Ofcom have come up with a new code of conduct for ISPs to help consumers get a real estimate of the service they are likely to receive. The code will see providers listing the downstream speeds that consumers are likely to be able to achieve at certain times of the day (peak times, overnight usage, etc).

The new Code of Practice, which was drafted in association with the ISPA, is however voluntary, and it is therefore unlikely that we will be seeing the end of “up to” style advertising anytime soon.

Having said that both Virgin Media and PlusNet have been more transparent than most, telling customers in advance about their peak time throttling and traffic shaping measures.

Seeing as the majority of UK ISPs deliver services via BT phone lines, one of the best ways to check your potential broadband speed is to use our Line Checker and Speed Test tools to see what speeds you should be and are actually getting.

Ofcom have also announced that they will be conducting new surveys across 2,000 homes to assess general speeds and quality of service; the results will be published later this year.

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