Fifty-eight per cent of broadband customers in the UK say that speed is the most important factor in choosing a provider, though 28 per cent say they are unsatisfied by the speed they receive.
The findings of a survey carried out by uSwitch.com with the help of YouGov show that there is still a big difference between advertised broadband speeds and the speeds that can be achieved in practice.
uSwitch found that the standard advertised speed for a broadband package was 8Mbps, though in practice the real speed was closer to 4Mbps.
Ofcom recently introduced a Code of Practice to regulate the way ISPs advertise their products, saying they must give customers an accurate idea of the kind of speed their telephone lines will be able to support.
"The new Ofcom Code of Practice could not have come soon enough for the broadband customers not satisfied with their broadband speed," said Steve Weller, communications expert at uSwitch.
"However, as the Code is not mandatory, in the end it will only be as good as Ofcom's enforcement of it and the broadband companies' willingness to abide by it," Weller added.
Weller suggested that part of the solution was to install a next-generation fibre-optic network capable of much higher speeds.
"It's time for the Government to take hold of the reins, invest in upgrading the UK's broadband infrastructure and steer the UK back into the broadband race," said Weller.
www.uswitch.com
Topic: UK broadband is too slow (Read 975 times)