Fixing slow internet or Wi-Fi and what you can demand

Terms used

• SAC — The SAC is the operator's customer service department, where your first complaint must go and where you get a reference number.
• OAUT — The OAUT is the government's telecoms user office, which decides claims when the operator does not fix your problem.
• Junta Arbitral de Consumo — The Junta Arbitral de Consumo is the consumer arbitration system, free to use if the operator has joined it.
• OMIC — The OMIC is the municipal consumer office, which helps with complaints against businesses in your town.

Key rules

• Contract speeds: Your contract must list maximum, normal and minimum speeds, and persistent speeds below the minimum put the operator in breach.
• Test by cable: Only a cable test, repeated at different times and on several days, separates a Wi-Fi problem from a line problem.
• Outage compensation: The operator must compensate you automatically for a temporary outage, and it must show on your next invoice.
• Complaint order: Always complain to the operator first and keep the reference number, because later claims depend on it.

Start by finding out if it is Wi-Fi or the line

Most slow-internet problems are Wi-Fi, not the line. Test first, because the operator will ask for it anyway.

Fix the Wi-Fi in this order:

1. Restart the router and your devices.
2. Move the router to a central, raised, open spot, away from walls, microwaves and metal.
3. Use the 5GHz band for devices near the router and 2.4GHz for devices far away.
4. Change the Wi-Fi channel. Neighbours' networks crowd the 2.4GHz band, especially in apartment blocks.
5. Update the router firmware.
6. Connect fixed devices, such as a TV or desktop, by Ethernet cable.
7. In a large home, add a mesh system or wired access points. Where cabling is hard, powerline adapters are an option.

Then run a speed test with a computer connected to the router by cable. If the cable result is also slow, the problem is the line, and your operator must deal with it.

What speed you can demand

Your contract must state the maximum, normal and minimum speeds of your fixed internet. Find them in your contract or its speed annex. If your measured speed stays below the contracted minimum, the operator is in breach. Repeated big gaps between the promised and the real speed count too.

You can then ask the operator to fix it. If it does not, you may end the contract without penalty and may claim compensation. The exact thresholds depend on the minimum speeds written in your own contract.

Prove the shortfall

Use the government's speed test (medidor de velocidad). Complaints accept it as evidence.

• Connect a computer by Ethernet cable and switch off other devices and downloads.
• Test at different times of day and on several days in a row.
• Save screenshots, or the certified result, showing date and time.
• Compare the results with the minimum speed in your contract.

Keep the contract, your invoices and the reference number of every complaint. The documents list below shows what to gather.

Outages: you are owed compensation

When your fixed service is cut temporarily, the operator must compensate you automatically. The minimum is the share of your monthly fee for the outage time, plus a set amount per day. The compensation must appear on your next invoice. If it does not, claim it through the same steps as a speed complaint. You can also pursue further damages in court.

Complain and escalate

1. Complain to the operator's customer service (SAC) and keep the reference number. The operator must reply within one month.
2. If it does not fix the problem, or you disagree with its answer, take the claim to the Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones (OAUT), normally within three months.
3. As alternatives, use consumer arbitration (Junta Arbitral de Consumo) if the operator has joined it, go to your town's consumer office (OMIC), or sue in civil court.

Larger operators must also offer an out-of-court dispute body for consumer complaints. Ask the operator which one applies.

The decision guide, timeline, checklist and FAQ below set out these choices step by step.

Choosing between options

What should you do about slow internet?

• Fix your Wi-Fi yourself: Your speed test by cable is fine but Wi-Fi is slow. Try router position, band, channel, firmware, or a mesh system for a larger home.

• Complain to your operator: Your cable test stays below the minimum speed in your contract on several days. Keep the complaint reference number.

• Use consumer arbitration, your town's consumer office or court: You prefer another route, such as arbitration if your operator has joined it, or you want damages beyond compensation.

Test by cable first: if the cable speed is below your contract minimum, complain to the operator, which must reply within one month; if that fails, take it to the telecoms user office.

Timeline and deadlines

• Complain to the operator's customer service (SAC) and keep the reference number: as soon as your tests show the problem

• The operator must reply to your complaint: within one month

• File a claim with the telecoms user office (OAUT) if the operator did not fix it or you disagree with its answer: normally within three months of the operator's answer or of the month passing without one

• Check that outage compensation appears on your invoice: on the next invoice after the outage

Documents you need

• Your internet contract, showing the maximum, normal and minimum speeds the operator promised. Your operator gave you this when you signed.

• Speed test results from the government's speed test (medidor de velocidad), as screenshots or the certified result, each showing the date and time. Run them on a computer connected by Ethernet cable, on several days and at different times.

• Your invoices from the operator, to show what you pay for the service.

• The reference number of each complaint you made to the operator's customer service (SAC).

Checklist

• Restart the router and your devices.

• Switch nearby devices to the 5GHz band and use 2.4GHz for devices far away.

• Change the Wi-Fi channel and update the router firmware.

• Run a speed test by cable to tell Wi-Fi problems from line problems.

• Repeat the cable test at different times of day and on several days, with other devices and downloads off, and save each result with its date and time.

• Ask for the outage compensation on your invoice if the operator did not apply it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave my contract if my internet is always slower than promised?

Yes, you can end the contract without penalty if your measured speed stays below the minimum speed written in your contract and the operator does not fix it. Ask for a fix first and keep proof of your tests. You may also claim compensation.

Does the operator have to pay me when my internet goes down?

Yes, for a temporary outage of a fixed service the operator must compensate you automatically, at least the share of your monthly fee for the outage time plus a set amount per day. It should show on your next invoice. If it does not, claim through the operator's customer service, and for anything beyond that you can go to court.

Which speed test will an operator or authority accept?

The government's own speed test (medidor de velocidad) is accepted as evidence in complaints. Run it from a computer connected by cable to the router, and save the result with its date and time.

Where can I complain if the operator ignores me?

You can take the claim to the telecoms user office, or use the consumer arbitration board if your operator has joined it. Your town's consumer office (OMIC) can also help, and going to civil court is always possible.