Ofcom’s Consumer Panel Slaps Broadband Providers Wrists over Broadband Speeds

We’ve all seen the adverts (and paid the price) for broadband speeds of 24Meg, 8Meg etc etc when in fact you are more likely to get 4 or at best 5MB ADSL broadband depending on your location - well at last, someone is here to protect us (kind of!). Ofcom’s Consumer Panel have suggested that ISPs should adhere to a mandatory code of practice to prevent customers from being misled over broadband speeds.  Early this year they wrote to six of the top Internet Service Providers asking them to explain why customers weren’t receiving the broadband speeds that are advertised and they pay for. The  phrase “up to” in adverts e.g. up to 24Meg was a cause for particular concern when describing the speed of connections.

Following the meetings with the ISP’s the Consumer Panel has asked Ofcom to implement a code of practice that will demand ISPs to :

• make clear the maximum speed available to a customer on their actual line during the sales process
• offer concise information about limiting factors that can harm line speeds
• contact customers within two of installation to inform them of their actual broadband download speeds
• enable customers to move to a different broadband package, or even let them out of their contract for free, if the actual broadband speeds they receive are significantly lower than the package they purchased

Both the Consumer Panel and ISP’s were concerned that the public were so dissatisfied over broadband speeds and the Panel has also called upon the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to review the way broadband speeds are advertised.

The Consumer Panel - which is independent of the regulator itself - can’t force Ofcom to abide by its recommendations.