THE PRICE FOR broadband between the lowest and highest-costing EU country can be as much as 400 per cent, with Ireland being one of the most expensive.
Four separate studies published today show that broadband services and speeds are inconsistent across the EU, with consumers left confused over varying information provided by operators.
Alongside the difference in pricing, 66 per cent of people don’t know what internet speed they’ve signed up for while consumers only get 75 per cent of the broadband speed they signed up for.
The most expensive broadband connection is in Cyprus, which amounted to €46.20 per month while Spain and Ireland followed with €38.70 and €31.40 per month respectively. The cheapest advertised broadband costs came from Lithuania (€10.30 per month), Romania (€11.20 per month) and Latvia (€13.40 per month).
The greatest domestic price range was found in Poland – which has offers ranging from €20 up to €140 per month – and Croatia – from €30 up to €121 per month.
The European Commission (EC) Vice-President Neelie Kroes said that such a system had to change as “there is no good reason” for such a price difference for the same service across different countries.
The findings came from the Broadband Internet Access Costs (BIAC), SamKnows, Eurobarometer and Communications Committee (COCOM). The reports were part of the EU’s Connected Continent initiative, which aims to provide consumers with more transparency, rights and better services. The EC will vote on it next week.
Back in December, a separate report from Eurostat found that the number of Irish households with access to a broadband connection was 67 per cent, below the EU average of 76 per cent.
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