Poll finds Brits not willing to pay over £30 for fast broadband

Poll finds Brits not willing to pay over £30 for fast broadband

A poll carried out by the PC Advisor website has found that the majority of people were not keen to pay over £30 for fast broadband speeds of 100Mbps.

The poll questioned readers on how much they would be happy to pay for superfast broadband connections. Only ten per cent stated that they would pay over £30 for these speeds. Of those who voted against paying over £30 for 100Mbps, 28 per cent said they would only pay £10 per month for superfast service.

An additional 28 per cent said they would pay between £10 and £20, while 21 per cent said they would be happy paying between £20 and £30. The figures may come as a surprise to providers who are hoping to use BT’s new FTTC cables to offer superfast broadband to customers in the future.

Of those who voted, only 11 per cent chose the ‘I’m happy with my standard broadband speed and price’ showing that there is still a lot of dissatisfaction about both elements among consumers. Many businesses in areas where they can’t yet access superfast broadband are opting for leased lines, which provide a reliable, fast internet connection.

Virgin Media is currently the only provider that can offer the speeds of 100 Mbps and the price quoted is from £25.50, which includes a Virgin phone line rental. PC Advisor said that among the comments people left on its forum about the poll, and about broadband speeds and costs in general, many were reporting that their slow connection is fine for simple use, but they are unable to do things like watch HD video.

For businesses, these kinds of limitations are especially frustrating, as higher speeds are needed to use new technologies such as VoIP and video conferencing, or to offer remote working options.