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Consumers want a broadband connection that meets their basic needs
Monday 15th December 2008, by Daniel King
Most broadband customers know that they will not reach the advertised speeds but require a service that will meet their basic needs.
This may include browsing the internet, checking social networking sites and downloading, according to Tom Newton of Broadband Finder.
He said that if internet service providers (ISPs) fail to meet the basic requirements of consumers then they may end up switching to another company.
Mr Newton's comments come after a number of major ISPs signed up to Ofcom's voluntary broadband speed code.
Consumers will now be given more accurate information about the connections they can expect in their area.
An explanation of fair usage policies will be given at point of sale and if the actual speed is significantly lower than the one predicted, an alternative package is to be offered.
More than 95 per cent customers are now covered by the agreement, which came into force on December 5th.
Ofcom will be monitoring ISPs over the next six months to ensure that they stick to the code.
Mr Newton said: "People still expect their broadband connection to be able to handle the bare minimum - browsing, emailing, shopping, checking Facebook and MySpace and the occasional download."
"If these expectations can't be met
people are going to feel frustrated and ultimately short-changed by the service they're paying for," he added.
During November 2008, Virgin Media improved its average speed by over 0.5Mbps, cementing its position as the fastest broadband provider, according to broadband.co.uk's monthly speedtest.
The speed achieved by Orange customers fell by over 50 per cent in this period, declining from 2.761Mbps to 1.152Mbps.
Categories: Broadband, Switching, Broadband Products, Orange, Virgin Media
