ASA "to place limits on broadband speed ads"

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 26 Sep 2011 at 10:54

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will only allow ISPs to advertise speeds that at least 10% of their customers can achieve, according to leaked reports.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is set to release a long-awaited proposal to deal with the way ISPs advertise broadband speeds, notably promising "up to" a certain speed that it's not physically possible to receive.

The Independent has seen a leaked draft of that plan, which says the ASA will require broadband suppliers to only market speeds that some customers can receive.

According to the newspaper, the regulator's guidance will only allow ISPs to advertise broadband speeds if at least 10% of customers can get such a bit-rate, and must clearly state what speed range 20% to 80% of customers receive.

The guidance reportedly only applies to ISPs using copper - not fibre, a move criticised by fibre specialist Virgin Media.

“We are very concerned that people paying for fast broadband continue to be misled and believe it is absolutely essential consumers have all the information they need up front so they can make an informed choice," a Virgin Media spokesperson said. "Ofcom, numerous consumer groups and thousands of internet users have all reiterated our call for change so we hope the ASA can bring about a rapid change in the way broadband services are advertised."

Jumping the gun

However, an ASA spokesman told PC Pro the report had "inaccuracies in what the guidance is going to say," and was "jumping the gun as the guidance hasn't been published yet". However, he couldn't say which aspects of the leaked report were inaccurate.

The spokesman added that the ASA doesn't issue the guidance directly, which instead comes from a related body, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). The ASA said the full report is expected to be released later this week.

The guidance will act as a template for the ASA tribunal to deal with complaints about broadband advertising, but the watchdog can be stricter if necessary, the spokesman said.