Any complaints or faults with a broadband subscriber's service could be solved by Ofcom if new plans come into force.

PC Pro reports that several peers have backed an amendment to the government's digital economy bill which would see the communications regulator take control of customer service issues.

The support for the change from the House of Lords has been inspired by situations when BT's network operators and the providers that use them have left problems for the other to sort out.

Lord Errol told the website that, in some cases, up to four different companies including BT's Wholesale and Retail decisions may look to avoid taking responsibility for issues.

"There are Chinese walls between these, and there is a lot of buck-passing," he added.

At the end of last month, Ofcom confirmed it was launching a new study into the quality of broadband speeds available to consumers in the UK.