Faster, cheaper broadband not enough

U.K. broadband customers are paying less and getting higher speeds, but they are still not happy, according to the latest J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.K. Broadband Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study.

The study shows customers are upset that the average hold time on customer service calls is 17 minutes. In addition the study said customer complaints now outnumber service-related inquiries by 52% to 48%. Ratings for performance and reliability of broadband services are also down.

The U.K. has one of the most--if not the most--competitive broadband markets in the world, and that competition is driving down prices from 26 pounds ($53.73 U.S.) to 21 pounds ($42.59) and boosting average speeds from 3.5 Mb/s to 4.8 Mb/s.

Still, average satisfaction levels fell by nine points to an average 645 out of 1000 points, based largely on service reliability.

“Last year broadband was still a novelty, and people were wowed by how much faster it was than dial-up,” Caspar Tearle, director of service industries research at J.D. Power, told the BBC. “This year everyone expects it to be fast and get angrier when it doesn't work.”

Incumbent LEC BT came in at the bottom of the heap, with a rating of 626, 42 points behind Tiscali, the leader, with a 668 rating.