Brits unhappy with broadband speed

2007 has seen the broadband industry continue to flourish, with 15 million households now spending a whopping £3.2 billion subscribing to a service. Yet a new report from independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, reveals that for over a quarter of customers this is a hefty price to pay. 4 million broadband users are not satisfied with the speed offered by their broadband provider. Furthermore, the average broadband customer pays £213 a year to receive a speed of 5Mb, but in reality receives only 3Mb.

With Brits now spending 33 days a year online, it may come as no surprise that 9 million rank the quality and speed of their broadband connection as more important than value for money. Yet the survey of nearly 11,000 broadband customers reveals that 25% are unaware of the speed they have signed up to, and nearly a third (31%) have no idea what speed they are actually receiving.

Figures reported by Ofcom earlier this year turned industry whispers into a public scandal: it was revealed that 58% of customers paying for an ‘Up to’ 8Mb service actually receive lower speeds, and 40% of connections are only physically capable of receiving 2Mb, due to their distance from the exchange. Ofcom has since written to the top six internet providers asking them to provide consumers with clearer information on what speed they are actually getting, as opposed to the maximum advertised speed on their connection.

Recent international rankings put the UK’s average speed of 3Mb firmly into context: Japan boasts an average speed of 61Mb, Korea closely follows with 46Mb and even the French enjoy an average speed of 18 – five times the speed of their British neighbours.

Steve Weller, Head of Communications Services, at uSwitch.com comments: “The ‘speed demons’ are the broadband companies still willing to let their customers to pay for an advertised broadband speed when they know full well it is impossible for them to receive it.

It’s like selling a Porsche that will only go as fast as a Reliant Robin. Ofcom should go further than simply making suggestions to companies – it should be forcing them to be more transparent. The ASA also has an important role to play in cracking down harder on companies advertising speeds that many customers have no chance of receiving.”

Non-cable companies are limited in the speeds they can provide due to the ‘copper wire’ infrastructure that supplies broadband to homes. The further the customer lives from the BT exchange, the weaker the broadband signal and the slower the speed. Virgin Media recently announced plans to take advantage of its fibre optic network, unaffected by this issue, and provide much faster connections for its cable customers. It is currently testing 50Mb speeds – more than double the top speeds available on the BT network. However, its ‘traffic management’ policy could still limit the speed for heavy users during peak times.

The recent launch of O2’s long-awaited broadband service heralds good news for the long-suffering broadband nation. Any customers that sign up to a speed that cannot be delivered will receive an email from the company recommending that they downgrade their package, unless they are already on the company’s lowest tariff of 8Mb.

Weller continues: “By taking this stance O2 is tackling head on the number one issue currently affecting consumer confidence in the broadband industry and turning it around to become a unique selling point. With nearly a third of broadband users unaware of the speed they are receiving, we advise people to use a line checker such as BT Wholesale’s ADSL Availability Checker.

“It’s disheartening to see non-cable consumers throw money down the drain paying for a service they can never receive because of the distance they live from the exchange. We urge more broadband companies to follow O2’s example and do more to ensure consumers only pay for a service they can actually get. We wouldn’t be happy paying for a £20 three course meal and only getting the starter because we were too far from the kitchen – why should broadband services be any different?”

How to Get the Fastest Speed

1. Use as short a lead as possible when connecting your modem to the main telephone socket

2. If possible use a LAN cable instead of wireless as this will give less interference and higher speeds

3. Keep your broadband and phone cables away from power cables as this can cause interference

4. Check online forums on performance for broadband routers - different modem manufacturers can offer different speeds.