Internet Service Providers Continue to Mislead

It is a well known fact that consumers in the past have received much slower broadband speeds than those claimed by the ISP’s, but Ofcom have been clamping down on these instances of rogue trading for some time.  However, it seems they are still not happy with the way the industry advertises.

Ofcom's biannual report into the state of the broadband market is urging changes to advertising guidance "so that consumers are able to make more informed decisions based on the adverts they see" said Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards.

Almost half of broadband users are now on packages with advertised speeds above 10Mbps but few achieve this. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has also stepped in and is currently reviewing broadband advertising. Its report is expected in the next few months.

In accordance with their own advice, Ofcom has introduced a code of practice to help inform the public about their likely speed before signing up to a service.

·         It recommends that broadband customers should be given a speed range rather than a single estimate of the maximum speed on their line.

·         It also suggests that users be allowed to leave their provider without penalty if they receive a maximum speed which is significantly below estimates.

Do you think Ofcom’s code of practice goes far enough to protect consumers?