UK consumer telecoms has no Supplier of Last Resort safety net if your altnet fails, but in practice failing networks are usually acquired by a rival with little or no service interruption. Past UK precedents show migration or continuity is the norm; if you lose service, switch using One Touch Switch and escalate unpaid credits through ADR. Updated 3 June 2026.
Consumer help · Updated 3 June 2026
What happens if my altnet goes bust?
Honest UK guide to altnet failure: no statutory bail-out, but acquisition and continuity are common; dated precedents; and a practical checklist if you wake up with no broadband.
What happens if my broadband provider goes bust?
Unlike energy, UK broadband and phone services do not have a statutory Supplier of Last Resort that automatically moves you to another provider. If a retail altnet enters administration, an administrator typically seeks a buyer for the network or customer base. In most completed UK cases, another operator acquires the assets and customers continue with minimal interruption, sometimes on new account details.
Consolidation is accelerating in 2026 (see our Altnet Coverage & Consolidation Tracker), which can change branding and support channels even when service continues.
Will I lose my internet?
Not necessarily, and often not for long. Physical fibre in the ground usually remains; a new owner typically keeps the network live because that is what preserves value in administration. You may receive new router settings, a new portal, or a migration window, but total switch-off without notice is uncommon in acquisitions. The exception is a deliberate wind-down where no buyer is found; Link Broadband's 2025 switch-off is a recent example where customers had to move before closure.
Do I get my money back?
If you prepaid or are owed credits, you become a creditor in administration. You may recover some or all of it, but there is no guarantee and it can take months. Chargeback on credit-card payments may be available in some cases; document bills and contact your card provider promptly. For ongoing service faults, use your provider's complaints process then Ofcom-approved ADR (Communications Ombudsman or CISAS) if unresolved.
What UK precedents show
Completed or announced past events only (not predictions about currently trading operators):
- People's Fibre customer base acquired by Swish Fibre (2023): Service continued under acquiring operator. Source: Swish Fibre / People's Fibre announcements.
- Origin Broadband acquired by TalkTalk (2021): Customers migrated to TalkTalk. Source: TalkTalk corporate announcements.
- Zybre customer base acquired by Cuckoo (2022): Retail customers transferred. Source: Cuckoo press releases.
- Spring Fibre assets acquired by Harmony Networks (2024): Network assets continued under new owner. Source: Harmony Networks announcements.
- Link Broadband network switch-off (August 2025): Customers required to switch provider before closure. Source: Link Broadband customer notices (2025).
- Lit Fibre decided to exit the UK market; Zen Internet agreed to acquire the customer base (Announced December 2025; migration from January 2026): Customers keeping current packages unchanged; migration to Zen Internet from January 2026. Source: Zen Internet / Lit Fibre (December 2025).
- G.Network entered administration (January 2026): Network sale process; FitzWalter acquisition of network assets (January 2026). Source: Joint administrators' statements (2026).
- Pulse Fibre entered administration (case CR-2026-MAN-000713) (May 2026): Still in administration as of May 2026; no acquirer announced. Pulse Fibre was a new-build/developer FTTP network, not a mass-market consumer ISP. The widely quoted 250,000-premises figure was a build target/footprint, not a confirmed live customer base; consumer impact is not publicly confirmed. Source: ISPreview; Companies House administration case CR-2026-MAN-000713 (May 2026).
What to do if you wake up with no broadband
- Check your provider's website, email and status page for administrator notices.
- Do not cancel your router return until you know the migration path; keep equipment safe if instructed.
- Check alternative networks at your address (Openreach FTTP, Virgin Media, other altnets) via a postcode checker.
- Switch using One Touch Switch by contacting only your new provider (live since 12 September 2024, Ofcom).
- Keep screenshots of downtime for any automatic compensation or ADR claim.
- If you rely on a careline or telecare alarm on the same line, tell any new provider immediately and read our future PSTN guidance on vulnerable-user migration.