Since the survey is conducted by O2 and presumably targeted fairly broadband-aware citizens, this result may seem less surprising. However, the 41 per cent of respondents that said they were daily impacted by a sluggish broadband connection was ahead of the other frequent frustrations by a margin that is impossible to ignore.

Only 14 per cent of people said that extended waiting periods before treatment by the NHS were a daily irritant, which is in stark contrast to the 36 per cent of people who said that unhelpful or rude customer service representatives would adversely affect them in daily life.

O2 conducted the survey of over 2000 people at the beginning of the month and it is publishing the findings in order to promote a new advertising campaign that identifies familiar obstacles and pitfalls that broadband users may encounter with their internet service providers (ISPs); pitfalls which O2 claims to avoid.

O2’s Felix Geyr said that the arrival of the new coalition government and the results of the survey show that ISPs will need to alter their current policies and address current inadequacies in order to win the support and respect of the public.

73 per cent of the respondents said that a quick fix for these issues in the first few months of the new government would be desirable. However, most experts agree that there are more pressing issues facing the coalition than getting cheap cable broadband out into every home and forcing ISPs to shape up their customer service departments.

As with most of O2’s deals, if you are an existing O2 mobile customer you can unlock even more savings potential, as the Standard broadband bundle, which has inclusive evening and weekend calls to UK landline numbers, is now £17 monthly.

It is estimated that existing O2 mobile customers will save about £50 over the first three months of the free service, whilst non-O2 mobile customers will save even more, although after the initial period the price will be higher if you lack an O2 mobile contract.

O2’s broadband deals have a significant advantage over BT broadband options, because the line rental for O2 home phone customers is £9.50, which is over £2 cheaper than BT offers.

O2’s anytime home phone deal is slightly more expensive, but it does let you make unlimited free calls at any time of the day or night to premium rate numbers beginning in 0845 or 0870.

O2’s Sally Cowdry said that her firm is putting a lot of effort into this new home broadband and phone package in order to cement its position as one of the UK’s best value and most comprehensive providers.

O2 is keen to emphasise the fact that it is attempting to make its pricing as transparent as possible and that combining multiple services into one monthly package is a great way in which to save money.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added “O2 is really upping its game in the home broadband market, providing consumers with many compelling reasons to choose carefully when looking to switch broadband providers.”

In a study carried out by industry regulator Ofcom, O2 staff were far more likely to give prospective business broadband clients information about the download and upload speeds that the provider could realistically offer on a given line without being prompted by the interested party.

O2 automatically gives out its predictions regarding connection speed in 54 per cent of calls, which is significantly more often than its major rivals in the business broadband market.

The least transparent provider was found to be BT, which would only let customers know as to the real speeds on offer, without being asked, in about 28 per cent of cases. Sky did not fare much better, giving accurate predictions as to download and upload speeds in 39 per cent of sales situations.

The number of calls in which firms confirmed that the speeds given were only estimates came to 40 per cent and in 31 per cent of calls, the customer was informed of other potential hurdles which could significantly reduce the connection speed in real terms.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said that the organisation was generally pleased with the figures, which show a rise in the number of callers who are being given specific, accurate and honest information as to the speed and quality of broadband service that a provider can offer before they commit to a contract. However, the organisation also believes that more can be done in this area.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard commented: “O2 is proving itself to be one of the most trustworthy broadband providers in the UK, for both home and business users, setting the bar for other providers.”

Starting in April, BT is altering the definitions of off-peak for its inclusive call package users, moving the start time in the evenings from 6pm to 7pm. However, according to a report from Simplydigital.co.uk there is a chance that BT broadband deals will be getting cheaper after O2 launches its own home broadband and phone service bundle, undercutting rivals on price.

O2 is going to combine the price of line rental and broadband into a one-off payment that will cost customers £17 each month on a 12 month contract. Considering that Virgin Media is putting up the cost of its line rental, people who had given up on ADSL broadband and moved to cable could well be switching back to save cash.

Not every consumer will be looking for value above all else in their home broadband packages and speed has recently proven to be an increasingly important factor as fibre optic broadband connections become more widely available.

In 2010 it seems as if there is a push within the telecoms industry to encourage consumers to put all of their eggs into one basket and sign on for multiple services from the same firm. Since the majority of broadband customers also require home phone and digital television in some form, it makes sense to save money and commit to a package.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard said “It is advisable to save money by opting for BT broadband deals with multiple services bundled together, although price comparison is more important than ever.”

Beginning in March, O2 home broadband customers will be able to get a deal that adds the cost of a comprehensive home phone package to their monthly broadband bill.

O2 will be offering a selection of two different home phone tariffs, although there is nothing that you will not have seen before from other broadband providers. The basic package will offer unlimited calls to landline numbers in the UK during off-peak hours during the evening and weekend.

For a more comprehensive calling tariff, O2 broadband customers should choose the more expensive Anytime home phone package, which gives unlimited calls for UK landlines and 20 international destinations and to mobile numbers located in North America.

In a similar approach to the bolt-ons that it offers its broadband customers, O2 will be looking to offer additions to the home phone bundles, including the ability to divert, bar and block incoming calls. These low-cost services are designed to allow users to modify their package to suit their needs.

A spokesperson for O2 said that the company was creating the home phone packages for its broadband customers in order to build on its current brand beyond mobile and broadband into a complete array of communications services. This move is seen as the most important since O2 launched its home broadband service three years ago.

Simple Broadband’s Communication manager Simon Gerrard added that “with Tiscali being absorbed by TalkTalk and with Tiscali broadband prices increased for some of its former customers, the alternative offered by O2 could be an attractive money saving option.”