A study by moneysupermarket.com found that 61 per cent of consumers chose their broadband provider because of the connection speed they offered.

However, the firm noted that 44 per cent of broadband users are currently achieving half the speed they originally signed up for.

Rob Barnes, head of Broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: “As the downloading culture continues to grow, broadband speed becomes even more important.”

Ofcom has now chosen to look into the issue and question a number of providers over the speeds they claim to offer and the service they actually deliver, he stated.

Earlier research by the firm showed that 39 per cent of consumers admitted to not knowing the difference between the broadband deals available on the market.

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