Code published on Broadband speeds

Friday 06 June 2008

Judging by the comments and reviews posted on Broadband Genie, broadband users often seem to have complaints about the broadband speeds they are getting. Internet service providers (ISPs) have also faced criticism for the misleading way in which advertised headline speeds are often much higher than the speeds broadband users can receive in practice.

To try and tackle this issue, a new Code of Practice has been published by Ofcom to ensure that ISPs offer greater clarity over customers' broadband line speeds. Currently 37 ISPs have signed up to the code, covering over 90 per cent of UK broadband customers.  They have agreed to give consumers a clearer understanding of the speeds they can get and to ensure that they are on an appropriate broadband package.

Ofcom's own research has apparently shown that consumer satisfaction of ISPs has fallen over the last year, and the telecoms watchdog is now undertaking a comprehensive broadband speed survey to identify actual broadband performance across the country and its relationship to advertised headline speeds. The survey will sample over 2,000 residential broadband connections over a six month period and involve tens of millions of broadband speed tests.

The market report on broadband speeds is likely to be published in the second half of the year.

Ofcom is also considering whether to extend the code to mobile broadband services, or develop a separate code.