Winners and losers in uSwitch broadband customer satisfaction awards

Results of the 2010 broadband customer satisfaction report from uSwitch reveals that the British public enjoys something of a love-hate relationship with its broadband providers.

Overall winner was O2, a relative newcomer to the home broadband sector alongside the likes of PlusNet and Sky, who also did well landing slots at the top of the table. O2 was voted best in ten out of eleven categories, with over 92 per cent of its customers said to be satisfied with their service, even though they only entered the broadband market less than three years ago.

The company is now planning to launch a home phone service shortly, with broadband and home phone bundles starting at £17 a month for up to 8Mb.

The report follows on from a recent survey by uSwitch, which revealed that there is a 35 per cent gap between the best and worst broadband provider here in the UK. Much of the dissatisfaction with products and services seems to come from the more established names in the ISP marketplace, including AOL, Orange and BT. All three ended up sitting at the bottom of the satisfaction scale according to the 2010 Broadband Customer Satisfaction Report.

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that broadband bills have dropped by 4 per cent, with an average annual broadband bill costing £167, compared to £175 in 2009. The survey also flagged up the importance of customers shopping around for their broadband, as there was a difference of 30 per cent between the best and worst performers in the 'Value for Money' category.

Average broadband speeds have increased by 33 per cent since 2009, with the average now being 5.7Mb compared to 4.2Mb previously. However, with many consumers using bandwidth for more than just emails, overall satisfaction with broadband speed levels generally has dropped slightly from 73 per cent to 71 per cent.

Matthew Wheeler, communications expert at uSwitch, comments: "This is not rocket science. The continued success of O2 shows that an excellent service does not have to cost the earth. Its broadband service is one of the cheapest on the market but its customer service is head and shoulders above its rivals. Plus, O2's customers can enjoy broadband for less than half the price of BT if they sign up to a mobile deal, demonstrating the added value that's possible by being with the same provider for more than one service.

"It is disappointing that, after pulling up its socks last year, Orange has failed to keep up the momentum, coming bottom for the fourth time since the start of our survey. The expanding gap between the best and worst provider shows just how important it is for consumers to choose on service and not just price. If the larger providers languishing at the bottom don't address their failings, we could well see a significant swing in market share in the coming year as people vote with their feet and switch to one of the high performing newcomers."

Lowest overall scores featured in the 'Best Deal For You' category. Aimed at assessing if customers felt they were signed up to the right broadband plan, the results indicated that on average just 49 per cent of broadband customers were satisfied that their supplier had them on the best deal for their needs. 

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