Consumer information

Outlining the core information consumers need to know about ISPA UK, including the communications ombudsman, harmful content reporting and pole siting

Consumers

ISPA is the UK trade association for ISPs in the UK ISPA members range from  large consumer-facing ISPs, niche service providers , business2business specialists, hosting companies and both fixed and wireless ISPs.

When choosing an ISP, customers should choose an ISPA member. ISPA operates a complaints procedure and a code of practice that members must adhere to. If your ISP is an ISPA member and you have any problems, ISPA can help prevent you from needing to consult Trading Standards or a lawyer.

All ISPs must be members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, the two Ofcom-approved schemes are the Communications Ombudsman Service and  CISAS.

It is not recommended to select an ISP by price alone. Not all ISPs offer the same services. Customers should look closely at what is offered and decide what they  need.

Communication Ombudsman

Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (‘the scheme’).

The scheme is an independent scheme run by Communications Ombudsman to settle disputes. When your dispute goes through the scheme, an independent adjudicator will make a decision on it. That decision is binding on the company you are in dispute with, but you can reject it and take your dispute to court.

Communications Ombudsman
3300 Daresbury Park
Daresbury
Warrington
WA4 4HS

Visit website

For an up-to-date version of the list of the companies who are registered with Communications Ombudsman you can visit their website here.

Reporting harmful content


ISPA is a member of the Internet Watch Foundation, the UK internet hotline for the public to report their inadvertent exposure to online child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world, non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK and criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK.

The IWF works in partnership with the online industry, government, police and the public. As a result of this self-regulatory approach, less than 1% of online child sexual abuse content has been hosted in the UK since 2003, down from 18% in 1997.

For more information or to file a report visit www.iwf.org.uk.

Other useful sites  help individuals report harmful content.  True Vision facilitates reporting hate crime, the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has a reporting tool for radicalisation content, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has a  tool to report child sexual abuse.

More general information about online safety can be found on the Get Safe Online website here.

Pole Siting

About the Telecommunications Poles Working Group
The Telecommunications Poles Working Group was set up by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) and the Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA) upon request from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). 
The purpose of the group was to review the 2016 Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice, share best practice across the industry, and engage with key stakeholders, including but not limited to Local Authorities and Ofcom, the communications regulator.


About the Best Practice Recommendations
Ensuring widespread support for fibre rollout, including occasional use of new poles, is critical to the success of the rollout programme. Through the engagement process undertaken in developing this guidance, a number of best practice recommendations have been identified, and are recommended to be followed by all members of both associations (ISPA and INCA).

These recommendations flow from a commitment towards supporting local communities (the “Community Commitment”), and sit alongside mandatory legislation, including the Electronic Communications Code (conditions and restrictions) Regulations 2003 (as amended), Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2016, and the Code of Practice.


Supporting providers
The following providers are supporting the Best Practice Recommendations at the time of launch (March 2025):

  • BRSK
  • Cityfibre
  • Community Fibre
  • Freedom Fibre
  • FullFibre
  • Gigaclear
  • IXwireless
  • MS3
  • Netomnia
  • Nexfibre
  • OGI
  • Openreach
  • toob
  • Virgin Media O2
  • Wessex Internet
  • Zzoomm

Providers that want to indicate that they are following the Best Practice Recommendations can do so by adding the following logo to their communications with the public, local authorities and other stakeholders.

Find the best practice guidance here.
If you have any questions about the document, please contact: policy@ispa.org.uk.