CUSTOMERS phoning the service helpline - which has a £2 connection charge and costs up to 10p per minute - complain they are put on hold for hours. When they do get through, they are promised a call back or an email. Neither comes.

One reader, who applied for the service on April 26, has not yet switched over. She supplied Talk-Talk with the authorisation (Mac) code from her old provider, but she has not been able to contact TalkTalk in time to get their broadband turned on. When she has managed to get through she has been given guarantees that the problem will be resolved. But nothing happens.

TalkTalk says: 'All our call centres have doubled in size since free broadband was launched. We are already seeing a noticeable improvement in response times.'