Which? finds broadband connections lagging behind advertised speeds

Only around half of UK households actually receive the broadband speeds they pay for, which are advertised by their providers.

This is according to consumer champions Which, who found that the average speeds received by households on 38Mbps contracts was actually just 19Mbps.

The research comes in advance of the change in advertising rules for broadband providers, which will prevent them from advertising ‘up to’ speeds unless these speeds are available to at least 50 per cent of customers. The new rules come into play on 23 May 2018.

Which? says that the change in the advertising rules will have a positive impact on households. Alex Neill, its managing director of home services, stated: "This change in the rules is good news for customers who have been continuously let down by unrealistic adverts and broadband speeds that won't ever live up to expectations.

"We know that speed and reliability of service really matter to customers. And we will be keeping a close eye on providers to make sure they follow these new rules and finally deliver the service that people pay for."

The researchers also found that providers advertising super-fast broadband were also letting households down. Those with ‘up to 200Mbps’ contracts were enjoying speeds of just 53Mbps on average.

CityFibre, another broadband provider, has now called for a ban on the use of the word ‘fibre’ in advertising for firms that partially still rely upon copper cables for their connectivity. Greg Mesch of CityFibre said:
"Fundamentally, the service you get is about more than speed, as capacity and reliability are now as just critical.

"The current rules do not distinguish how fibre and copper-based services are described, despite the experience they deliver being worlds apart."