Broadband News

Wasting money on the wrong broadband

More than half of UK broadband users are wasting money on high-end internet packages that they just don’t need according to new research by BroadbandChoices.co.uk.

The survey of 2,000 broadband users showed that they could be spending as much as £132 million a month on unnecessary packages in an attempt to avoid download restrictions and fines.

However, 51 per cent of respondents using the free Broadband Download Monitor – which tracks downloads and alerts users as they get near their limit – said that they were under-using their monthly allowance.

Simply by switching to a more appropriate broadband package each household could save up to £10 a month on their internet bill, representing a national saving of approximately £66 million.

Michael Phillips, product director of BroadbandChoices.co.uk said: “It appears we would rather spend too much on a package we don’t need than risk the wrath of our service provider if we should use too much capacity.”

Calling for providers to abandon confusing and unrealistic terms such as “unlimited,” Mr Phillips added that buyers need to be aware of their needs as well as knowing what’s available on the market. He said: “While it may feel that every man and his dog is downloading films, using MySpace and watching TV online, many of us have very simple online habits, such as a bit of online shopping and banking. These individuals could save over £100 a year by switching to the right package.”

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