Frustration with Poor Broadband Highest in Southampton and Glasgow

Broadband users are most discontent in Southampton and Glasgow, with around one in five surveyed customers in those cities saying they were “fed up” with their current service.

Their biggest gripe? Slow speeds, cited by nearly half of respondents in Southampton (47%) and Glasgow (46%).

The survey, of 2,000 UK broadband subscribers in select cities about their surfing habits and satisfaction with their ISP, was conducted by broadband provider Zen Internet.

Respondents were queried about what they looked for in an ISP. Three-quarters of respondents in Liverpool (77%), Southampton (75%) and Manchester (73%) prioritised speeds, while customers in Nottingham (77%), Plymouth (76%) and Brighton (76%) looked for reliable connections.

Richard Tang, founder and chairman of Zen, said: “UK consumers are too often let down by slow speeds and poor reliability – with too many providers falling short of expectations. Sluggish or unreliable internet service is damaging to both productivity and satisfaction and must be addressed urgently by the industry.”

The survey also gathered data about how much time users are spending on the internet. Bristol came out as the most “internet-hungry” city, with respondents spending an average of 9.9 hours a day online, followed closely by Sheffield (9.8 hours) and Manchester (9.6 hours).

But a minority of internet addicts in Sheffield were over-performing. Apparently 17% of respondents in the South Yorkshire city spend more than 21 hours a day on the web. It’s unclear when, if ever, they’re sleeping.

“People are spending increasing amounts of time online and having access to a speedy and reliable broadband service should be a given,” Tang said.

Meanwhile, respondents in Bristol were accessing the internet from the greatest number of devices, an average of six per household. And apparently 7% of Bristolians have more than 21 devices connected to the internet in their homes. Presumably this includes everything from laptops to smartphones to smart appliances and thermostats. Look for tweets from that city logged from smart fridges.

Zen, of course, has a vested interest in showing that customers are dissatisfied with their current broadband providers. In their defence, Zen is known for its reliability and exceptional customer service, regularly topping league tables for customer satisfaction. It’s been repeatedly lauded by Which? as the UK’s best broadband provider.

Consumers will pay more for Zen’s service, but their bills will never rise, ever. Zen gives its subscribers a lifetime price guarantee.