I have adsl broadband access, and to date I don't have 1 complaint, in fact I am very pleased with the service. I use Yahoo BB, and the service is great. It so much faster than what I used before (ISDN), and not more expensive either.
I was curious when I saw your post. What does the word "fair" mean in "fair ADSL broadband access"? Is that unique to Northern Ireland, a word used in the the industry or a judgement of the service on your part?
I use ADSL and my upload and download speeds change quite dramatically (normally about 300k but can drop to 70k or lower at times).