Broadband Provision Wide-Open for Anyone Who Actually Provides High Speeds

Consumers are not willing to tolerate slow broadband speeds and will quite happily switch to another provider if they are not getting the service they pay for.  This is according to a new survey from Orchid Consulting, a call centre and customer service specialist, which found that changing provider is high on the agenda for many people.

In fact, around half of those questioned by the company said they had moved their services elsewhere at some point, mainly due to slow connectivity.

Nonetheless, the providers they switch to may not be faring any better in terms of speed, as people tend to opt for the product with the most favourable price tag.

Keith Gait, author of this latest report, commented: "It would be more logical that if people want to switch that they should choose their new provider on the same basis that they decided to leave the old one. Otherwise it's not comparing apples with apples."

Mystery shopping was recently carried out to check compliance with Ofcom's voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds.  It found that 85 per cent of consumers were provided with an estimate of the maximum speed available on their broadband line before signing up with a provider.