ISPA supports the agreement that has been reached with DCMS and we are committed to working with our broad membership and the Government to support vulnerable consumers and those who may become vulnerable due to circumstances arising from Covid-19.
We suggest that customers who are in financial trouble as a result of COVID-19 or who regard themselves as vulnerable to contact their ISP who will look into providing specific support measures. Our members’ call centres have seen a significant increase in demand, and we urge customer to only call if they have genuine issues to ensure that we can continue to prioritise support for customers who are most in need.
Given the importance of keeping the wider UK broadband network up and running, the financial impact of COVID-19 on retail and business ISPs needs to be kept under review. Assistance might need to be provided from Government or upstream providers to ensure network resilience and the long-term viability of a competitive sector where, for example, more than 90% of ISPA's members are SMEs.