The results from 721 respondents to our latest monthly survey reveal that 75% of readers would not buy a house, even a lovely one, if the best broadband ISP speed it could achieve was just 1Mbps. In addition, 51% would be willing to pay more for a house with "faster" broadband.

Some 61.7% of those surveyed said that the minimum broadband speed they require would be "More than 4Mbps", with just 20.8% voting for 4Mbps itself, 10.8% voting for 2Mbps and a measly 6.6% saying they'd settle for 1Mbps. Failing that, the most attractive alternative method to a fixed land-line broadband connection was found to be a Fixed Wireless ( Wi-Fi ) service (52.5%).

Would you buy a lovely house if it could only have up to 1Mbps broadband?
No - 75.1%
Yes - 24.8%

What is the minimum broadband speed you require (pick closest)?
More than 4Mbps - 61.7%
4Mbps - 20.8%
2Mbps - 10.8%
1Mbps - 6.6%

Which alternative method to land-line broadband would you consider first?
Fixed Wireless (Wi-Fi) - 52.5%
Mobile Broadband (3G) - 28.4%
Satellite - 19%

Would you pay more for a house with faster broadband?
Yes - 51.3%
No - 48.6%

People clearly place a significant emphasis on broadband performance, so much so that an overwhelming majority would even be willing to give up on an almost perfect dream home in favour of a cosmetically less attractive one that received faster speeds.

Estate agents have long voiced the importance of broadband equipped homes, though few may have recognised that modern demand also requires the service to be fast, affordable and flexible. This highlights the importance of being able to deliver speeds of more than double the current government target, which is committed to delivering a minimum 2Mbps broadband speed to everybody by 2012. This may now simply end up being too little, too late.

This month's new survey asks "How much do you pay for broadband (monthly)?" and questions whether or not any of our readers intend to change ISP next year and what aspect of a provider is most important to them: VOTE HERE.