21 December 2007
Consumer calls for action on UK broadband speeds have been responded to by Ofcom.
Ofcom's Consumer Council reported earlier this week that customers were angered by the apparent gaps between advertised and actual broadband connection speeds.
Commonly, products are advertised as offering speeds of "up to 8Mb" - when in fact interference on phone lines and other factors result in the average connection barely exceeding 2Mb.
Lighting conditions, the weather and even other domestic electrical appliances can all cause interference in broadband products - slowing connections down.
Responding to the panel's report, Chief Executive of Ofcom, Ed Richards, said that measures on broadband connection speed advertising should be implemented "as soon as possible".
He added: "At this stage, we have not ruled out the possibility of using formal powers if we consider it would be more effective in delivering our objectives."
Ofcom also agreed, in principle, with the panel's suggestion that a mandatory code of practice on speeds for broadband providers should be implemented.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.