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Higher advertised speeds less likely to be achieved
(10-04-08) - The higher the top advertised speed of a broadband package, the less likely customers are to achieve it, according to new data released today.
Broadband analysts Point Topic examined packages ranging from 512Kb up to 16Mb and found that while 72 per cent of 512Kb customers received their advertised speed or higher, this was the case for only four per cent of “super fast” 16Mb customers.
Only 15 per cent of customers on an up to 8Mb package - the UK’s most popular speed - actually received it, while 35 per cent of those on up to 2Mb packages - also very popular - got their advertised speed or higher.
Pamela Varley, research analyst at Point Topic, said: “There are many variables that affect broadband speeds, distance from the exchange, contention, line quality and so on. It is a challenge to be able to factor all these into a calculation that gives you a reliable idea of the actual speed an individual connection will achieve.”
Point Topic also looked at the ratio of advertised speeds to achieved speeds for the UK’s “big six” providers.
“This ratio shows us how the user experience relates to the advertised speeds,” explained Varley, “the closer it is to ‘one’ the closer the speed the user experiences to the speed advertised.”
Sky Broadband (www.Sky.com) scored the highest, with a ratio of 0.79. It had 72.5 per cent of customers on a package of more than 2Mb and 57.5 per cent were getting higher than that.
Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) came second with a ratio of 0.76 - although only 45.2 per cent of customers were on an up to 2Mb package, almost 35 per cent achieved at least that speed.
Orange (www.Orange.co.uk) scored the lowest with a ratio of just 0.63 - only 40.7 per cent of its customers on more than 2Mb got at least their advertised speed. BT (www.BT.com) also did poorly with a ratio of 0.65 after only 53.4 per cent of its customers on packages higher than 2Mb received their advertised speed.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Although most people know that they’re unlikely to ever get their top, advertised speed without living right next to the exchange, ISPs - and especially the ‘big six’ need to be more realistic with their customers.
“If only four per cent of customers on a 16Mb package actually get 16Mb, you have to ask if providers should be allowed to advertise that almost non-existent speed.”
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