Almost half of Irish broadband consumers (44%) are unhappy with their quality of service according to a new survey carried out for Switcher.ie by Coyne Research.
Despite the Government making a concerted effort through the National Broadband Plan to get Ireland up-to-speed, a third of broadband customers (34%) said they had speeds of less than or equal to 30Mb/s – the minimum target set out in the plan.
A further 8% claimed to have speeds of less than 3Mb/s, below the streaming threshold for HD content.
Some four in 10 broadband customers (39%) don’t even know what speed they have signed up for, while 42% assumed they were getting what they’ve paid for.
It also seems consumers are unwilling to complain when they don’t get the service advertised to them. Seventeen per cent of respondents said they suspected they were getting a lower speed than they should, but had not taken any action to see if that was the case.
Broadband speed can be affected by a number of factors, including the type of connection being used and where you live. At the same time consumers need to be aware that providers advertise their maximum available speed – despite paying for this there’s no guarantee that you will actually get it so you should get into the habit of running regular free speed checks at different times of the day.
Eoin Clarke, managing director, Switcher.ie (pictured), said: “Despite all of the talk about addressing the issue of sluggish broadband across the country, Irish broadband is still stuck in the slow lane. In an increasingly digital world, broadband is now considered a household essential, alongside energy, so it’s very disappointing to see a drop in the average speed people say they’ve got in the home, and a corresponding decline in customer satisfaction.
“More worrying still is that our research shows that many are paying for speeds they are not actually getting, while six in 10 consumers are leaving themselves in the dark because they have never carried out a broadband speed test at home.
“If you are not getting the speed you are paying for, you should contact your provider as they may be able to help, by either advising you on ways to optimise your speeds, or replacing your modem. If you’re still not happy, it might be time to shop around for another provider who can deliver the broadband speed you need.”
The survey results were based on 1,000 online interviews with Irish adults aged 18 years and over.
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