One Touch Switching live date announced by Ofcom
Ofcom has announced that the launch date for One Touch Switching is now set for Thursday, September 12th, 2024. This comes nearly 18 months after the initially planned deployment date for the system, aimed at simplifying the process of switching contracts between physical broadband networks. TOTSCo has likewise released a bulletin confirming the updated live date.
“Today, The One Touch Switch Company (TOTSCo) announced a new industry-wide launch date for the ‘One Touch Switch’ (OTS) process of 12 September 2024. This follows an announcement in December that its target date of 14 March 2024 was no longer achievable.
At that time, Ofcom wrote to BT, Sky, TalkTalk and VMO2 raising concerns about the repeated delays, and to require them to urgently finalise a launch date. We have received written assurances from these four providers that the September launch date is achievable. We will use all necessary resources and oversight to hold TOTSCo and industry to account in meeting this deadline.
The continued delays by industry have ultimately caused customers to lose out on the benefits of a quicker and more effective switching process. Once OTS has launched – and based on the evidence gathered under our industry enforcement programme – we will review the conduct of BT, Sky, TalkTalk and VMO2, as well as any other providers we feel should be further scrutinised, to determine whether it is appropriate to open investigations into individual providers.”
Ofcom’s Website, 2024 – https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2024/enforcement-programme-into-failed-implementation-of-one-touch-switch
For consumers switching between BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and others utilizing the Openreach network, broadband switching has historically been relatively seamless. However, the One Touch Switching system aims to facilitate switching between different physical networks—such as BT to Virgin Media O2 or Virgin Media O2 to YouFibre—among over 10,000 possible combinations. The goal is to streamline the process for the public, meaning once you select a preferred plan and service, you initiate the order without needing to follow up with the previous provider. The One Touch Switching system handles all the necessary steps.
It’s important to note that while One Touch Switching doesn’t simplify the installation of new physical cables or fibre from your property boundary into your home, it should ensure that if there are issues such as a missed engineer appointment or failure to activate the new service, your old connection won’t be cut off, leaving you disconnected.