Broadband Speeds Improving, But Still Disappoint

Whilst the average broadband speed has increased from 4.2Mb to 5.7 Mb this year, many customers are still disappointed about the performance they are receiving.

Analysis by uSwitch has shown that only a third (35%) of customers who pay for an 8Mb broadband speed, actually receive it, even though the average speeds have been increasing this year. This means that 6 million households pay for an 8Mb service, however only 2 million actually receive that level of performance.

Disappointment in actual speeds obtained accounts for most of the complaints made to broadband providers, according to Ofcom. With consumers prepared to place download speed ahead of price when deciding upon a service, it is not surprising that so many customers are unhappy with their broadband.

According to the report, there is a significant difference in customers’ experiences depending on who they are with, with a 25% gap between the most and least popular provider for broadband speeds. O2 broadband sets the pace at the top of the table with 88% of customers happy with the speed they receive. The company, which entered the broadband market less than three years ago, conducts a speed check on customers’ lines both before and after purchase and the average speed experienced is over 6Mb.

More established providers such as AOL and Orange, however, are languishing at the bottom of the satisfaction stakes when it comes to speeds with just 6 out of 10 customers (63%) satisfied, experiencing below-average speeds of 4Mb.

Even though download speed is so important for broadband customers, very few actually check what speeds they are obtaining. Nearly half have never checked their download speeds and many do not even know how to do so.

Internet access is playing a more important role in consumers lives as 82% of us now go online to pay bills and over 9 million Brits watch TV and films over the web.