More than half of households experience problems with broadband

The latest broadband customer satisfaction survey from Which? has revealed that the majority of households have experienced a problem with their broadband provider in the last year.

The results, based on a survey of over 1,700 people, found that 53% had a problem with their broadband in the last year, with customers of Virgin Media (61%), Talk Talk (60%), Sky (56%) and BT (54%) most likely to experience an issue.

Virgin customers’ top complaint was price increases (38%), while over a third of Talk Talk (33%) customers and more than one in five (22%) BT customers surveyed suffered very slow broadband speeds.

Slow speeds were the biggest problem overall, with one in five experiencing difficulties. Other issues highlighted in Which?’s research included frequent connection dropouts (17%), a fault with the wireless router (12%) or being without any connection at all for hours or days at a time (8%).

Ofcom recently launched a consultation on an updated broadband code of practice that should mean that consumers are given better information about what speeds they can expect at the point of sale, as well as strengthen the right to exit, penalty-free, if speeds fall below a guaranteed minimum level.

Which? has campaigned for changes to the rules to put a stop to confusing broadband ads that promise speeds most of their customers will never get, and is calling for the majority of customers to get the speeds promised in ads, not just 10%.

Separately, the results of Which?’s latest Consumer Insight survey also show that trust in the broadband industry stands at just 41%, down three percentage points since last year.

With people up and down the country experiencing issues with their broadband, Which? has a free speed checker that is helping consumers discover whether the broadband speed they’re getting is what they signed up for. To use the speed checker, visit: https://broadbandtest.which.co.uk/

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.

“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.”

Notes to Editors

1. Research: Which? surveyed 1,709 telecoms customers in June to July 2017. We require a minimum of 30 responses to give a rating or score on any particular measure.
2. Currently, providers can advertise an “up to” speed if 10% of customers can achieve this speed. However, earlier this year the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) launched a consultation this year on new guidance to reform speed claims – a decision is due by the end of the year. Which? has campaigned for a change to the rules and is calling for the majority of customers to get the speeds promised in ads, not just 10%.
3. To use the Which? speed checker visit > https://broadbandtest.which.co.uk/
4. For more information about the Which? Fix Bad Broadband campaign, visit > www.which.co.uk/fixbadbroadband
5. For advice on how to speed up your broadband, visit > https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/broadband-deals/article/speed-up-slow-broadband
6. 7. Consumer Insight Tracker: The Which? Consumer Insight Tracker is a nationally representative online poll of around 2,000 households conducted every two months. Results are routinely published on the first Tuesday of the following month at http://consumerinsight.which.co.uk/. The latest results are for September 2017.