Ofcom: A quarter of UK dissatisfied with broadband speed

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 4 Dec 2008 at 14:15

Ofcom has admitted around a quarter of British broadband customers are not receiving the speed they expected when they signed up.

Comment: yet another Ofcom own goal.

The telcoms regulator revealed the high level of dissatisfaction with connection speeds as it introduced a new voluntary code of conduct for broadband ISPs.

The new code will require ISPs to give customers an "accurate estimate" of the maximum speed their individual line can support at the point of sale.

The code also implores broadband providers to transfer customers on to an "alternative" broadband package if the actual speed of their connection is "a lot lower" than that forecast.

The code fails to stipulate what "a lot lower" actually means, and being a voluntary code of conduct, there are no sanctions for ISPs that fail to adhere to the code anyway.

"We'll be mystery shopping and checking the ISPs are complying with the code," an Ofcom spokesperson told PC Pro. "If ISPs are not adhering to the code, we'll consider making it mandatory, which will lead to sanctions."

Misleading speeds

Broadband market watchers have complained the new rules don't go far enough. "It looks at 'point of sale' information but doesn't address misleading advertising claims," says Michael Phillips, product director at Broadbandchoices.co.uk. "We feel that broadband providers should advertise speeds in the same way that loans are advertised, detailing a typical speed achieved."

Phillips also claims the alternative package rule is flawed. "Directing ISPs to offer lower speed packages for customers unable to achieve the speed they were sold sounds good in principal but it's important to note that many ISPs only have a single speed offering across their different packages," he says.

"To that end customers will be forced to grin and bear it, or switch to an alternate supplier."

All of the major ISPs have agreed to abide by the new code of conduct, including BT, Orange, O2, Virgin Media and Tiscali. Ofcom claims more than 95% of the broadband population is covered by ISPs who have agreed to participate.

Ofcom is currently conducting research into the "actual speeds" of British broadband, which it plans to publish early next year.