Broadband News

90% of Brits confused by broadband speed advertising

Thursday, 02 September 2010

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

A massive 9 out of 10 consumers think that current broadband speed advertising is misleading, a new study has revealed.

More than two-thirds of users also expressed frustration with providers who “routinely fail to deliver on their promises”, said Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com).

Many suppliers now offer speeds of up to 20Mb or 24Mb broadband, but deliver an average of just 5.2Mb revealed research by Ofcom in July.

Broadband speeds were only second to price when it came to choosing a provider, said the research - which was conducted by ICM.

“There is an overwhelming appetite for a change with 93% of respondents agreeing that advertising rules should be changed to prevent ISPs making a speed claim unless it matches the typical ‘real world’ experience of a clear majority of customers,” it said.

Just 2% of consumers thought that “up to” speeds were the most helpful way of advertising broadband packages.

Jon James, executive director of broadband, at Virgin Media said: “People are paying for faster and faster broadband but being ripped off by unscrupulous providers who can’t deliver their promised speeds to even a single customer.

“A change in advertising is urgently needed to build consumer confidence in superfast broadband and the industry more generally. In the meantime, I hope other ISPs will quickly follow Virgin Media’s lead by disclosing their own monthly performance data so people can make an informed decision about how to spend their money.”

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