Posted: 05th Jan, 2009 By: MarkJ
The results from 804 respondents to ISPreview.co.uk's latest monthly survey have revealed that over half (52 per cent) of all broadband connected Brits think their Internet Service Provider (ISP) is too expensive. This is despite the fact that the UK has one of the most competitive Internet access markets in Europe, with broadband often being given away "free" with additional services (e.g. line-rental, mobile contracts etc.) by some (
Orange, Sky,
TalkTalk etc.) operators.
However just over 4% of those surveyed claimed to be on a "free" broadband service, while the largest single majority of 31.5% pay between 16 and 20.99 GBP per month for their Internet connection. By comparison 18% paid between 11 and 15.99 GBP, 18% paid 21 to 25.99 GBP, 13.5% paid up to 10.99 GBP, 7% paid 26 to 30.99 GBP and a final 7% paid over 31 GBP for their Internet service.
Clearly a lot of consumers still think they are paying over the odds for broadband and could potentially switch to a cheaper alternative. This would appear to be backed up by our previous survey, which revealed that 26% of broadband connected Brits planned to change ISP when their existing contract ends.
On the other hand just under half of people are still happy with the price they pay, with some choosing to pay extra for a quality service. ISPs will face many challenges over the coming year, especially those advertising unlimited use. Demand upon broadband networks continues to grow and some providers may find themselves forced to either restrict their users or put prices up.
Meanwhile weve just uploaded our latest monthly front page survey, which asks readers how much they trust their broadband ISP and what impacts that trust the most.