TOTSCo to Begin Testing of UK Business Broadband ISP Switching in June 2025
The One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo), which is the industry-led company that is helping to implement Ofcom’s solution (One Touch Switching) for easier and quicker UK consumer switching between broadband and phone providers, has revealed that they’ll start testing a switching solution for businesses by the “end of June” 2025.
Just to recap. The current consumer focused OTS system is a Gaining Provider Led (GPL) process, where the customer contacts their new (“gaining“) ISP to start and manage the process on their behalf. But the new process is, technically, only a requirement for residential customers.
The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has previously stated that this is because “business and residential customers can sometimes have different needs when switching and that there is diversity among business which means it may not be appropriate to specify certain rules that would apply to all business customers in the same way as to residential customers.”
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However, business ISPs are still required by the regulator to follow most of the same OTS rules (i.e. Ofcom simply have not specified what the process should be for such ISPs) and so, in practice, TOTSCo recognises that many business ISPs may see a benefit in using their platform in order to deliver a switching solution. But to be clear, there is no requirement for any ISP or Managed Access Provider (MAP) to use TOTSCo’s business switching solution (once it exists) and business switching is considered a competitive market.
Nevertheless, TOTSCo has spent the past few months consulting their members on the development of a switching solution for businesses alongside the separate Gaining Provider Led Business (GPLB) Switching Industry Process (here). The good news is that they’re now moving forward with this and expect to be ready to launch it into a testing phase by the end of June 2025.
Paul Bradbury, CEO of TOTSCo, said:
“Finally, on the subject of business switching and following your feedback, last week we issued the updated User and Managed Access Provider Agreements. We have now started development of our Gaining Provider Led Business (GPLB) Switching solution, which will be based on our existing OTS Hub and supporting services.
The solution is set to be technically ready for users to begin testing by the end of June, subject to overall industry readiness. I look forward to sharing full details with you soon and discussing this further at our next Stakeholder Forum on 26 March.”
The same update also revealed that, since the launch of TOTSCo’s OTS solution for consumers last September 2024, a total of 673,000 switches have now successfully completed. TOTSCo added that, this week, they’ve also seen record-breaking volumes, with 10,000 switch orders placed on each of two consecutive days. A total of 317 brands (e.g. broadband ISPs), alongside 16 Managed Access Providers (MAPs), are now at the go-live phase on the switching platform. But it’s also true to say that some smaller internet providers are still lagging in their adoption and thus making switching difficult for their existing customers.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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There still doesn’t seem to be any enforcement for ignoring OTS support. Multiple local altnets are not on it and neither is Starlink.
I agree with enforcement, especially given that 50% of the ISPs listed on this very websites “Top 4” are still not onboarded with OTS. They have had over 2 years to be ready.
I agree with the other feedback comments that there is still a long way to go. With 307 live consumer ISP brands and 397 reported on this website. Whilst enforcement is important and undoubtedly this will come, for those not yet registered for switching, for any consumer provider, the loss of opportunity to grow their business should be far more damaging than any possible fine.
CWP with several other switching providers have been leading in establishing a credible and independent mechanism for switching business customers, whilst continuing to improve the current consumer switching service. TOTSCo have recently started to participate in our initiative of defining the architecture needed to support business switching. The business switching process (GPLB for short) is more complex and the handling of transporting the message is only a small aspect of the overall GPLB process. Whilst TOTSCo may be ready to handle a business switching message and CWP has been able to do this between its members since Nov 2022, the industry as a whole will have a similar challenge as consumer switching before it can consider itself to be ready. The launch of OTS was delayed several times due to platform readiness and then due to industry readiness. The TOTSCo source of this news article therefore does state: “….subject to overall industry readiness”. Business service retailers should get involved now and not expect that upon TOTSCo readiness, a ready to consume service will be available for all.