O2 tops Ofcom Q1 mobile sector complaints table as price rises spark customer fury

O2 was the UK’s most complained-about mobile provider in the final quarter of 2025. according to Ofcom  generating seven complaints per 100,000 customers during the quarter.

Most complaints related to contract issues, with mid-contract price rise notifications appearing to fuel customer dissatisfaction across the sector.

By contrast, EE, Tesco Mobile and Three each recorded just one complaint per 100,000 customers whch is well below the industry average of three. EE, Tesco Mobile and Three were the least complained-about mobile providers.

A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson said: “Over the past 18 months, we’ve delivered clear and sustained improvements in customer service, with complaints about Virgin Media broadband now the lowest of all providers which is a major achievement.

 “On the mobile side, we understand customers were disappointed with our price change which led to a short-term spike in mobile complaints this quarter, and since then we have taken decisive action including signing the Government’s Telecoms Consumer Charter. 

 “We remain on track and committed to investing heavily to ensure we’re consistently providing a great customer experience and excellent service.”

Vodafone performed better in mobile than broadband, generating two complaints per 100,000 customers, below the industry average despite its worsening broadband complaints performance.

 iD Mobile matched the industry average with three complaints per 100,000 customers, while Sky Mobile recorded five complaints, placing it behind most major rivals.

The figures suggest operators with simpler tariffs and stronger customer service reputations continue to outperform the wider market on complaints handling.

­In the braodband sector stats, Vodafone recorded the highest increase in broadband complaints

The regulator said Vodafone and TalkTalk were the UK’s most complained-about broadband providers between October and December 2025. While TalkTalk’s complaint levels remained unchanged from the previous quarter, Vodafone saw a rise in complaints from customers.

At the other end of the table, Plusnet and Virgin Media generated the fewest broadband complaints during the period.

In the landline market, BT, EE, NOW Broadband, Plusnet and TalkTalk attracted the highest levels of complaints. Ofcom said complaint volumes for BT, EE and Plusnet were unchanged quarter-on-quarter, while NOW Broadband saw an increase and TalkTalk recorded a decline.

Utility Warehouse was the least complained-about landline provider.

In pay-TV, EE generated the highest number of complaints, while Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media recorded the lowest complaint levels.

Cristina Luna-Esteban, Director of Consumers and Retail Markets at Ofcom, said: “It is disappointing to see an increase in customers complaints during this quarter, especially following a sustained period of decreases in the complaints we received about telecoms companies.

“However, a main driver of these complaints appears to be unexpected mid-contract price rise announcements for some mobile customers in the Autumn of 2025. We will continue to monitor the market including future complaints figures for any indication of ongoing customer dissatisfaction.”

Ofcom publishes quarterly complaints data to monitor customer dissatisfaction across telecoms and pay-TV providers and to help consumers compare service performance across the market.