Many consumers in the UK could be receiving broadband speeds that are far lower than those advertised by their ISP

A recent survey carried out in the UK has shown that many broadband users are receiving speeds that are far slower than those that are advertised by their Internet Service Providers. A survey was recently carried out in three hundred homes across the UK covering broadband services from twenty seven different Internet Service Providers. The results showed that many consumers were getting a raw deal when it came to their Internet speeds.

Some broadband providers have been advertising broadband speeds of up to 8MB yet the research has shown that the average speed being received by consumers on 8Mb broadband packages was around 2.7MB. The highest speed being received by consumers was found to be 6.7MB, and the slowest was just 0.09MB. This shows that despite the broadband speed being advertised and offered by the Internet Service Provider, the consumer is still having to compromise when it comes to the actual speed that is received.

There are a number of factors that can affect the broadband speed received by customers including the distance of the home to the local telephone exchange and the quality of the line. However, experts state that consumers should still be getting faster speeds than this, particularly considering the speeds that are being advertised by their Internet Service Providers. Campaigners state that consumers are receiving speeds that are far lower than they should be receiving.

The editors of the consumer campaign group, Which?, has called upon regulators in the UK to investigate these discrepancies over Internet speeds that are offered and advertised and Internet speeds that are actually received.

Compare the advertised speeds of broadband providers in your area: http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/broadband/fastest