Committee publication · Correspondence · 13 July 2026
Letter from the CEO of Ofcom relating to an investigation into Virgin Media, 8 July 2026
Summary
Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom's Chief Executive, writes to the Public Accounts Committee following her evidence session of 29 June 2026. She reports that Ofcom has concluded its investigation into Virgin Media, imposing a £28 million penalty for breaching cancellation rules between January 2022 and September 2024. The letter also addresses committee questions about PSTN migration, telecare resilience, and emergency service access.
Key findings
- Ofcom found Virgin Media's procedures caused consumers unreasonable effort and difficulty when trying to switch providers during the cost-of-living crisis, breaching General Condition C1.8
- A £28 million penalty has been imposed on Virgin Media; Ofcom's One Touch Switch service has enabled over 3 million consumers to switch providers since September 2024 without contacting their existing provider
- PSTN migration to Voice over IP (VoIP) is progressing; nearly 10 million residential customers were using digital landlines by July 2025, with no additional charges for migration from BT and Virgin Media O2
- Telecare alarms operate through Alarm Receiving Centres rather than directly to emergency services; many digital telecare systems feature dual connectivity and battery back-up to maintain resilience during outages
- Ofcom is monitoring PSTN migration closely in partnership with government and industry, with particular focus on protecting vulnerable consumers during transition
Tone
FactualTopics
consumer-protectiontelecoms-regulationcompetition-enforcementvulnerable-consumersbroadband-switching
Key actors
Dame Melanie Dawes, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Virgin Media, Ofcom, BT, Virgin Media O2, Sky, Public Accounts Committee
Notable line
“Virgin Media breached these requirements, and we have imposed a penalty of £28 million. The level of penalty reflects the impact on people and sends a clear message to Virgin Media and the wider industry that such practices are unacceptable and …”
Key Quotes
“We have found that, between January 2022 and September 2024, Virgin Media's procedures caused consumers unreasonable effort, hassle and undue difficulty when trying to switch provider by phone.”
“This is particularly concerning given that the period covered by our investigation coincided with significant cost of living pressures, when being able to access better deals was especially important for consumers.”
“Through One Touch Switch , customers no longer need to contact their existing provider when switching, helping to promote consumer choice and support effective competition.”
“We expect customers to be able to move from a traditional landline to a digital landline without paying more as a direct result of the migration itself.”
“It is vital that the industry gets this necessary migration right and makes sure the most vulnerable are protected through the transition.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗