Broadband adverts slated over speed

The way in which internet service providers (ISPs) advertise the speed of their broadband packages needs to change, according to a price-comparison website.

SimplySwitch.com has said that ISPs often provide broadband connection speeds of around half the level claimed in adverts.

This is because the bandwidth received by customers depends on two factors. If they live a long way from the nearest exchange and are likely to be on the internet at a time when traffic is high, broadband speeds may well be far lower than they are paying for.

However, ISPs get away with delivering lower-then-advertised speeds by inserting the words "up to" in their adverts.

Karen Darby from SimplySwitch thinks consumers do not understand this distinction and that it would be far fairer to inform people about the broadband speed they are likely to get before they sign up for a package.

"ISPs should be able to tell potential customers their 'typical' connection speed, given the customer's postcode and phone number. This would give people a far better indication of what they'd get for their money."