Brits disgruntled with broadband speed

Broadbandchoices.co.uk, the UK Ofcom-accredited broadband comparison site, polled almost 42,000 broadband users on their attitude to broadband speeds and a staggering 77% claimed that their broadband service was slower than they had expected it to be.

Despite this dissatisfaction with speed, when asked how much they would pay per month for superfast broadband, there was little appetite to pay a premium for the sake of a faster connection:  42% stated that they wouldn't even stretch to £10 a month to get the benefits of a superfast connection; 20% indicated they would be happy to stump up £15 per month; and 22% said they would pay £20 per month for such a service. Just 12% were prepared to pay a more realistic monthly subscription charge of £30 - £50 for superfast services, whilst 5% said their broadband speed was so poor they would fork out over £50 for a connection that could be relied upon to deliver high speeds.

Dominic Baliszewski, broadband expert, commented: "Broadband speed is an extremely contentious issue with many customers experiencing far slower speeds than they were led to believe. The rules regarding broadband speed advertising were tightened at the start of April but this is too little, too late for thousands of households who are now waking up to the fact that the Ferrari they thought they were paying for is little faster than a Fiat.

"Broadband providers need to win back the trust of disillusioned customers.  It is hardly surprising that bill-payers are unwilling to shell out a premium for a superfast product when they have been let down so badly on the slower packages. The man in the street has little understanding that superfast fibre services deliver speeds much closer to those claimed by the providers.

"Ultimately, the way in which broadband is advertised needs a fundamental rethink. Until we have a stable broadband infrastructure offering stable speeds, the quality of service that customers experience will continue to be a postcode lottery."