Broadband Customer Satisfaction: Survey Highlights Varied Provider Performance
Consumer advocacy group Which? has published the findings of its latest survey assessing UK broadband provider satisfaction. The results present challenges for some of the nation’s major internet service providers. Popular provider Virgin Media, alongside Now Broadband, received the lowest customer satisfaction ratings, particularly in areas such as ease of contact, client support, communication, specialized assistance, and cost-effectiveness.
Survey Methodology and Overall Scores
Which? polled 4,347 broadband users across the UK regarding their experiences with their respective internet providers. The collected data was then used to generate a customer satisfaction score out of 100 for each provider. While Now Broadband and Virgin Media both achieved a score of 60%, the highest-ranking provider attained 77%.
Zen Internet Leads Customer Satisfaction Rankings
Zen Internet emerged as the top performer in the survey, despite being used by a smaller sample size of 61 respondents. Notably, Which? reported that approximately 90% of Zen Internet customers indicated they would recommend the provider. The company was commended for its fixed-price contract guarantee, ensuring customers are protected from mid-contract price increases.
Which? Recommended Providers
Following closely behind Zen Internet were Plusnet with a 73% score and Utility Warehouse with 72%. These three providers were awarded the coveted “Which? Recommended Provider” designation.
Smaller Providers Outperform Major Firms
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Home Products and Services Editor, commented on the survey results: “Our research indicates that smaller providers are surpassing the largest broadband companies across the board.”
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She added, “Many smaller providers deliver superior client support, more dependable connections, and fixed contracts or reduced annual price increases – offering their customers greater certainty regarding their monthly expenses throughout the contract duration.”
Major Providers in Lower Rankings
Broadband giants BT, Sky, and TalkTalk were positioned in the lower half of the survey results, alongside Virgin Media.
Advice for Dissatisfied Broadband Customers
Which? offers guidance to broadband subscribers who are considering switching providers due to dissatisfaction with their current service.
Survey Sample Sizes
Although smaller providers demonstrated stronger performance overall, it’s important to note the varying survey sample sizes. 683 Virgin Media customers were interviewed, along with 1,100 BT, 533 TalkTalk, 481 EE, and 315 Plusnet customers.
Other providers included in the rankings were Utility Warehouse, Community Fibre, Hyperoptic, and Vodafone. Customer experiences were gathered between December 2024 and January 2025.
Virgin Media’s Performance Details
Which? highlighted that “Virgin Media received the lowest score among the ‘Big Four,’ sharing last place with Now Broadband at a 60% customer score.” The provider received unfavorable ratings across several categories, including accessibility, client support, correspondence, specialized assistance, and cost-effectiveness.
Virgin Media’s Response to Survey Findings
Virgin Media has also received low ratings in previous Which? client service surveys. Which? further noted that Virgin Media implements the highest annual price increase for dedicated broadband packages among the surveyed providers, adding £42 annually to customer bills.
A Virgin Media spokesperson stated, “We are dedicated to delivering consistently excellent service and improving customer support accessibility when needed.”
“Complaints to Ofcom about Virgin Media were at their lowest levels since 2017 at the end of last year. Furthermore, 92% of complaints raised in the past three months were addressed within 24 hours, and call transfers and waiting times have significantly decreased.”
The spokesperson also indicated that Which?’s survey represented approximately 0.01% of Virgin Media’s UK customer base.