Concern At Broadband Speed Claims

Ofcom is looking to end internet service providers from promotion impractical broadband speeds.

Currently many ISPs publicize services as 'up to' a particular speed - for instance, 20Mbps (megabits per second).

But Ofcom's ultimate investigate finds that really couple of consumers obviously obtain these title speeds.

"There is a significant hole between advertised speeds and the real speeds people obtain in their homes," Ofcom arch senior manager Ed Richards told the BBC.

"The chances of someone reception the advertised title speed are sincerely remote," he said.

"We would similar to to see clearer data supposing to consumers that more accurately reflects the expected speeds they will obviously receive," he added.

Ofcom's ultimate investigate in to broadband speeds found that only 14% of customers on 'up to' 20Mbps services received speeds of over 12Mbps, whilst 58% averaged speeds of 6Mbps or less.

Cable and twine services fared better, with 92% of Virgin Media customers on an 'up to' 50Mbps service averaging 45.6Mbps.

Its descend 10Mbps service saw median speeds of 9.6Mbps.

BT's Fibre-to-the-Cabinet technology, that is now existing to 15% of UK homes, has an median of 31.8Mbps on the 40Mbps service.

Unrealistic broadband speeds has long been an situation for consumer groups, who say such promotion is adding to consumer difficulty over net services.

"Broadband speeds are a leading source of restlessness for UK broadband customers," says Michael Phillips, product director at more aged site Broadbandchoices.

"We have been pulling for 'typical speeds' to be done the bullion typical for speed dimensions given 2007 - in the same way that banks use 'typical' APR percentages."

The Advertising Standards Authority is looking in to the issue.

Ofcom is recommending that ISPs use Typical Speed Rates (TSR) to prevent difficult consumers.

It has set discipline for these speeds. It recommends that ADSL services now advertised as 'up to' 20Mbps (megabits per second) be altered to a TSR of between 3 and 9Mbps.

BT is not tender with Ofcom's idea.

"We have real concerns with their approach. Broadband speeds change from line to line and so it is incomprehensible to use a speed for advertising. That is because you use the tenure 'up to'," mentioned John Petter, handling director of BT Retail.

He mentioned he think such a process "would urge on digital ostracism rsther than than plunge into it".

"Enforcing typical speed ranges is moreover dangerous as it could urge on more ISPs to cherry collect customers who will enlarge their average, leaving customers in farming and suburban areas under-served," he said.

PlusNet shielded its stream advertising.

"We offer customers a personalised speed range.

"This is fixed at focus and then once again once a patron has had their broadband service entirely commissioned - you are completely honest with customers about the speeds they will receive," mentioned arch senior manager Jamie Ford.

Virgin Media, that fared the most appropriate in the speed tests, welcomed the news: "Ofcom's ultimate inform is nonetheless other ban complaint that consumers go on to be treated with colour similar to mugs and misled by ISPs that simply cannot broach on their advertised speed claims," mentioned Jon James, senior manager director of broadband at Virgin Media.

Andrew Ferguson, editor of broadband website ThinkBroadband, mentioned using median speeds could urge on mediocrity.

"Providers who now go all out to obtain the most appropriate speeds could give up and make do with the average," he said.

He updated that there was "no such thing as an average" because the speed of a connection depends on so many factors, inclusive home wiring, the applications being used and where in the UK people live.