Money

United Kingdom households receive half the broadband speed they pay for, report reveals

May 18, 2018 17:09·
Ofcom says major providers are ripping off four million households by charging for standard tariffs double what they demand for'superfast deals

Ofcom says major providers are ripping off four million households by charging for standard tariffs double what they demand for'superfast deals

From 23 May, broadband providers will no longer be able to advertise "up to" speeds unless that speed is received by 50% of their customers at peak times.

Users paying for speeds up to 38 megabits per second recieve only about 19 Mbps, according to the consumer association Which?. The new rules, which come into force next Wednesday, are aimed at reducing widespread complaints to the industry from government, consumer groups and the public.

180518 Tech 2Which? says many United Kingdom households get half the broadband speed they pay for.

A new report from Which? found that broadband services in the United Kingdom are on average 51 per cent slower than advertised, highlighting the major discrepancies affecting users across the country.

The results have shown that the average speed is 19Mbps, with 38Mbps being the usually advertised speed.

'We know that speed and reliability of service really matter to customers, and we will be keeping a close eye on providers to make sure they follow these new rules and finally deliver the service that people pay for'.

Samantha Markle hospitalised after scathing attack on Meghan
Britain's Daily Mail claims the paparazzi shots of Thomas Markle preparing for the wedding were staged. She says he was "quite depressed over the unbelievable series of events involving the media".

NBA Eastern Conference Game 2 Betting Prediction: Boston Celtics vs
Morris had 18 points and led a swarming defensive effort that shut down James , who had been averaging 34 points in the play-offs. The Celtics came out fighting against the Cavaliers from word go in Game 1 and Cleveland just couldn't cope all four quarters.

Lars von Trier's Return to Cannes Provokes Outrage and Accolades
Variety's Ramin Setoodeh posted a picture of people leaving, saying: "I've never seen anything like this at a film festival. Von Trier's latest film stars Matt Dillon as Jack, a serial killer who views his murders as elaborate works of art.

Welcoming the changes, Which? head of home services Alex Neill said that broadband customers have "continuously been let down by unrealistic adverts" and that internet speeds that "won't ever live up to expectations".

Minister for Digital Margot James added: "The new advertising rules are great for consumers - headline "up to" speeds that only need to be available to 10 per cent of consumers are incredibly misleading".

Ofcom says that broadband and mobile firms often target their best offers and discounts at people who negotiate or switch provider. Expected speeds are self-reported by users of the speed checker tool and do not necessarily represent an advertised speed, or figure obtained from an ISP.

Ofcom's findings on the subject found that despite superfast broadband being available to 95% of the country, around two in five connections are still delivered using traditional ADSL.

Ofcom also found that some mobile customers may be over-paying for their phone, with most tariffs than include a handset continuing to charge the same monthly fee after the minimum contract term has ended.

If you're wondering why your internet speed still bears no resemblance to what you were advertised then the reason is that it's completely allowed.

Recommended News

Join The Conversation

We are pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news.
Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper.
Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.