| Broadband is a common facility in most modern | | | | lived from your telephone exchange as they use fibre |
| homes, the rise in speeds over the past few years | | | | optics rather than the older telephone lines comprised |
| has seen prices tumble to keep in line with what | | | | of copper. Other complaints included the omission of |
| customers are willing to spend. For the price you paid | | | | the prefix "up to" when describing broadband speeds. |
| for a 128kb connection four years ago, you can now | | | | The "up to" scandal is one that has plagued broadband |
| expect to receive an average speed of 2MB | | | | companies for the past year or two, when they |
| broadband from some suppliers. | | | | advertise speeds companies are now required to say |
| With nearly every household being able to afford | | | | that advertised speeds are only if you have a very |
| some form of Broadband package these days most | | | | good connection and since a good proportion of |
| suppliers are now faced with the battle to gain your | | | | customers aren't going to fit in this category then they |
| loyalty, attractive new customer packages are a | | | | should be warned that they may not get exactly what |
| plenty on our televisions and in order to make your | | | | they think they're paying for, |
| company appear as the better choice some | | | | The best way to find out if your current broadband is |
| companies have resorted to boasting and mud-slinging | | | | up to scratch is to find out how far away from your |
| to get you to switch on. | | | | local exchange you are, the closer you are the better |
| Virgin and BSkyB are two such competitors who are | | | | your broadband will be, if you use an online broadband |
| in direct competition for customers, both now offering | | | | speed test are another way to determine the actual |
| universal packages comprising of Broadband, | | | | speed, but don't fret if you are getting below half the |
| Television and Telephones. Both companies have put | | | | advertised speed, this is fairly common and something |
| out slightly misleading advertising campaigns belittling | | | | the government is looking into changing. |
| the opponent, who in turn have filed complaints to the | | | | Companies like Virgin are changing this by installing |
| Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). | | | | fibre optic cabling to increase the strength of the signal |
| BSkyB complained, amongst other competitors as well, | | | | over long distances, in countries like Japan they |
| that Virgin Media had unfairly compared the speed of | | | | already have this technology and can handle much |
| their 8MB broadband to Virgin's 2MB deal, Virgin | | | | faster speeds that make our "high speed" broadband |
| claimed their cabling did not degrade the further you | | | | seem pedestrian in comparison. |