UK a nation of broadband speed freaks

Download speeds 'primary factor' in customer satisfaction

The UK is a nation of broadband speed freaks, according to figures released by broadband comparison site Top 10 Broadband.

Based on over 90,000 tests captured in March, the monitoring site said that download speeds seems to be the primary factor in deciding customer satisfaction.

The top three fastest providers were also the three highest rated in terms of customer satisfaction.

O2 topped the rankings in terms of speed and customer ratings, with an average speed of 6.41Mbps and customer rating of 3.82 out of 5. Second and third for speed and rating were Be and Virgin Media respectively.

Tesco paled in comparison with an average download speed of 1.42Mbps and average customer rating of just 2.86 out of 5, making it the slowest ISP in the study.

"This report sends an indisputable message to broadband providers to speed up or face the wrath of disappointed customers," said Jessica McArdle from Top 10 Broadband.

"BT's planned infrastructure upgrade, which will provide super-fast ADSL2+ download speeds across the UK starting at the end of the month, cannot come soon enough."

The figues suggest that the average speed of UK broadband connections is just 3.18Mbps. However, most ISPs advertise speeds of up to 8Mbps and beyond.

This disparity has prompted consumer groups to demand a change in broadband provider advertising, forcing ISPs to quote average speeds, rather than the 'maximum' speeds which most users do not achieve.