UK comms regulator, Ofcom has found that consumers are still misled by advertised broadband rates.
The regulator said the situation is worsening with the gap between the data rates we get and the advertised ‘up to’ speeds actually widening in the last few months.
The average advertised speed in May 2011 was 15Mbit/s, 8.2Mbit/s higher than average actual speeds of 6.8Mbit/s.
In November/December 2010 the gap was 7.6Mbit/s (average actual speed was 6.2Mbit/s and average advertised speed was 13.8Mbit/s).
For Differences between Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Ofcom did find that the average broadband speed now available to users has increased by 10%, from 6.2Mbit/s in November to December 2010, to 6.8Mbit/s in May 2011.
“Almost half (47%) of UK residential broadband users are on packages with advertised speeds above 10Mbit/s in May 2011, compared to 42% in November 2010,” said Ofcom.
Over 75% of residential broadband connections are currently delivered by copper ADSL telephone lines, which limits the achievable download speed.
The research found that the average download speed received for ADSL was 6.6Mbit/s, and more than a third of customers on these packages received average speeds of 4Mbit/s or less.
Data speeds for copper ADSL lines are dependent on the length and quality of the line running to the local exchange. The closer a consumer lives to the exchange, the better the performance.
Ofcom has launched a broadband map of the UK to show performance in different areas and to help Government and local authorities decide where money needs to be invested in better broadband, including extending superfast services.