UK broadband users getting raw deal from suppliers: report
21 Oct 2017
Half of UK broadband users are getting a raw deal from their supplier, with slow speeds, rising prices and router failures exasperating customers, according to a highly critical report on the UK's internet services.
Consumer group Which? found that 53 per cent of households had difficulties with their broadband, with customers of Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky and BT the most likely to experience an issue.
According to Which? Only one in 10 households received the super-fast broadband speeds promised in advertisements. A third of TalkTalk's customers complained about ''very slow'' broadband speeds, as did 22 per cent of BT internet users.
Connection drop-outs were a frequent problem for 17 per cent of broadband users, and 8 per cent of households reported that they suffered from no connection at all for hours or days at a time.
Price hikes for landline rentals had led to widespread customer dissatisfaction. BT jacked up prices for the third time in 18 months at the start of the year, which forced it to deny that it was squeezing customers after paying £1.2 billion for Champions League football rights.
According to Which?, Virgin customers mostly complained about increase in prices, with 38 per cent of users angry over increased line rental costs.
Alex Neill, Which? managing director of Home Products and Services, said: "Far too many people get a poor deal from their broadband provider, with problems ranging from very slow speeds to going days without any connection at all, which just isn't good enough, www.mirror.co.uk reported.
"The regulator must now deliver on its plans to improve the information that customers get about speeds when they sign up to a provider and allow them to easily exit a contract if they're not getting what they've been promised. Customers who aren't satisfied with the level of service they're receiving should look to switch."
