Half of Broadband Customers Not Satisfied with Broadband Speeds

Only half (51%) of broadband customers are satisfied with their broadband speed, and two in five (42%) do not know what speed they signed up for, according to new research from independent price comparison and switching website, Switcher.ie.

When asked what speed they’re getting at home, over half (54%) of consumers admitted they had never checked, with 41% simply assuming they get the speed they pay for. Over a third (34%) of people said they have checked and found the speed they’re getting is lower than what they’re paying for, at least some of the time.

Speed is an important factor for consumers who are looking to switch broadband provider, coming second only to price in terms of importance, with 21% of people saying it affected their decision to switch, so it’s surprising to see that so many people have never checked their speed at home.

Eoin Clarke, Managing Director at Switcher.ie, said: “Broadband speed has a direct impact on our experience of using the internet and is particularly important for ease of surfing, fast downloads, and smooth streaming. On average, Irish adults spend 13 hours per week online, so good broadband speed is really important.

“Given the amount of time we spend online, it’s pretty amazing to see that over half of people have never carried out a broadband speed test. This is really important, especially when you consider that many of the people who have checked their speed claim to be getting lower speeds than they pay for.

“We all know how frustrating it is when streaming or downloading content takes longer than it should because of sluggish broadband. The type of connection consumers have, and where they live, will affect the broadband speeds they can get. Most providers will advertise their maximum available speed, but often people won’t achieve this speed. This can be down to things like using Wi-Fi rather than plugging into the router, the device they are using, or congestion issues if they’re using the internet at peak times.

“If people are having issues with broadband speed, we’d firstly encourage them to carry out a speed test and see what speed they’re getting. If they are not satisfied that they’re getting the speed they pay for, they should then contact their provider and, if the issue is not resolved, they should shop around and switch if they find a package better suited to their needs.”