Is there a broadband outage in your area?

Find out how far the problem reaches before changing your settings.

The answer in 2 lines. Use mobile data to check your provider’s service status through your existing account or contact details. Ask nearby households whether they are affected, especially those using the same provider. Check power and try another device at home. These clues help identify a wider outage, but only a line check can establish what is happening to your connection. Report the fault even if you have seen an area-wide notice.

Start with these checks

Use mobile data rather than the failed home Wi-Fi connection to access your provider’s account or support.
Ask a neighbour whether their broadband works and whether they use the same provider. Treat their answer as a clue rather than a diagnosis.
Check that your home has electricity and that the router and any separate fibre connection box are powered.

Stop: danger

Leave street cabinets, damaged poles and external cables alone. Describe any visible damage to your provider from a safe position.
If a care alarm or connected healthcare service may be affected, contact the service responsible promptly rather than waiting for the general outage notice to change.

What the symptoms suggest

What you notice	Possible explanation	Next step
Nearby customers also lose service	A shared network problem	Report your own loss of service and ask for updates.
Neighbours remain connected	A fault affecting your line or equipment	Request individual troubleshooting.
Wi-Fi appears but websites do not load	The local wireless network works, but internet access may not	Try another device and check router lights.
Only a distant room has problems	Weak wireless coverage	Compare performance near the router.

Neighbouring homes can use different networks, and a shared network fault need not affect every property. Avoid assuming that either result settles the question.

Check the status, then make a report

Follow Ofcom’s outage troubleshooting steps: check the provider’s status page or app, ask about the expected repair and report an unlisted fault. Find your provider’s own support route through your bill or saved account details. Status systems differ, so you may need an address, account login or line details.

Save the notice and its estimated restoration time. An estimate can change; it is useful evidence of what you were told. Ask whether your own account has a fault recorded, how updates will arrive and what happens if the estimate passes. Keep intermittent outages in a simple diary as well as recording a complete loss.

What not to do

Restoring factory settings while a wider network outage is being repaired.
Assuming a neighbour’s working connection rules out a network fault on your line.
Paying for temporary connectivity on the assumption that all costs will automatically be reimbursed.

Stay connected while you wait

If your mobile allowance permits, use a personal hotspot for essential tasks and pause large downloads. Ask support whether temporary connectivity is available and whether it costs extra. Keep receipts if you intend to request reimbursement, but obtain agreement where possible.

Digital landlines and some connected alarms may stop working during a broadband failure. Use GOV.UK’s digital landline guidance to check the backup questions to discuss with your telephone and alarm services. Explain if you have no reliable mobile alternative; a generic instruction to use a mobile may not meet your needs.

Keep evidence for compensation or a complaint

Record the start of the interruption, when you reported it, references, promised updates and restoration. Check Ofcom’s compensation conditions and participating-provider list against your account. Coverage and exclusions matter; a neighbourhood outage does not guarantee every household the same payment.

For poor handling, write a formal complaint stating the remedy you want. Ofcom’s 2026 complaints update explains the six-week escalation threshold and earlier access following a deadlock letter. Use it to check when to request referral to your provider’s free independent dispute resolution scheme.

Good to know

Keep support details and essential contact information available offline.
When service returns, check your own connection before agreeing the fault is resolved.
This guide is for England. The telecoms complaints framework also covers Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; local outage information depends on the provider.

Illustrative example: Priya loses broadband while her neighbour remains online. She reports the problem rather than ruling out a network fault. Support identifies an issue affecting her connection, logs it and agrees how to send updates to her mobile.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for fault reporting, digital landline limitations and complaint escalation; medium for identifying the extent of an outage from household checks. No live local outage or restoration estimate is asserted.