uSwitch.ie's Irish country manager Eoin Clarke (left) with Magnus Ternsjö, CEO, UPC Ireland
Like on The Late Late Show, no one came away empty-handed. If anything, it was clear from the results of the uSwitch.ie Broadband Awards that broadband customers in Ireland take speed and resilience very seriously.
UPC emerged victorious from uSwitch.ie’s Broadband Awards 2014, winning four out of the 10 categories, including the overall Best Broadband Provider, Fastest Home Broadband, Best Technical Support and Most Recommended Broadband.
Closely following UPC in the award-winning stakes at the awards was Sky, scooping three awards last night, including Best Customer Service, Best Customer Benefits and Best TV Provider.
When it comes to customer satisfaction ratings, UTV Connect came out on top, ahead of the other nominated finalists, Sky and UPC.
In the Best Value Home Broadband award category, Vodafone took the gong for its more affordable Simply Broadband product.
In what proved to be a tight category, the independent panel of expert judges selected Eircom for the Best Broadband Innovation Award, recognising its achievements in the last 12 months with the launch of eFibre, eVision and 4G broadband to more than 40pc of the Irish population.
“We believe the awards results will now equip broadband users with an important, impartial and independent classification for the best-in-class broadband providers, that can only help when selecting the right broadband package for their needs,” said Eoin Clarke, head of uSwitch.ie.
Broadband benchmark
“The broadband awards will also provide an important benchmark for the providers themselves and will go some way towards spurring them on to delivering even better services, and recognising and rewarding those broadband providers that are setting the best standards,” Clarke added.
“UPC and Sky have stolen the show, coming away as the big winners. But with most categories hotly contested, it’s very much all to play for next year. And, while there is plenty to celebrate within Irish broadband, there is more to be done, with speed, service and cost still the top 3 concerns for bill-payers.
“As providers battle ever more fiercely for a bigger bite of the market, and find new ways of setting themselves apart, customers can take advantage of lower-priced deals, more competitive perks and higher quality service. While the big boys took home the lion’s share of awards, UTV Connect’s award is proof that smaller providers shouldn’t be ruled out if you’re not getting the service you want from the broadband giants,” Clarke said.
