-Ofcom study raises concern over broadband speed ads

Internet Business News
07-27-2011
-Ofcom study raises concern over broadband speed ads

INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

27 July 2011 -- The British media and communications watchdog, Ofcom, raised concern that the Internet speeds advertised by broadband providers are increasingly different from the real speeds delivered to the average customer, the Financial Times reported.
A recent study by Ofcom found that the difference between advertised speed and real speed has widened despite the fact that the average Internet speed in the UK rose by 10% to 6.8 Mb/s in the period December 2010-May 2011. The regulator said that average download speeds were 8.2 Mb/s lower than the average top speed of 15 Mb/s advertised on average by broadband providers during the period. Six months earlier, the gap between actual and advertised speeds was 7.6 Mb/s.

The results of the study come before the publication of a set of new guidelines by the Committee of Advertising Practice on the marketing of theoretical maximum speeds by broadband Internet providers.

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(Copyright M2 Communications, 2011)