| In the UK, many broadband comparison websites are | | | | competitive and improves quality of service in the long |
| now offering speed test or speed checker services. | | | | run, so I'm not about to propose that broadband |
| This is in response to a number of reports by the | | | | providers start advertising solely with the minimum |
| national press that confirm that almost all broadband | | | | download speeds that users experience. However, |
| internet users experience much slower download | | | | more information needs to be given to the consumer. |
| speeds than those advertised by broadband providers. | | | | Ofcom introduced a voluntary code in June 2008 |
| It is worth mentioning that download speeds can be | | | | under which broadband providers must tell give |
| restricted both by the users own computer speed and | | | | potential customers an accurate estimate of the |
| by the speed of the server that is sending the file. | | | | maximum speed that their phone or cable line can |
| However, for the purposes of this article we will | | | | support. However, this is only relevant when the |
| assume that both those factors are optimal, and | | | | customer is already speaking to a sales team or |
| concentrate on broadband speed meaning the speed | | | | placing an order on a website. So changes need to be |
| of the connection provided to the user or consumer. | | | | made in the print and television advertising by |
| In general, the download speed advertised by a | | | | broadband providers, and it would be much more |
| broadband provider is the maximum download speed | | | | effective as a requirement by Ofcom rather than a |
| theoretically available somewhere on their network. | | | | voluntary code. One suggestion is to require them to |
| The actual speed experienced depends on the | | | | publish next to a maximum line speed some sort of |
| hardware in the telephone exchange, the distance | | | | independent average download speed experienced by |
| between the exchange and the physical location of | | | | their users. There is no reason for the maximum line |
| the user and the quality of the line between the | | | | speed to be removed because that is also what the |
| exchange and user. It is therefore no surprise that a | | | | consumer is paying for, but consumers shouldn't be |
| study by consumer magazine Which? last year | | | | switching to another faster broadband provider only to |
| showed that users on an 8Mbps download speed | | | | find that the actual speeds are the same or less than |
| broadband service experience an average speed of | | | | their old provider. |
| 2Mbps. | | | | The purpose of advertising broadband in the UK using |
| Broadband download speeds are never going to be | | | | average rather than maximum download speeds is |
| constant for UK consumers. Too many factors play a | | | | that broadband providers would have to compete |
| part, including the number of other people using the | | | | based on the actual quality of service given to their |
| service and therefore also the time of day. So the | | | | customers rather than theoretical ability or customer |
| question then becomes, how should broadband | | | | service. At a time when the government is asking BT |
| providers fairly advertise their download speeds? | | | | to improve the broadband speeds in the UK, this is |
| Consumers ability and desire to switch between | | | | something that the consumers really want to see |
| broadband providers is what keeps the marketplace | | | | done. |