The gap between broadband providers when it comes to customer service is wider than ever, according to research from uSwitch.com.

There is currently the biggest gap there has ever been between the best and worst customer service in the broadband market, the study found, with firms still failing to deliver.

While the research revealed that customer service still leaves much to be desired in the UK broadband market, but hopefully broadband users have less cause for complaint, as bills have fallen four per cent, and speeds are 33 per cent faster than last year.

But despite internet users spending a collective £3billion on broadband a year, just six out of 10 customers are satisfied with the level of customer service they receive from their internet service provider, and the gap between the best and worst of the bunch is widening.

Overall, broadband satisfaction has risen – albeit by just two per cent to 79 per cent.

Matthew Wheeler, communications expert at uSwitch.com, commented: “The expanding gap between the best and worst provider shows just how important it is for consumers to choose on service and not just price.

“If the larger providers languishing at the bottom don’t address their failings, we could well see a significant swing in market share in the coming year as people vote with their feet and switch to one of the high performing newcomers.”

uSwitch.com’s research found that O2 is the leader of the pack, with an overall score for service and coming top in a number of categories, including value for money, customer support, connection strength, speed, ease of use, setup support, and most likely to be recommended to a friend.

Meanwhile, AOL broadband has made good ground in improving its service, to become the biggest climber this year, with a score of 72 per cent and coming seventh out of the top nine providers.

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