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ISPs promise more accurate broadband speeds

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ofcom office of communication 1
ofcom office of communication 1

ofcom-office-of-communication.gifIn case you often wonder why that 8Mbps broadband connection sometimes
seems slower than that dial-up connection you had years ago (not naming
names but one ISP springs to mind), then Ofcom may be riding to your
rescue. the watchdog has called for greater self-regulation.

The new rules from the body call for an "accurate estimate" to be given
of the maximum speed a customer could get from their internet
connection at the point of sale. It also wants broadband providers to
move customer to an "alternative" package if the actual connection
speed is a lot lower than than the one promised.

Around 45 broadband ISPs, about 95
per cent of broadband customers in the UK, have signed up to the scheme
which will also make it compulsory for them to explain what their "fair
usage" policies mean.

Ofcom’s chief executive, Ed Richards said: "Ofcom welcomes the fact
that so many ISPs have signed and now implemented the code of practice."

"Over 95 percent of broadband customers are covered by the code, which
means that the vast majority of people should be confident about the
advice they receive on broadband speeds."

A spokesperson for The Communications Consumer Panel (formerly the
Ofcom Consumer Panel), said: "The new code will help consumers make
better informed choices. It addresses the concerns that we raised with
Ofcom and the ISPs last year about broadband speeds – about the
mismatch between the speeds that consumers think they are buying and
what they actually get."

Link: Ofcom broadband code