Following BT’s Delivering Britain’s Digital Future conference in London this morning, Ewan Taylor-Gibson, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Broadband is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Terrible speeds can isolate people and take their toll on businesses, schools, even house prices, so BT’s announcement will be music to the ears of many UK users who live with substandard broadband speeds.
“Data from Uswitch.com speed tests earlier this year revealed a postcode lottery, with a third (34%) of people still struggling with sub-5Mbps speeds, while an unlucky 23% make do with speeds of less than 3Mbps.
“A guarantee of 5-10 megabits per second (Mbps) opens up a new range of internet services for many, especially those who were at risk of being left behind by crippling speeds or a non-existent broadband connection. Alternative technologies such as satellite broadband could be a relatively cost effective way to plug the gap in the hardest to reach areas. We would hope that people in these areas would not have to pay more than the price of standard broadband.
“Openreach still has more to do to improve its service record, so its ambition to exceed service targets could provide some welcome relief to consumers and businesses left helpless by faulty broadband.
“Broadband has become an essential service for so many of us, who rely on it to live our daily lives – so dealing with faults and installations as quickly as possible should be an absolute priority.”
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Uswitch is the UK’s top comparison website for home services switching. Launched in September 2000, we help consumers save money on their gas, electricity, broadband, mobile, TV, and financial services products and get more of what matters to them. Last year we saved consumers over £373 million on their energy bills alone.
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