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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Action urged on broadband speeds | Action urged on broadband speeds |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Action should be taken over consumers' concerns about broadband connection speeds, a watchdog has said. | Action should be taken over consumers' concerns about broadband connection speeds, a watchdog has said. |
| The Ofcom Consumer Panel said speeds advertised as "up to" a certain level end up being much slower in reality. | The Ofcom Consumer Panel said speeds advertised as "up to" a certain level end up being much slower in reality. |
| The panel said there needed to be a code of practice so broadband customers get proper information about speeds. | The panel said there needed to be a code of practice so broadband customers get proper information about speeds. |
| The Advertising Standards Authority should look at how companies advertise broadband speeds and encourage them to explain why they can vary, it added. | The Advertising Standards Authority should look at how companies advertise broadband speeds and encourage them to explain why they can vary, it added. |
| Clear information | Clear information |
| The panel called on Ofcom to set up and administer a mandatory code of practice for net firms. | |
| Panel chairman Colette Bowe said: "This code would establish agreed processes to give the customer the best information during and after the sales process, and to give them flexibility to move freely to different packages that reflect the actual speeds with which their ISPs are able to provide them." | Panel chairman Colette Bowe said: "This code would establish agreed processes to give the customer the best information during and after the sales process, and to give them flexibility to move freely to different packages that reflect the actual speeds with which their ISPs are able to provide them." |
| The code would let customers know as they sign up about the maximum theoretical speed they can get on their line; provide information about what affects line speed and call customers two weeks after installation to let them know what speed they are getting. | |
| Customers should get more data about what can slow line speedAt that time, if speeds were "significantly" lower than those someone signed up for, customers should be able to swap to a different package free of charge or back out of the deal. | |
| It also said Ofcom should put more information on its website to give consumers as much information as possible before they sign up or switch suppliers. | |
| The recommendations on the code emerged out of meetings that the panel held with the UK's top six net service firms in October. | |
| The panel also said it would ask the Advertising Standards Authority to ensure that the advertising for net services feature more prominently information about what can slow the passage of data. | |
| The consumer panel talked to net firms about the problem with line speeds following widespread reports that consumers were disappointed with the broadband speeds they were getting. | |
| In late September a study by UK magazine Computeractive found that 62% of those who used its speed testing software were browsing the net at less than half of the top speed advertised by their supplier. | |
| Communications regulator Ofcom said it was looking in to the issue and was looking at what could be done to tackle it. | |
| The panel was set up to advise Ofcom about issues affecting consumers. |