Switching to another internet provider sounds more complicated than it actually is. With a little planning, the process will proceed without a single day of being disconnected. The following steps apply generally, regardless of who you are switching from and to.
The most common reason for switching is a combination of slow support, rising prices after the promotional offer ends, and the unavailability of newer technology from the current provider. Whatever the reason, the entire process has a few fixed points that are worth following in the correct order.
1. Check the availability of a new connection
Before addressing anything with your current provider, verify that the new provider actually covers your address and what speed they genuinely offer there. For fibre optic connections, availability can vary from house to house, even within the same street.
2. Sign the new contract before terminating the old one.
The safest approach is to have a new contract signed and confirmed before you give notice to your current provider. This prevents any period without service, particularly important if you work from home or run a business from there.
3. Check the terms of your current contract
Check the notice period of your current contract and whether it is for a fixed term with a penalty for early termination. These terms are usually found in the general terms and conditions or directly in the contract you received upon signing, if anything is unclear, it pays to call your current provider and ask them to explain. Submit the notice in writing and keep proof of delivery, this will avoid later uncertainty about when the contract actually ended.
4. Arrange an installation date
Local providers can usually offer an installation date within days, not weeks. Schedule it to follow the end of the notice period for your old connection, or with a short overlap where both connections run simultaneously. A brief overlap means paying two tariffs for a few days, but it eliminates the risk of being without a connection even for a day.
5. Return the loaned equipment
The router or set-top box you received on loan from your previous provider must be returned after the contract ends; otherwise, additional charges may apply. Check the return procedure directly with the provider you are leaving.
6. Cancel old payments and set up new ones
After the contract termination is confirmed, cancel the standing order or direct debit mandate in favour of the original provider and set up a new payment method. If you had an email mailbox linked to the old provider's domain, arrange forwarding or migrate to your own domain in time, otherwise, once the service is cancelled, you risk missing important emails that you may only notice later.
7. Test the new connection immediately after installation
Immediately after installation, check the actual download and upload speeds and compare them with what was stated in the contract. If a technician is installing it personally, the best time to verify connection stability and report any issues on the spot is right then: a minor fault at the socket or a wrongly wired router can be fixed much faster on site than during a follow-up visit a few days later.
What a transition might unnecessarily complicate
The most common hurdle is a poorly estimated end date for the old contract relative to the new installation date, hence the recommendation to have the new contract signed in advance. It is also worth verifying whether your own equipment, which you intend to keep using, supports the new connection technology, for instance, an older router may not handle fibre optics. For apartment blocks, it is also advisable to arrange access for the technician with the building manager or the SVJ committee in good time, so that installation does not get stuck due to a locked technical room.
Why a local provider responds faster
With a smaller provider that has its own infrastructure and technical support, you usually speak directly to the person solving the problem, not a call centre that just creates a ticket. Decisions, for example regarding the installation date or fixing a fault, are made on site, without waiting for approval from a headquarters dozens or hundreds of kilometres away. In practice, this mainly shows in the speed with which unexpected situations are resolved. What to ask providers before signing the contract is described in the article. How to choose an internet provider and which types of connection actually exist in Prague, you will find in the article Optical cable, wired connection, or Wi-Fi?