Internet and phone provider TalkTalk has yet again managed to top the communication regulators, Ofcom UK, latest Q3-2011 list of fixed line phone and broadband ISPs with the most complaints, though it did receive considerably fewer moans than earlier this year. Elsewhere Three (3) has seen complaints about its mobile and Mobile Broadband services skyrocket.

The regulator notes that TalkTalk received an average of 0.55 complaints per 1000 customers during its latest data collection period (July - September 2011), which is slightly down from 0.58 in Q2-2011 and a sharp fall from 0.81 in Q1-2011. Nobody should be too surprised as TalkTalk has spent most of 2011 recovering from a terrible spate of billing, miss-selling and support mishaps.

By contrast the best broadband ISPs (those with the least complaints) were Sky Broadband and Virgin Media (0.19 complaints per 1000 customers each). We're sorry for the poor quality of Ofcom's chart below but that's just how they uploaded it.


TalkTalk also topped the complaints chart for landline phone services (0.77 complaints per 1000 customers), but that is still a big improvement over where they were last year (1.12). The least complained about landline provider over the same period (for the fourth quarter in a row) was Virgin Media with 0.19 complaints per 1000 customers.

Landline Providers with the Most Complaints
1. TalkTalk (0.77)
2. BT (0.29)
3. Sky Broadband (0.28)
4. Virgin Media (0.19)

Mobile operators with the Most Complaints
1. Three (3) (0.14)
2. Orange (0.07)
3. Vodafone (0.07)
4. Virgin Media / Mobile (0.07)
5. T-Mobile (0.06)
6. O2 (0.02)

Mobile complaint levels remain much lower than for landline and fixed broadband services. Apparently most of the mobile complaints for Three (3) have been largely related to disputed charges and customer service issues.

It should be noted that Ofcom only publishes complaints data for telecoms providers with a market share over 4%, which obviously excludes many smaller ISPs and telecoms firms.