More needs to be done to improve experience of broadband

Michael Phillips, Product Director at BroadbandChoices.co.uk, comments on the new Code of Practice announced by Ofcom which takes effect on 5 December 2009: "We welcome the Code of Practice announced by Ofcom as we believe it is essential that customers are provided with as much information and clarity as possible on the likely speed of their broadband service. However, we still think that it is misses a number of key areas in genuinely improving the customer experience:

"It looks at ‘point of sale' information but doesn't address misleading advertising claims and we feel that broadband providers should advertise speeds in the same way that loans are advertised detailing a ‘typical speed achieved.' In addition, whilst it alludes to future Ofcom involvement in performance benchmarking, there is not, at present, any recognised independent way of verifying ISP's speed claims.

"Broadband has become so much more affordable in recent years - and as such has become an essential part of daily life. However, despite falling costs and increasing broadband speeds, many people are still unhappy with their broadband service - especially those living in rural areas or not yet connected to an LLU exchange, who often have to pay more money for an inferior service.

"Directing ISPs to offer lower speed packages for customers unable to achieve the speed they were sold sounds good in principal but it's important to note that many ISPs only have a single speed offering across their different packages. To that end customers will be forced to grin and bear it or switch to an alternate supplier."

"This is a first step in the right direction from Ofcom and the fact that 95% of ISPs have signed up is encouraging, but we still feel it does not go far enough to protect the interests of broadband customers.

"Investment in customer service and free technical support as well as transparency needs to be the norm rather than the exception."