The figures relate to complaints made to the regulator between July and September last year. The data shows that complaints across the board are at all-time low levels.

TalkTalk and Shell Energy both received 17 complaints per 100,000 broadband customers; Virgin Media was next worse at 15 complaints per 100,000 customers, and then Plusnet with 13. EE and Sky received just four and five complaints per 100,000 customers, respectively.

TalkTalk was also the most complained-about landline provider, with 11 complaints per 100,000 customers.

The figures relate to complaints made to Ofcom about broadband, mobile and pay-TV firms – not the number of complaints made to the firms themselves. Ofcom compiles the data each quarter.

Three of the four sectors – broadband, landline and pay TV – all saw reductions in complaints in Q3 2021, with nearly all providers seeing an improvement in their figures.

iD Mobile, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile were the most complained-about mobile operators, with Virgin Media also generating the highest volume of pay-TV complaints. The main reason customers complained to Ofcom was related to how these companies handled their complaints.

EE, Tesco Mobile and Sky attracted the fewest complaints in the mobile sector, and Sky was the least complained-about pay-TV provider.

Fergal Farragher, Ofcom’s consumer protection director, said: “Complaints have fallen to a record low, and we expect providers to keep working to achieve the highest standards.

“If you’re unhappy with your provider, it’s worth shopping around. We’ve made it easier than ever to switch, and you could end up with better customer service as well saving money.”

Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said: “With customer complaints hitting record lows, home phone, broadband, mobile and pay-TV firms deserve praise for improving their services. But with a huge disparity between providers, there’s still work to be done.

“TalkTalk and Shell Energy have had four times as many complaints about their broadband as EE, and five of the biggest eight providers are below the industry average. Broadband, mobile and pay TV bills are set to rise for millions of people in the coming months and it will be crucial for the providers to maintain customer satisfaction levels if they are to provide good value for money.

“Ironically, the three mobile operators with the highest amounts of complaints – iD Mobile, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile – all did poorly because of the way they handle complaints.

“More than 15 million consumers suffered a broadband outage in the last year, so it’s clear that there are still issues for broadband providers to deal with. If you’ve experienced a loss of service, make sure you raise the issue with your provider and take it to the relevant ombudsman if they can’t resolve your complaint.”