Although companies are advertising higher broadband speeds than were available several years ago, consumers are still finding that actual connections are not as fast as they expect.

That is according to Neil Berkett, chief executive of broadband provider Virgin Media, who claimed companies using traditional phone lines to deliver their services are not achieving the speeds they promised the customer.

In a column for the Mirror, the industry figure suggested that homeowners paying for 20Mb broadband connections are routinely receiving 5Mb or slower speeds and reality is not living up to the advertisements' claims.

Telephone exchanges are also a problem that internet service providers are not making clear to consumers, Mr Berkett said, as those that live far away do not receive the same service as those next to an exchange.

He added that the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is set to review broadband marketing in the near future, which could see more realistic figures being shown on commercials.

"The ASA's intervention is good news for the consumer. It will also be good for the country as a whole. The lack of transparency over broadband speeds is in danger of becoming a damaging brake on our economy.

"Broadband is fast becoming as vital for future prosperity as canals and railways once were in the 19th century," he said.

Mark Jackson, editor-in-chief of ISPreview.co.uk, recently claimed that the lack of transparency of web traffic management policies is a major problem with broadband in the UK at the moment.

The expert was commenting on an Ofcom report which suggested that web companies could prioritise surfers by type and even block or degrade the quality of certain content with the systems.

Do you think that companies are getting away with advertising higher speeds than they provide?
 

Categories: Business Broadband

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