which discounts depend on keeping a bundle together. Do not assume that transferring the broadband cancels every item on the same bill.
Prepare the handover at home
Find the existing equipment and keep account references accessible. Know which router is supposed to be in use after activation. If you need an engineer, arrange an adult with authority to agree equipment placement and any relevant access.
Once activated, test a wired connection, ordinary browsing and the work or entertainment services you rely on. Reconnect devices to the intended Wi-Fi network. If anything is wrong, keep a clear note of the activation time and contact the new provider.
Handle deliberate overlaps carefully
Some people want both services active temporarily. Ofcom distinguishes a manually managed overlap from One Touch Switch. Discuss that intention before ordering so the providers understand that you want to control cancellation separately.
An overlap can cost more and does not automatically protect against every failure. Confirm whether the services can coexist at your address, when each becomes billable and how you will cancel the old one. Do not book a second contract based on an assumption that installation cannot slip.
Close the old account properly
Check the final bill against the agreed switch date and the information you received. Return equipment through the provider's specified process and retain the return evidence. Remove old payment arrangements only after you understand any remaining balance or refund.
Keep the new contract and confirmation together. They provide a better reference for a future dispute or renewal than a screenshot of the original advert.
Your questions, answered.
Should I cancel my old broadband first?
For a standard One Touch Switch, begin with the new provider and follow its instructions. Independently cancelling can disrupt the intended process.
Does One Touch Switch remove early termination fees?
No. Existing contractual charges can still apply. The current provider should explain the implications before the switch proceeds.
Sources & further reading
Official information behind this guide. Links checked 29 October 2026; individual datasets retain their stated reference dates.