In a surprising turn of events, British Telecom (BT) has emerged as the leading internet service provider (ISP) in the UK, offering the finest quality of experience (QoE) to its customers. According to a survey conducted by MedUX, a prominent network quality of experience testing and monitoring firm, BT surpassed its competitors, including Sky and Vodafone, in terms of fixed broadband customer experience.
The survey, which was based on an independently developed scorecard, assessed the performance of ISPs across various benchmarks, including service reliability, speed compliance, accessibility, throughput, streaming, data, and over-the-top (OTT) experience results. BT emerged as the clear winner, with a score of 4.59 out of 5 and service reliability of 99.88%. The company’s fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) customers enjoyed the highest average download speed of 60 Mbps, with BT achieving the best performance for delivering web browsing, gaming, and streaming experience.
Vodafone followed closely, with an average ratio of effective download speed versus advertised speed of 86%, surpassing the European average of 72%. The company shared the lead with BT in network responsiveness and streaming experience, with a negligible difference of less than 0.5% in scores. Sky came in second, demonstrating the best performance for delivering social media services with a success rate of 99.88%.
The survey’s findings are significant, given BT’s history of criticism regarding its service quality. The company’s achievement can be attributed to its investments in fibre infrastructure, which have resulted in improved network responsiveness and OTT experience. BT’s customers can expect the best data and OTT experience, with a great network responsiveness when using digital services However, the survey also highlighted that the UK lags behind European countries in terms of fibre deployment. Despite being a leader in full-fibre deployment growth, the UK still trails behind many European economies in terms of coverage and subscribers. Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections, which offer faster speeds and a better experience, are less prevalent in the UK compared to other European nations.
The survey’s findings underscore the need for ISPs to invest in fibre infrastructure to provide an optimized and future-proof QoE. As the demand for high-speed internet continues to grow, ISPs must prioritize network responsiveness, speed compliance, and accessibility to meet customer expectations. BT’s achievement serves as a benchmark for other ISPs to follow, and its commitment to fibre investment is a step in the right direction ¹ ² ³ ⁴.
In conclusion, BT’s top ranking in the UK fixed broadband customer experience survey is a testament to its efforts in improving service quality. The company’s fiber infrastructure investment has improved network responsiveness and OTT experience, making it an industry leader. As the UK continues to lag behind European countries in fibre deployment, ISPs must prioritize fibre investment to provide their customers an optimized and future-proof QoE.
