Posted: 14th Jun, 2005 By: MarkJ
A survey conducted by the UK Internet Services Providers Association (
ISPA) has found that, when choosing a new ISP, most consumers place price (cheapness) before quality of service. Sadly this is nothing new:
The results of the survey show that a third of Internet users (32.6 per cent) felt that price was the most important factor when choosing their ISP.
Just over one in four (26.91 per cent) felt the service performance was more important than the price they paid.
Jessica Hendrie-Liaño, the Chair of the ISPA Council, said, It is concerning that customers seem to prioritise price over quality when selecting their ISP. ISPA has always stated that customers should not select an ISP by price alone. Internet services are not all the same. Customers should look closely at what is offered by ISPs and decide what they and others using the Internet actually need to enjoy the net to the full. Ultimately you get what you pay for.
Interestingly, one in five Internet users were shown to take particular note of any usage restrictions (19.91 per cent), possibly indicating an increasingly bandwidth-hungry broadband Britain.
Only one per cent of respondents prioritised the presence of bundled extras such as anti-spam, anti-virus, family friendly functions and other safety services when selecting an ISP.We actually find it more disturbing that just 1% placed a priority on having anti-spam/virus services with their ISP. It's unclear whether this relates to a lack of knowledge, although we would assume so.
Having said that, the difference between the choice of price (33%) over quality (27%) isn't as wide as many might have feared.