A leading consumer group has slammed advertised UK broadband speeds "that seem to bear little resemblance to what most people can achieve in reality".
Which surveyed its members and found that less than 30 per cent were satisfied with their broadband service. More than a third have broadband packages offering speeds of 'up to' 8Mbps or faster. A speed test found that customers promised up to 8 Mbps actually achieved 2.7Mbps on average. The research even found that one customer using such a service achieved just 0.09Mbps
"It's shocking that internet service providers can advertise ever-increasing speeds that seem to bear little resemblance to what most people can achieve in reality," said Malcolm Coles from Which. "If it's unlikely you'll reach the advertised speed it should be made clear up front, so that you know with some certainty what you're buying."
BT and Virgin Media below average
According to the Advertising Standards Agency , advertisements using the words 'up to' are acceptable if most people can get close to those speeds. According to Which, the advertised speeds can be misleading and wants Ofcom and Trading Standards to investigate providers' claims.
The Which annual ISP report saw smaller providers such as Global, Waitrose and Zen Internet on top with BT and Virgin Media rated below average. Nearly 15,000 people were surveyed for the report.
What we think: Truth, lies and broadband
