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In case you often wonder why that 8Mbps broadband connection sometimes seems slower than that dial-up connection you had years ago (not naming names but one ISP springs to mind), then Ofcom may be riding to your rescue. the watchdog has called for greater self-regulation.
The new rules from the body call for an "accurate estimate" to be given of the maximum speed a customer could get from their internet connection at the point of sale. It also wants broadband providers to move customer to an "alternative" package if the actual connection speed is a lot lower than than the one promised.
Around 45 broadband ISPs, about 95 per cent of broadband customers in the UK, have signed up to the scheme which will also make it compulsory for them to explain what their "fair usage" policies mean.
Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards said: "Ofcom welcomes the fact that so many ISPs have signed and now implemented the code of practice."
"Over 95 percent of broadband customers are covered by the code, which means that the vast majority of people should be confident about the advice they receive on broadband speeds."
A spokesperson for The Communications Consumer Panel (formerly the Ofcom Consumer Panel), said: "The new code will help consumers make better informed choices. It addresses the concerns that we raised with Ofcom and the ISPs last year about broadband speeds - about the mismatch between the speeds that consumers think they are buying and what they actually get."
Link: Ofcom broadband code
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