Ofcom has warned that the UK’s landline ISPs are still delivering less than half of the peak-download speeds they advertise. The regulator’s research shows that the average broadband speed increased from 5.2 Mbps (May 2010) to 6.2 Mbps (November/December 2010) but was less than half (45 per cent) of the average advertised broadband speed of 13.8 Mbps.
Ofcom recommends that if speeds are used in broadband advertising they should be based on a Typical Speeds Range (TSR). It will give a clearer idea to the consumers about the expected speed. It also argues that the TSR must have at least equal prominence to any maximum ‘up to’ speed, and that a maximum speed must be used only if it is actually achievable in practice by a material number of consumers.
- The full report is here
- Presentation to the media is here
- The consumer research is here
- Ofcom’s response to “Up to” and “Unlimited” claims is here
Ofcom’s recommendations only apply to landline services. Therefore, the mobile networks will still be able to claim to offer “up to” 14Mbps (etc) for mobile broadband services. That’s not cricket, Your Majesty!
Comments are closed.