It just got a whole lot easier to switch broadband provider

Moving from one broadband provider to another has long been something of a chore. Starting this weekend (June 20), switchers in the UK will no longer have to go through the hassle of requesting a Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) from their current supplier, as their new ISP will be able to handle the entire process from start to finish.

This should not only help to speed up the process of switching provider, but also eliminate the pestering from ISPs to stay with them. The new rules do not cover all ISPs, just those that use the Openreach network -- this includes major players such as BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, and Sky -- but it should still make life easier for a lot of people.

It's a move that has been welcomed because it places consumers back in control, and helps to avoid the risk of being talked into sticking with the current package. One problem that has plagued would-be switchers when they have phoned their current ISP is that call center staff often use pressurizing tactics to make people feel as though they should not bother switching.

Cable.co.uk editor-in-chief Dan Howdle said:

The high-profile fights between customers and call center retentions staff that have dogged the news recently have stoked the notion that switching broadband provider is more trouble than it's worth. The new rules mean that (in most cases) you will no longer have to call your existing broadband and/or home phone provider in order to switch. You won't have to deal with a person whose job it is to mix fear-mongering, offers you can't refuse, and flat-out stubbornness in order to get you to stay. And that's a good thing.

The new migration process has been introduced by Ofcom and it is hoped that it will help to keep the broadband market healthy.

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