According to the survey, altnet customers enjoy average speeds of 440Mb at just £28 per month, compared to 227Mb at £39 per month
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Customers switching to local broadband providers could be getting twice the internet speed for almost a third of the price.
According to the survey, altnet customers enjoy average speeds of 440Mb at just £28 per month, compared to 227Mb at £39 per month with the major nationwide providers – meaning consumers are saving over £130 on average when switching to these local providers.
That’s almost double the speed (94% faster) for over a quarter off the price (28% less), but millions of households still don’t realise these providers exist in their area – in fact, less than one in ten respondents (8%) said they were with a local broadband provider.
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Peter Ames, Broadband Expert at Broadband Genie, said the findings should prompt anyone considering a switch to look beyond the big-name providers.
Peter said: “If you’re looking to switch broadband, local providers should be your first consideration if they are available in your area. The data speaks for itself: altnet customers get twice the speed for a significantly lower price, on average.
“Consumers say these smaller providers often outshine their larger rivals on key factors like customer service and flexibility.
“On top of that, most regional altnets steer clear of in-contract price hikes altogether.
“This is a stark contrast to the major broadband players, who routinely impose mid-contract increases well above inflation.
“In order to compete with these, many nationwide providers are now offering lower prices in certain areas, yet another reason to shop local on your broadband.”
Altnets are now available to millions of homes across the UK, but uptake remains limited, often because customers don’t realise they have a choice or simply don’t know who to trust, and they don’t recognise the names of the providers.
Broadband Genie wants to help consumers take the guesswork out of this, so they’ve created an interactive tool that lets people in the UK enter their postcode to see the best local providers available to them.