Poor internet performance drives broadband churn in the UK finds new report

Seven people a minute in the UK change their broadband contract due to poor internet performance, new research has found.

The figures reveal how many UK households struggle with bad broadband service, a particular problem for those that work from home and rely on a good service to perform in their jobs.

Huge numbers of these workers suffer regular issues with their internet, leaving their employers, colleagues and customers frustrated.

The research by Airties, the technology company that commissioned the study, found that price was not the main driver of change.

In fact most ended up paying the same or more after switching, with nine in ten respondents in the report saying they would be prepared to pay £5 to £10 more for premium wi-fi quality.

Instead half of UK switchers (49%) said they left because of poor broadband experience, with many citing issues such as video freezing, slow browsing and unreliable video calls.

Airties, - whose software improves reliability of broadband in the home - revealed that 79 per cent of Britons suffer wifi problems at least once a month while seven per cent have issues weekly. The equivalent of 1.2 million people experience issues on a daily basis.

The report, The Hidden Cost of Broadband Churn: Avoidable Value Destruction, estimates churn costs operators £9 billion in lost revenue every year.

Metin Taskin, chief executive at Airties, said: ‘Churn isn’t an unavoidable cost of doing business, it’s a solvable problem.

“Our technology helps operators cut churn, reduce support costs, and deliver the reliable in-home performance customers expect.”