Can my ISP disconnect my broadband for requesting a MAC?

Supanet has been my internet service provider (ISP) for several years. But when I phoned to ask for my migration authorisation code (MAC) I was told that if I did this the company would immediately close my account and I would lose my service.

This is because, according to the customer helpline, obtaining a MAC caused considerable amount of work and expense for the company.
John Black

It was obvious in his email to us that Mr Black knows more about switching service providers than the Supanet customer assistant he spoke to.

He is correct that his account with this ISP should only be ended once another ISP had been given the MAC and his service is being transferred.

We have never heard of an ISP giving expense as an excuse for failing to generate a MAC for a departing customer.

Ofcom’s mandatory code of practice, which ISPs have to follow when asked for a MAC, clearly states that “the original provider must not disconnect a customer’s service if a MAC is requested”. This is what Mr Black said Supanet told him it would do.

After talking to us he again he requested his MAC and Supanet told him it would cancel his contract at the end of the month.

He forwarded us an email he received from Supanet, which read: “Unfortunately it is true, to obtain your MAC you will need to cancel your contract with us. The MAC is in fact only valid for 30 days! The reason you need to cancel is due to that fact that as soon as a MAC is passed on to another company they can take over your broadband line almost straightaway. And if you haven’t cancelled with us... you will in fact be paying us as well as them.”

There is a 30-day notice period and if the service is switched before the end of this time, Mr Black would owe his outgoing ISP for the remaining days.

But Ofcom’s rules also say Supanet cannot just pull the plug on his service if there is no indication that his new provider is due to migrate his internet connection.

“The Communications Provider shall not terminate the Broadband Service on account of the MAC validity period expiring unless the Communications Provider has received notification that the End-User’s Broadband Service has been migrated to another Communications Provider.”

We contacted Supanet to ask it why it was making it so difficult and worrying for people to obtain a MAC.

The company said Mr Whitehead misunderstood its comments. But it said his service would not be terminated until he has moved to the new ISP.

People with a similar problem should make a complaint to Ofcom.