Study Claims 1 in 5 Londoners Might be “Overpaying” for Broadband

A new study of 2,000 UK adults, which was conducted in May 2026 by UK ISP CommunityFibre, has claimed that more than half of Londoners (51%) are currently tied into a contract or subscription they believe is too expensive, while one in five say their broadband “costs more than they would like“.

The survey goes on to highlight how, among those unhappy with their broadband, 17% said the service or quality was not as good as promised and 11% cite poor customer service as a key reason for dissatisfaction. Despite this, some 33% say they are put off switching “because it feels like too much hassle“. The new One Touch Switching (OTS) system has made this a lot easier, so such views may now be out of date with reality.

The research also found that 62% of Londoners are unsure exactly how much they spend on contracts and subscriptions each month, while 25% are actively looking for cheaper alternatives. Finally, some 54% would prefer to combine services such as broadband, mobile and TV if it helped them save money, while 29% are currently looking for a cheaper broadband deal and one in five are seeking a better mobile phone contract.

Peter Rampling, CCO at Community Fibre, said:

“It’s obvious that people want the best value, service and transparency from their broadband provider. Yet many don’t realise they have a choice beyond the traditional national providers.

Broadband Independents’ Day is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on providers like Community Fibre, delivering exceptional service and value to households and businesses in the capital.

At Community Fibre, we’re proud to offer London’s fastest and best full fibre broadband network and we strive to make it as affordable as possible, to keep London online.”

Naturally CommunityFibre, which is one of the City’s cheaper but also fastest broadband providers (speeds up to 5Gbps), has a vested interest in this survey and so its results should be taken with a pinch of salt. The survey is also unclear on what portion of all those it questioned actually lived in London (it merely defines them as being “UK adults“), which would tend to suggest that the London side of the sample could be fairly small (the smaller the sample, the less reliable it is)

On the issue of “overpaying,” it’s important to remember that price alone isn’t the only deciding factor and consumers also tend to consider other aspects, such as service and support quality or value-added extras (some features may not be found on rivals). Not to mention that if your current provider has continued to deliver a good service and the features you want, then you’re less likely to consider switching.

Lest we forget that customers of bigger providers may alternatively try haggling for a lower price, or could have even been offered a lower price automatically, to stay with their existing ISP (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill). But your mileage from haggling may vary and not all providers do it.

Take note that end-of-contract notifications system arguably makes existing customers much more likely to try haggling, rather than switch, unless they’re unhappy with their ISP’s performance. Finally, those on state benefits (Universal Credit etc.) often also have the option of taking a cheaper Social Tariff – see our Quick Guide to UK Social Tariffs, which tend to start as low as £12-£15 per month (CommunityFibre has one of the cheapest tariffs in the market).