Tesco Broadband 512k

Supermarket giant Tesco is the only ISP in this group test to offer a 512Mbits/s service, which half or four times slower than most of the other packages we are looking at.

To date, there's been no noticeable problems during the trial. I was initially concerned about the amount of bad feeling towards Tesco in many forums, but thankfully I have had an extremely smooth ride.

I did experience a couple of times when I couldn’t connect, but this appeared to be just a temporary glitch.

For myself, this service is ideal. I have no requirement for a fast download speed, and the monthly payments, at £14.97, are low. There is no download cap, which is particularly good for a service this cheap. But this was never going to be an issue as I really only use the Internet for emails, general browsing and online shopping.

However, I expect a 512Kbits/sec connection is far too slow for many. If Tesco wants to be a big player in the broadband market, it needs to offer a wider range of packages.

It is also worth noting that although there is no set up fee, Tesco charges a whopping 50p a minute to call its customer service line. In our tests, it is one of only two ISPs to charge a premium rate, with other companies charging the national rate, or free in AOL's case.

Note: This is part of PCW's long-term group test of broadband Internet packages. Links to all other packages reviewed can be found below