BigPond, portable wireless users 'most unhappy'

Telstra user? Chances are you're the most unhappy with your ISP, according to a survey of over 3,000 Australian Internet users.

The research by Choice magazine found satisfaction among subscribers has plummeted since the last survey, conducted two years ago.

Today, 41 percent of users claimed they were satisfied with their Internet connection, compared to 29 percent for the last survey.

Choice found that users of Telstra's BigPond service are most likely to be fairly dissatisfied with the cost of their account, whether they connect over ADSL, ADSL2+ or cable.

By contrast, users of smaller ISPs are more likely to have better satisfaction ratings, with Internode leading the pack for ADSL2+ and Westnet, Internode, Chariot Netconnect, Netspace and AAPT reporting "very satisfied" customers in the ADSL category.

The survey also found that those on "higher speed" connections afforded by ADSL2 and ADSL2+ are more likely to be satisfied with their Internet access both in terms of speed and cost.

Of all the access technologies surveyed by Choice, users on portable wireless plans are the most likely to be displeased with their service, particularly on grounds of speed.