Computer users in Shropshire are up against a postcode lottery when they sign agreements for broadband connections.

A Shropshire Star investigation has revealed people are paying betw- een £5 and £50 per month for connections and receiving speeds that vary dramatically, from two megabits per second to 50mbps. Contracts range from one month to 18 months.

Many users could not live without their high speed, wireless, internet connections.

But the quality of service varies dramatically across the region and few customers receive the service they pay for.

Customers in Telford have the greatest choice with more than 50 packages to choose from.

A number of 24mbps packages are available, but the most popular package is O2’s broadband premium, which offers 20mbps with a free wireless router and is available at £9.79 per month for O2 customers.

The best seller in Shrewsbury town centre is an 8mbps package from TalkTalk at £6.49 per month. Businesses like that as it pr- ovides quick speed at a low cost. The fastest is 24mbps from Eclipse Internet with prices ranging from £9.95 per month to £29.95.

In Ludlow town centre, speeds vary from 8mbps to 24mbps, while the cost of monthly packages is between £4.99 and £49.95. Different prices are charged depending on the length of contract, number of free calls and promotional discounts on offer.

The picture in Wem’s High Street is similar, with speeds also varying between 8mbps and 24mbps and prices ranging from £4.99 and £49.95.

However, those details present only half of the story. A survey by communications watchdog Ofcom has found fewer than one in 10 customers on an 8mbps package receive an average speed of more than 6mbps, and about one in five receive an average speed of less than 2mbps.

WAYS TO CHECK OUT SERVICES

There are a number of ways to check what broadband services are available in your area.

• The easiest way is to visit a website that provides infor- mation on digital Britain – www.samknows.com/broadband provides a free service whereby you can type in your postcode and receive detailed information on the services provided, their speed and their cost.

There are a number of ways to test the broadband speed that you receive on your computer.

• There are a number of companies that will provide you with a free internet speed connection test, which you can download to your computer. Use your search engine to select an appropriate test.

• Alternatively, you can run a simple search on your computer to locate the term “internet connections” and then “internet speed”.

Check with manufacturers and internet service providers for more comprehensive details.

• We would like to hear from you about your experience of broadband. What speeds are you paying for and what do you actually receive? E-mail your stories to arichardson@shropshire star.co.uk