25 May 2007
Broadband customers who live in certain parts of the UK classified as outside the unbundled domain are being forced to pay more for the service than others, uSwitch.com research shows.
The independent price comparison and switching service found just 1.5 million broadband connections out of a total of 13 million are unbundled, leaving the rest exposed to the possibility of higher charges.
This week, AOL joined TalkTalk, Sky, UK Online and Virgin Media in operating a two-tier pricing system, forcing non-LLU customers to pay in the region of 120 more a year.
Steve Weller, Head of Communication Services at uSwitch.com, said that it was "simply not acceptable" that broadband customers could be charged so much more "just because their postcode happens to fall under their provider's LLU hit list".
"We are calling for this new 'postcode lottery' practice to be halted in its tracks before other providers join in, denying more consumers the chance to benefit from the great deals that are currently out there," he added.
An example of AOL's two new tariffs show those inside the LLU network pay 14.99 a month for a 2Mb service compared to 24.99 for those who live outside the LLU network.
So much choice, but don't panic - it's easy to get yourself a great deal on broadband using uSwitch.com. If you're confused about technicalities, the help pages throughout our calculator are on hand at each step of the sign up process to answer all your questions. Find providers in your area and compare packages using our free and impartial service. Sign up to broadband today.
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