PC Advisor broadband awards 2007

More than 3,000 PC Advisor readers rate, rank and award the best broadband internet service providers of 2007. Who is the best ISP in Britain?

Broadband is now so pervasive that it's come to be regarded as a utility, in much the same way as water, gas and electricity. As with those essential services, rival providers compete fiercely for your business. But however much marketing money an organisation throws into the ring, without trying it for ourselves we've no way of knowing what's bluster and what's not.

Actual customers' testimonials are therefore a critical gauge – as long as they're presented in a balanced fashion and companies large and small have an equal chance of being praised or criticised.

PC Advisor's online questionnaire focusing on broadband was conducted over a five-week period in March and April 2007. It aimed to get an accurate picture of issues that are important to today's broadband consumer.

PC Advisor's survey didn't just add up the totals for and against the ISPs. As well as an overall satisfaction rating for each provider, we asked survey respondents to rate particular elements of the service, from technical support and customer service to connection speed and reliability, parental controls and security measures to the provision of pertinent localised information.

Most popular ISP 2007

Virgin Media was a dead cert for the popularity award, having absorbed the might of NTL and Telewest – themselves huge players in the broadband market before their formal merger last year.

BT was the second most popular choice, with BT Yahoo polling particularly well. Combining the scores for BT and BT Yahoo enabled the firm to narrowly beat third-ranked Tiscali.

Best uncapped broadband 2007

1. Be Unlimited [1st]
2. TalkTalk Plan 3 [Recommended]
3. Tiscali [Recommended]

Best small ISP 2007

1. Zen [1st]
2. NamesCo [Recommended]
3. Madasafish [Recommended]

Best broadband bundle 2007

Virgin Media [1st]

If you want broadband, landline, TV and even mobile, you can't go far wrong with Virgin. If can get cable, so much the better; if not, Virgin does very good deals on ADSL packages too.

Best phone and web bundle

Talk Talk [1st]
We can't argue with the cost of the TalkTalk 3 deal and, while customer service levels remain middling, these continue to improve.

Most reliable ISP

1. Zen [1st]
2. Freedom2Surf [Recommended]
3. Demon [Recommended]

We excluded Virgin Media from this award because cable broadband doesn't have the contention or connection issues
of ADSL. Zen came top, with F2S and Demon close contenders

Broadband customer service award

1. Zen [1st]
2. Madasafish [Recommended]
3. Freedom2Surf [Recommended]

PC Advisor's broadband report

Broadband deals abound, but which one is right for you? PC Advisor's in-depth reader survey reveals how well each ISP (internet service provider) is performing, and gives an insight into the state of broadband internet in the UK today:

• Broadband internet in the UK today
• Are 'unlimited' broadband accounts fair?
• Broadband reliability and service

• Broadband speeds and download limits
• Phone and internet broadband bundles
• Switch broadband providers the easy way

The PC Advisor broadband awards 2007

Read the full report here

Submit to:Digg Slashdot Del.icio.us Reddit

• FREE email newsletters. Get news, reviews and features straight to your inbox
• For videos of the latest products, visit PC Advisor TV
• Sign up for RSS to get the latest news and reviews, direct to your desktop
• Get PC Advisor news, reviews and blogs on your website for free

Latest technology news:

• More companies look to virtualisation says Citrix
• Antivirus programs fail to stop new malware
• NASA's Endeavour blasts off on last mission to space station
• Toyota in Prius global recall after braking software fault
• Google Nexus One termination fee gets cut