Broadband Guide

Broadband download speeds

Updated: Tuesday 28 February, 2012

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

Is your broadband too slow? Here are some top tips for understanding what broadband speeds are, and how to speed up your connection.

How are broadband download speeds measured?

The speed of your broadband connection is the speed at which information is downloaded to your computer. Advertised speeds are as much as 100Mb or more in some areas of the country. However, depending on the type of connection you have, ADSL or fibre optic cable, the actual speed you receive will be less than this. With copper wire (ADSL) connections it can be less than half the advertised speed.

The best broadband download speed your household’s connection can achieve depends on many factors, including the package you’ve signed up for, the distance from your local telephone exchange to your house, the quality of the line, and the number of households that share your connection.

If you’re interested in file sharing, or uploading files (like videos to YouTube), you should look at your connections upload speed as well, although this will be a lot slower than the broadband download speed.

How fast is your broadband?

You’ve probably heard conflicting stories about broadband download speeds. Some of the UK’s biggest and most popular broadband providers have been accused of giving customers slower broadband connections than those they advertise. So how fast is your broadband? And what can you do about it if it’s not fast enough?

The government’s Digital Britain report brought broadband speeds into the limelight, and found that many customers were signing up for ultra-fast broadband but never receiving what they’d paid for. Many broadband users complain of slow speeds, especially at peak times when their connection is being shared with many other users, but how can we be sure of the speed we’re getting?

BroadbandChoices.co.uk features a broadband speed test that will tell you how fast your connection is running at any one time. It does this by downloading a file onto your computer. It then measures how quickly that file was downloaded, and gives you the actual speed of your connection, regardless of what you’re paying for.

What if I’m getting a slower broadband download speed than I’m paying for?

Check your broadband download speed a few times to make sure your first try can’t be explained by a temporary blip. You will also find that most connection speeds slow down at peak times (typically between 6pm and 8pm), so try testing your connection outside of these times too.

If you’re not happy with your broadband download speed, you should contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The physical workings of your broadband supply will be managed by the company whom you pay for your broadband. This will be a company such as BT(www.BT.com), Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com), TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) or one of the many other UK broadband suppliers.

You may find that an engineer from one of these companies will be sent to your property to examine whether there’s a physical fault with your connection. If there is no fault, your ISP should be willing to reduce your bills to reflect the service you’re receiving. If they won’t do this, you can make a formal complaint to your ISP, and a further complaint to the independent regulator, Ofcom, if the ISP refuses to address your concerns.

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