5 February 2007
Consumers will never truly receive an 8Mbps broadband speed according to one internet and IT specialist and while broadband suppliers cannot technically be accused of mis-selling their product, consumers should be aware that providers are still "catching up" on their marketing promises.
Many broadband suppliers are currently offering "up to" 8Mbps broadband speeds with various 'Max' services offering to provide the customer with the highest broadband speed available.
While this is true, many suppliers neglect to tell their customers that factors like how far away they live from the exchange point will significantly affect how likely it is for their broadband connection to reach the top speeds.
Speaking to the Times, Andrew Ferguson, an expert on networks at influential internet monitor thinkbroadband.com, said that while the practices mentioned above are not mis-selling the product it "flies mighty close".
The services delivered are still catching up with the marketing promises," he said. "Services are sold as up to 8Mbps, but some internet service providers, such as TalkTalk, are actually putting people onto slower packages until they are ready to move them onto 'Max' services."
A survey from PC Pro magazine also revealed that some broadband providers were only providing the faster services to their newest customers, leaving their loyal fanbases with the slower, less reliable connections.
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