Ofcom, the UK regulator, has published a Code of Practice, which although voluntary, has already signed up ISPs serving 95 percent of the UK market. The goal of these voluntary rules is to give customers a more accurate picture of the likely broadband speeds at the point of sale. Ofcom will monitor compliance over the next six months. ISPs must:
- provide consumers at the point of sale with an accurate estimate of the maximum speed that their line can support;
- explain clearly and simply how technical factors may slow down speeds and giving help and advice to consumers to improve the situation at home;
- offer an alternative package (if there is one) without any penalties, if the actual speed is a lot lower than the original estimate; and
- explain fair usage policies clearly and alert consumers when they have been breached.
(source: Ofcom)
I assume that if ISPs fail to comply with these voluntary rules, Ofcom will simply make them mandatory and begin imposing penalties and fines. Broadband customers in the UK have been frustrated by misleading claims about broadband speeds. ISPs use marketing claims “up to 20 Mbps” but the customer rarely ever sees anything close to that, making the 20 Mbps number completely irrelevant.
View UK Broadband Code and the list of ISPs who have signed up.
Side story: meanwhile in the US, PC Magazine has done a survey of broadband speeds showing the fastest and slowest ISPs as well as the states where you can find the fastest broadband. It doesn’t look good: Nevada is number 1 with 780 Kbps. Broadband indeed.
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