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UK broadband speeds may be on the rise but they are falling
as a percentage of the maximum bandwidths advertised by
Internet Service Providers. These are the findings of new
research by telecoms regulator Ofcom, which concludes that
consumers will find it difficult to make informed choices on
the services most suitable to their needs.
Widening gap between advertised and actual speeds
The good
news is that by May 2010, average UK download speeds had
reached 5.2Mbit/s, an increase of 25% on the previous year
when an average of 4.1Mbit/s was recorded in April 2009. The
bad news is that the maximum achievable speeds advertised by
ISPs remain far in excess of the ‘actual’ figures attained
by home users.
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Over the past
decade, broadband services have regularly been headlined by
ISPs as ‘up to’ a certain bandwidth despite the numerous
constraints on performance, which have always limited the
actual speeds experienced by consumers. These factors
include distance from premises to the exchange, congestion
on the ISP’s networks and the quality of lines and home
wiring. |
Ofcom
research has established that the gap between
advertised download speeds and the actual speeds
achieved by consumers is widening. |
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The latest Ofcom research has established that the gap
between advertised download speeds and the actual speeds
achieved by users is widening. In April 2009, the average
actual speed was 58% of the average advertised speed whilst
this figure had fallen to 46% by May 2010.
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Revised code of conduct
As operators
invest in new superfast broadband services, Ofcom has
underlined the importance of consumers receiving clear,
accurate and consistent information on speeds, including the
maximum speeds that consumers' individual lines are capable
of receiving (access line speeds).
Now the regulatory body has strengthened its Voluntary Code
of Practice on Broadband Speeds with the co-operation and
agreement of ISPs. Ofcom is also proposing changes in the
way that broadband is sold. The revised Code ensures that
consumers are given the clearest possible information on
access line speeds at point of sale. It also ensures that
speed-related problems will be resolved by their ISP if
possible and, if this is not possible, then consumers whose
speed is significantly less than expected will have the
ability to leave their provider within three months of the
start of their contract.
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Delta Comtech Ltd
Artillery House, Heapy Street
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7JB |
Tel:
0844 412 8102
info@delta-comtech.co.uk |
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