Customer service and speed are biggest issues for broadband customers

The most common problems reported by broadband consumers are related to connection speeds and poor customer service, it has emerged.

Price comparison website Broadband Genie has compiled all positive and negative comments made by consumers about their internet packages.

Connection speeds and poor customer service were found to have the largest proportion of negative responses, followed by reliability of connections, issues with technical support, cost of calling customer service and value for money.

Commenting on the results, Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said that "good customer service can make or break the customer experience".

"Whether a customer is dissatisfied with an ISP's connection speed, reliability or perceived value for money, a skilled customer service representative can calm the situation and often resolve - or at least adequately explain - a situation," he added.

The report also indicated that fixed-line broadband is "reaching saturation point in the UK" and is also increasingly facing competition from mobile-broadband services.

Consumer research recently conducted by telecoms regulator Ofcom has indicated that 30 per cent of customers complained about broadband speeds while 27 per cent were unhappy with unreliable connections.