broadband news

Orange brings back free broadband

Orange has responded to increasingly stern criticism and a growing user exodus with the announcement that it plans to reward new customers with the reintroduction of its free broadband offer.

The free broadband - which comprises the provider's basic fixed line package - is available in Orange stores to anyone who signs up to one of the company's £30 a month or more mobile phone contracts.

The move is seen as an attempt by Orange to make a fresh start in the home broadband market after a torrid year. The past twelve months have seen the company widely criticised for its broadband service, and recent figures show that customers have been deserting the company.

In late 2007, the BBC's Watchdog programme savaged the broadband provider for numerous issues including poor service and non-existent customer care. Comparison site uSwitch named Orange the worst broadband provider earlier this year, while Which? Magazine recently placed them second on its 'Don't Buy' list of broadband providers.

To top it all, figures from June 2008 show that the company now has 2.5% fewer broadband customers than it did last year, unsurprisingly if all the complaints are to be believed.

However, Orange remains optimistic about its new offer, saying that the improvements they have made and the marketing push they intend to mount means they can now move in the right direction in the home broadband market.

26/08/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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