uSwitch: Broadband customers foot the bill for assistance

Many broadband customers are spending large amounts of money every year to call their providers for help, figures have shown.

According to uSwitch.com, more than 16 million calls are made to such helplines every year, with the average call lasting 17 minutes.

Communications Expert at uSwitch.com Jason Glynn said that broadband was installed in people's homes with teething problems, although many of these have now been addressed.

"Nevertheless, it is still disheartening to see some companies continue to charge customers for technical support," he added.

Research from the price comparison site shows 55% of consumers are satisfied with the technical support they are offered, although those on Orange and Tiscali are the least happy.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that this year, 18.31 million UK households have internet access.

Of all UK households, 63% accessed the internet through a broadband connection.