Broadband, the fast, “always-on” internet connection, would also allow you to watch television on your PC, to play a computer game against an opponent in Australia, download music or simply surf the internet more efficiently.

Four years since this “revolutionary” technology was introduced — and trumpeted by an enthusiastic Prime Minister — broadband has yet to live up to these expectations. Experts say that the reality is poor service, lagging speeds and high prices. Although BT and Ofcom, the telecoms and internet regulator, promise that the “transforming” services of broadband are around the corner, many have yet to appear.

“Despite the hype around broadband in the UK, the only area where this country excels in broadband is in coverage — nearly everyone who wants to get it can get it,” says Lars Godell, principal analyst in European telecoms at Forrester Research, a consultancy. “But in other aspects — like speed, the proportion of people that have it and price — the UK is behind many other countries.”

Research by Point Topic, a broadband specialist, shows that while internet take-up is now climbing faster in Britain than in most countries the proportion of people with the technology is still lower than in much of Western Europe, including France, Sweden and Denmark.

Despite efforts by the Government and providers to promote broadband, two thirds of British households — 16 million out of 24 million — do not have it, whether they have been put off by the price or are unconvinced of its merits.

Experts say that British broadband is also slower than on the continent: Iliad, France’s second biggest internet service provider, with more than 1 million broadband customers, offers speeds of 15-20 megabits per second. Most BT services have 2 megabits per second, although services of 8 megabits per second are on trial.

Uswitch, a company that compares British broadband services, says the service most often taken is 1 megabit per second — fast enough to surf the net quickly but too slow to watch quality television.

Be, a Swedish internet company, recently introduced a 24-megabit service in Britain, but analysts say that it does not reach a mass market. “These high-speed digital subscriber line broadband offerings in the UK are from fringe players — not mighty giants like Iliad,” Mr Godell says.

Faster broadband means better products: in France high-speed services allow you to download television programmes when you want, and so-called “triple-play” services — telephone calls, broadcast television and internet access in one package — while not universally available, are much more widespread than they are in Britain. But BT says the highest speeds are not widely available. “We are talking about a few streets in Paris,” it says.

Some early British subscribers have rapidly been disillusioned with broadband, encountering installation problems and poor customer service.

Bulldog, the broadband internet service with more than 50,000 customers, is being investigated by Ofcom after a spate of customer complaints. One incensed customer set up a website where others could share their complaints.

Tim Johnston, founder of Point Topic, says: “Everything so far has been about price and speed. The providers have been battling over territory and market share and we have not established a position on service.”

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