Ofcom: Broadband ISPs are pulling a fast one
Millions of broadband users are being sold short by providers that are delivering speeds far below those advertised, according to research from Ofcom.
Data released by Ofcom, the communications regulator, shows that the gap between the headline broadband speeds customers sign up for and the connection they actually receive has widened sharply in the last 12 months. The average actual speed is now just 46% of what was promised, down from 56% a year ago.
Internet service providers are even advertising maximum speeds which in practice no customers receive, according to Ofcom, which is now pushing for tighter controls on selling broadband in the UK.
"There is a very big difference between the headline services that are advertised and the actual speeds that are delivered," said Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive.
Consumer groups said the research showed that many ISPs were letting their customers down.
"If consumers pay for a Ferrari-style internet service, they should not get pushbike speeds. Broadband users should get what they pay for," said Robert Hammond, head of post and digital communications at Consumer Focus.
Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, demanded an end to "misleading claims" about broadband.
"Some internet service providers continue to advertise ever-increasing speeds that bear little resemblance to what most people can achieve in reality," he said.
There is growing demand for faster broadband packages as more computer users watch television and play games online, or share their connection between several PCs. This has led ISPs to offer faster services – promising "up to" 20Mbps, for example, rather than the standard maximum speed of 8Mbps. However, the UK's communications infrastructure appears incapable of supporting such services.
Ofcom reported that nearly a quarter of broadband users said they received a slower service than expected, and this was the most common complaint to ISPs.
ISPs typically offer broadband services promising speeds of "up to" 8Mbps, 20Mbps or 50Mbps. In a damning indictment of the current situation, Ofcom wants these advertising rules tightened up so that an ISP can only promise a maximum speed if "at least some" people can receive it.
Source: The Guardian