Results from 10 locations around the UK identified BT as top followed by Virgin, Demon, AOL and then Orange. The survey did not take into account broadband provided by cable companies such as NTL Telewest.
Epitiro has been conducting tests of broadband services for the last three years. The information that it collects is normally sold back to telecoms providers and ISPs with this being the first time that results have been released to the public.
In terms of internet performance, BT topped the overall rankings for the period April to June 2006," said Gavin Johns, managing director of Epitiro. "BT was also found to provide the fastest service as a percentage of its theoretical maximum."
Even though ISPs may offer 2Mbps or 4Mbps services, consumers will never receive a service that reaches these theoretical speeds. Factors such as the amount of people using the web or the age of cables connecting a house to the network slow down the connection.