Consumer group Which? has released its latest broadband customer satisfaction results for 2026, based on feedback from 5,235 people in the UK surveyed between December 2025 and January 2026. The new rankings show a familiar pattern at both ends of the market: Zen Internet finished first with a customer score of 84%, while NOW Broadband came last on 54%.
The findings add to the gap between smaller, service-led providers and some of the bigger household names, with several major brands again placed in the lower half of the table.
What the survey measured
Which? asked broadband customers to rate their provider across a range of day-to-day service areas. These included broadband speed, reliability of the connection, value for money, customer service, technical support, communication, ease of contact and setup experience.
Its overall “Customer Score” was based on how satisfied people were with their provider and whether they would recommend it to others.
Which? also gave its “Recommended Provider” label to firms that met two conditions: a customer score of at least 70% and participation in Ofcom-backed fairness commitments in the telecoms market.
Two providers met the bar
Only two broadband firms earned Recommended Provider status in this year’s results: Zen Internet and Plusnet.
Zen took the top spot with 84%, marking a clear improvement from its 77% result a year earlier. Plusnet, despite slipping from 73% to 71%, still remained above the threshold needed for the recommendation.
That left other well-known providers outside the top endorsement bracket, including several with much larger customer bases.
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Zen strengthens its lead
Zen Internet was the standout performer in the 2026 survey, widening its lead after already performing strongly in previous years. Its rise from 77% to 84% suggests stronger customer approval over the past 12 months.
Hyperoptic followed in second place with 77%, up sharply from 69% in the previous survey. Community Fibre also improved, moving from 71% to 72% and keeping its place in the upper tier.
These results indicate that a number of alternative network-backed and smaller broadband brands continue to perform well with customers, especially compared with some of the largest national providers.
Mixed fortunes in the middle
Several major providers landed in the middle of the rankings rather than at either extreme.
Vodafone scored 67%, down from 69%, while EE came in at 66%, also slightly lower than last year’s 68%. BT posted a small improvement, rising from 64% to 65%. Utility Warehouse, however, saw one of the bigger year-on-year drops, falling from 72% to 65%.
Sky Broadband remained unchanged at 62%, suggesting customer sentiment around the service has stayed broadly stable over the last year.
Big brands near the foot
At the lower end of the table, TalkTalk and Virgin Media each recorded a customer score of 59%. Which? said those were the joint lowest scores among the “Big Four” providers.
Both providers also declined compared with their previous results, with TalkTalk down from 61% and Virgin Media slipping from 60%.
Their position in the table means two of the country’s most recognisable broadband brands again struggled to match the higher-rated providers on overall customer satisfaction and recommendation levels.
NOW Broadband had the weakest result
NOW Broadband posted the lowest score in the entire survey at 54%, down from 60% the year before. That six-point drop was one of the largest falls in the rankings and placed the provider firmly at the bottom of the list.
Its finish suggests that customers surveyed by Which? were notably less satisfied with the service than those using rival providers.
Full 2026 customer scores
Here is how the providers ranked in Which?’s latest survey, with the previous year’s score shown for comparison:
Zen Internet — 84% (77% in 2025)
Hyperoptic — 77% (69%)
Community Fibre — 72% (71%)
Plusnet — 71% (73%)
Vodafone — 67% (69%)
EE — 66% (68%)
BT — 65% (64%)
Utility Warehouse — 65% (72%)
Sky Broadband — 62% (62%)
TalkTalk — 59% (61%)
Virgin Media — 59% (60%)
NOW Broadband — 54% (60%)
What stands out from the latest table
The clearest trend in this year’s survey is that customer satisfaction remains strongest among providers that are often seen as smaller challengers rather than the largest mass-market brands.
The table also shows that year-on-year movement can be significant. Zen and Hyperoptic both posted notable gains, while Utility Warehouse and NOW Broadband saw sharp declines. Plusnet slipped slightly but still did enough to remain one of only two providers to secure Which?’s recommendation.
For consumers comparing broadband providers, the results offer a snapshot of how customers rate the firms they already use, not just on speed, but on the wider service experience that shapes long-term satisfaction.
