Right to reply: Broadband providers shamed by Ofcom report

Mike Wilson, broadband manager at moneysupermarket.com:

 “While it’s encouraging to see broadband speeds have increased by 25 per cent over the past year*, the difference between the broadband speed being advertised by providers and the speed being delivered is still too large. As such, many customers will find they are overpaying for the actual broadband service they are receiving. As the UK's largest cable network, Virgin Media is the only provider that can actually deliver speeds anywhere near as fast as they promise, and their 100Mb package will hopefully go a long way in dragging the UK in line with the rest of the world.

“Broadband speed is one of the most important issues facing the industry and consumers. It has been a long standing concern that customers are being misled when buying broadband packages, and as the recent report from Ofcom shows, people are often lured into buying high-speed connections that the UK's infrastructure simply cannot deliver**.

“While Ofcom’s report should put pressure on providers to close this gap, the onus is still on customers to ensure they pay the right price for the speed they receive. I would advise speaking to your broadband supplier to see what speed you are getting in your area,  If this is significantly less than what you are paying for, I would advise shopping around to find a better service."

www.moneysupermarket.com

Michael Phillips. Product director of Broadbandchoices.co.uk comments of Ofcom’s broadband speed research:

“In light of the fact that not a single broadband provider could actually deliver their advertised ‘up to speed’ for the second year running, surely it’s time to abolish this misleading messaging in its entirety and simply opt for the new ‘Typical Speed Range’ figure in all marketing materials.”

“As broadband providers have rolled out ‘up to 20Mb’ broadband they have singularly failed to deliver on the promise – an average speed of 6.5Mb is totally underwhelming.  It’s no surprise that in April this year when we surveyed 2,500* broadband users the main cause of dissatisfaction remains broadband speeds not living up to the hype.”

“There continues to be a huge disparity between the speeds advertised and the speeds delivered and worryingly our latest research shows satisfaction with connection speed is falling year-on-year**.”

“Ofcom’s report is great news for Virgin Media customers but for those consumers that don’t happen to live in one of their cabled streets then existing copper wirephone line delivery is, the only other option, unless they can get BT’s new fibre optic service Infinity; so a “typical speed range” would at least manage consumer’s expectations more effectively” 

It’s crucial for consumers to compare broadband packages in their area and ensure that they get the most out of their chosen provider.  There are a range of simple actions that can improve the speed of a broadband service.

If you are unhappy with your broadband speed, follow Broadbandchoices.co.uk’s top tips to speeding up your connection:

1.     Test your speed – If you haven’t already done so, use a speed tester to measure the level at which your broadband connection is currently running. This will allow you to see what difference the following suggestions make to your speed.

2.     It’s good to talk – If you are not getting what you expected from your ISP, then give them a call. You may be able to boost your connection speed simply by asking them if there is anything they can do to help.

3.     Reposition your router – The position of your router can have a significant effect on the quality of your wireless connection. Place it in an area where the signal will be affected by as few obstructions and little interference as possible. For example, away from appliances which emit wireless signals (e.g. cordless phones) and avoiding barriers (such as walls and doors) between the router and your computer.

4.     Spring clean your cache – Every time you visit a webpage, your browser will store, or ‘cache’ it. All these items stored in your cache do take up space and over time it can get very full. Periodically clearing our your browsers cache will enable it to function more effectively.

5.     Upgrade your browser – If you are unhappy with the browsing speed of your connection then you should definitely look at upgrading to a newer web browser. Using the latest browsers can greatly reduce the time it takes to download a web page. Check www.download.com for free downloads of the latest browsers, but should be careful when making any changes to the settings on your computer.

6.     Monitor your applications – There are many applications (such as RealPlayer or Windows Updates) that may discreetly start running when you log in to your computer and these may slow your connection down. Set these applications so they don’t run automatically – this should reduce your bandwidth overhead and make a noticeable difference to your connection speed.

7.     Disable P2P software – Some applications often continue to run in the background even when you think you’ve turned them off as they continually upload and download data – this will not only slow you down but can also use up your download allowance. To avoid this, check the settings of these applications and if possible, set them to ‘no peer to peer.’

8.     Loathe thy neighbour – If you have wireless broadband, the first and foremost thing you should do is secure your wireless network. If you are unwittingly sharing your connection with unauthorised users then they will be using up valuable bandwidth. This means that the speed of your connection and download allowance could take a battering, not to mention the security threat this poses.

9.     Traffic jams – The time of day at which you go online can greatly affect connection speeds. When lots of people are trying to access the internet at the same time there is increased traffic on the physical phone lines and also each website’s servers. Heaviest traffic is usually in the evenings, so to benefit from the fastest speeds you should try to surf when internet traffic is low, generally in the day time or very late at night. If you have heavy downloading to do, you will get the fastest download speeds during off-peak periods.

10.   Switch – After all these measures, if your current package still isn’t giving you the speed you want, it may be time to switch. The speed you will be able to achieve does depend on some factors outside your control – such as your distance from the telephone exchange. Evaluate the time and money needed to improve on your current connection and decide for yourself if it is worth an upgrade.

www.Broadbandchoices.co.uk  

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