Virgin Media demands ISPs stop the broadband con
Virgin Media has urged consumers to demand an end to misleading broadband advertising. With many internet service providers (ISPs) advertising speeds of “up to” 20Mb or 24Mb but delivering an average speed of just 6.5Mb, stopthebroadbandcon.org is enabling frustrated web users to make their voice heard and support calls for all broadband providers to publish the real speeds they deliver to customers.
Jon James, executive director of broadband, Virgin Media said: “People are paying for superfast broadband but receiving a service stuck in the slow lane. Broadband providers need to stop advertising speeds that not a single customer can receive and we’re asking people to support our call for change by signing up to stopthebroadbandcon.org. Faster broadband means better broadband, whether you’re surfing the web, watching TV online or downloading music and UK consumers deserve superfast broadband they can trust, rather than having to rely on the fairytales and broken promises of current broadband advertising.”
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is supporting the campaign and said: “Staying connected is central to our lives and we all deserve broadband we can trust. I’m challenging all broadband providers to be honest with their customers and ask people to add their voice to the campaign by signing up to Stopthebroadbandcon.org.”
stopthebroadbandcon.org launches today and enables users to test their own broadband speed, compare it to the speeds being advertised by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the real world speeds actually being delivered and add their name to an online petition calling for change. The Advertising Standards Authority has asked for a review of broadband speed claims in advertising and stopthebroadbandcon.org will help ensure the consumer voice is heard in the debate.
Nine out of ten people find current broadband advertising misleading, according to recent research from ICM, and there are high levels of consumer frustration (67%) with ISPs who routinely fail to deliver on their promises. Consumer demand for change is overwhelming with 93% of respondents agreeing that advertising rules should be changed to prevent ISPs making a speed claim unless it matches the typical real world experience of a clear majority of customers.
Virgin Media is already publishing the typical average speeds its customers receive each month across its 10Mb, 20Mb and 50Mb services at virginmedia.com/speedhonesty.
Ofcom’s 2010 broadband speeds report highlighted a growing gap between current “up to” speed claims and the speeds actually being delivered to consumers. According to Ofcom, in May 2010, DSL providers were delivering just 33% of the headline speeds promised on up to 20Mb and 24Mb packages, down from 50% of headline speeds on comparable services the year before4. Ofcom’s research found that Virgin Media’s up to 10Mb and up to 20Mb services delivered average speeds more than twice as fast as their DSL competitors, with around 90% of the headline speed being delivered to Virgin Media customers.
For more information on Virgin Media products and services, visit virginmedia.com.