My phone or internet is down: do I get compensation in Switzerland?
Telecom law sets no automatic compensation for outages; your contract applies. Ombudsman practice: after repeated outages the provider gets a deadline to fix them, and if they persist you can leave without cost. Report problems with universal service or emergency call routing to BAKOM.
When your line is down, your provider has to repair it. In some countries you get compensation if a fault is not fixed in time; what applies in Switzerland, and what it means for emergency calls, is below.
📜 The rules in Switzerland
Compensation
No amount is fixed by law. The ombudsman can propose a refund or goodwill credit for the disruption, but not damages; damages must be claimed in court.
Emergency calls
112, 117 (police), 118 (fire) and 144 (ambulance) are free from every phone connection, and providers must give emergency calls priority over other calls (Art. 27–28a FDV).
The details
- In a published case, a landline was replaced by a mobile solution with poor reception. The ombudsman found the universal service no longer ensured, set the provider a deadline and proposed refunding the fees for the disrupted period. (cas.ombudscom.ch)
- Since 1 March 2026, in a power cut mobile operators may restrict traffic only as far as needed, starting with data-heavy entertainment. Emergency calls, the phone service and radio may not be restricted (Art. 94a FDV). (fedlex.data.admin.ch)
ombudscom – Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation
Official telecom dispute body: mediates between you and your provider once your complaint to the provider has failed. You pay a CHF 20 handling fee. Phone line for questions on the procedure, working days 10:00–13:00.
Bundesamt für Kommunikation (BAKOM)
Federal telecoms authority for complaints under public telecom law, such as universal service, emergency call routing, value-added numbers, spam and free choice of provider. If it finds a breach, it can open supervisory proceedings or, for example, withdraw a number.
🪜 Step by step
- Report the fault right awayCall or use the provider’s fault service, and note the date, time and reference number.
- Keep a recordWrite down how long the service is down and what you could not do.
- Ask for compensation or a refundIf the fault is not fixed in time, ask in writing for the compensation or price reduction that applies.
- Escalate if neededIf the provider refuses, complain in writing and then go to the dispute body.
📇 Who to contact
❓ Questions
Can I still call emergency services during an outage?
Emergency calls from a mobile phone usually go through any available network. If your phone cannot connect, ask someone nearby to call.
Is a short outage compensated?
Usually only longer faults or missed repair appointments are. The rule for Switzerland, if there is one, is on this page.
What if the faults keep coming back?
Repeated faults can give you the right to a lower price or to end the contract. Ask the regulator or the dispute body.
📎 Sources
- cas.ombudscom.ch →
- cas.ombudscom.ch →
- fedlex.data.admin.ch →
- de.ombudscom.ch →
- bakom.admin.ch →
- de.ombudscom.ch →
- bakom.admin.ch →
🧭 Is this still correct?
We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.
⚠️ Readers report that something here may have changed — we are checking it.
✅ Thank you — this keeps the page up to date for everyone.