EE broadband outage explained: what to do when your internet goes down
If your EE broadband has stopped working, the quickest way to find out if there’s an issue is to look at the EE Service Status Checker. This checks your area for faults and tests your broadband, helping to determine whether the problem is unique to you or more widespread.
If EE confirms there’s a known outage, report that it’s affecting you too. EE is signed up to Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, and any amount due is calculated from the moment you log the fault.
Faulty connection lines, high internet traffic or changes in internet speed can already be frustrating. But sometimes an issue on your provider’s side could cause your internet connection to drop completely, rendering most of your devices unusable.
If you’re affected by an EE broadband outage, here are the steps you should take to keep access to the internet and report the issue to your provider.
What to do during an EE broadband outage
If your broadband has suddenly stopped working for more than a few minutes, it may be due to a network connection problem on EE’s side. Here’s what you should first do in this situation.
1. Search the web for EE broadband outages
Check EE’s broadband status in your area directly on its site. Log in to the EE Service Status Checker to check and test your connection. If the broadband is down in your area, you’ll have to wait until it’s fixed for everyone. EE may be able to give you an estimated timeline for this.
You can also text HELP to 66033 and EE will run a connection test to see what’s happening. If an engineer’s required, EE will text you within 15 minutes to book a slot. If not, it’ll call within 30 minutes to talk you through a fix. Standard rates apply. The opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 8pm.
During an outage, you can also check online if a widely known EE outage is affecting other customers. A good place to see this is the site Downdetector, which shows if there is a spike in customer-reported outages.
2. Contact EE for support
If you’ve carried out the steps above but your broadband still isn’t working, you can call EE on 150 from your EE mobile, or on 0330 123 1105 from any other phone. The good news is that EE usually scores very highly for broadband customer service.
You can also ask the EE community, download the EE app or use the live chat, which is exclusive to the app. Select ‘Help’ in the bottom menu, and you’ll see the ‘Message us’ option when live chat is available. Although you can also visit EE’s X account, the EE app seems to be the best way to get broadband support.
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Check your Wi-Fi router at home
If you’ve checked online and you can’t see any evidence of a big EE broadband outage, it might be worth checking your router.
Take a look at your EE Hub lights
A quick glance at your EE Hub will indicate if things are working or not.
If the lights are not on, check to see if the power cable is in and connected to the mains. It’s possible to turn the light off in the EE app, so check the settings there too if you have it.
- A stable aqua light means you’re connected to broadband, but another colour may mean there’s a problem.
- If you have the EE Smart Hub 7 Pro or Smart Hub 7 Plus, a flashing orange light means the Hub is connecting to broadband. Give it at least three minutes to connect. Once connected, the light will turn aqua.
- A solid orange colour means the Hub is working but not connected to the internet. In this case, you should restart the Hub and double-check your broadband activation date.
- A white light means your Hub has switched over to a mobile network using Smart Hybrid Connect. It may mean there’s a problem with your broadband, but you’re still connected thanks to the mobile network switch.
EE has several Hub models, and some may present slight variations. If your Hub seems different, it’s worth having a quick look at EE’s page on Hub lights for all its models.
Can I get compensation from EE for broadband outages and other issues?
Yes, you can get compensation for EE broadband outages in a few situations:
Delayed broadband activation
If your broadband isn’t activated by 11:59 pm on the day that EE promised, you can get £6.46 for the missed activation day. You can also get the same amount every day after that until your broadband is activated. This comes under the automatic compensation scheme.
Delayed broadband repairs after an outage
If you’ve experienced total loss of broadband service, which means you had no access to the internet at all, you can get £10.34 compensation for each day (after the two working days) that the service isn't fixed.
If your broadband engineer missed the appointment
If an engineer misses the scheduled appointment or you've been given less than 24 hours' notice of a change or cancellation, you’ll get £32.31. You’ll receive this amount for each missed appointment.
Compensation rates are correct at the time of writing.
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