Deal or NO Deal

The cost of phone and internet services in the home has increased in the past year but the majority of Australians find it too hard to compare deals, a survey has found.

Research conducted for telecommunications company AAPT reveals that one-third of Australian households were paying more for phone and internet services, with an average increase in the monthly bill of $44 since February last year.

The majority of the additional money was spent on mobile and internet services, AAPT said.

"It's becoming clear that Australians don't consider broadband and mobile phones discretionary purchases," AAPT spokeswoman Tahn Shannon said.

"These are increasingly deemed necessities, and households are struggling to keep up with home telecommunications costs."

Just under 40 per cent of the households surveyed said the cost of keeping up with technology was a burden on the family budget.

One third of households said they restricted their use of phone and internet services to keep the bills under control.

Despite the increasing price of phone and internet bills, half of Australians rarely or never shop around for the best deal, the research found.

Two-thirds of respondents said it was difficult to compare offers from competing telcos.

"Although it takes some time and effort to understand contracts and the different options available, it's worthwhile and will save families a lot of anguish and money in the long term," Ms Shannon said.

By a AAP (Business Spectator)