Cost becomes biggest broadband choice factor

Simplifydigital, the broadband retailer, has found that cost has become the number one factor when UK customers want to change their broadband provider.

The wish to bundle television, broadband and home phone lines together – also with a view to saving money – came a close second, while reliability has slipped to third.

Reliability had been top earlier in the year but the uncertain economic climate appears to be having a bearing on people's decisions.

Poor customer service and changing from dialup came fourth and fifth respectively in the list which was made up of the responses of more than 1,000 people in April to June.

The discrepancy between advertised and actual broadband speeds was highlighted again after a survey by uSwitch.com of 12,000 eight Mbps broadband subscribers found only one in ten received the full allowance.

Average speed in the survey was four Mbps – just half of what was being paid for.

"British consumers have had enough of paying for services they do not receive," said uSwitch.com's Steve Weller.

Posted on: 2008-07-11, in: Broadband

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