Quarter of Europeans 'unhappy with broadband speeds'

One-quarter of consumers in Europe are unhappy with the speed of their broadband connections, claiming they are slower than they were led to believe.

That is according to the European Union's E-Communications Household Survey, which revealed that one-third have suffered a loss of service at some point.

In the UK, the proportion of people dissatisfied with their broadband service was 37 per cent, the highest in the 27-member bloc.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice-president for the digital agenda, said that new EU regulations came into force recently concerning advertised speeds and it is up to regulators in each nation to ensure these are respected.

"National authorities must take appropriate measures to ensure that operators respect new EU rules requiring them to be transparent on connection speeds and service quality," she added.

The Communications Consumer Panel warned recently that mobile broadband is a dream for many but the reality is that coverage is pretty poor in some areas.