A recent speed testing exercise by a broadband industry group has suggested that despite claims of faster speeds mobile broadband in the UK continues to crawl at slow speeds.

One of the main disadvantages of using mobile broadband services over fixed line broadband is that the average speeds available with mobile broadband are generally significantly slower than those seen with fixed line broadband. However, with the rising demand for mobile broadband services many mobile broadband providers have been attempting to increased speeds to make the service more practical for users.

A number of mobile broadband providers have already claimed to be offering faster speeds, such as Vodafone, which now advertises speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. However, a speed testing exercise and survey that was recently carried out by a broadband industry group showed that two thirds of mobile broadband users were still getting speeds that were below 1Mbps, making their actual speed significantly slower than the advertised up to speeds.

An official from the group stated: “Once again it would seem the mad rush to secure the early adopters has exceeded the ability of the product to live up to over-hyped expectations. It’s a real shame too, as mobile broadband can be be perfect for a lot of uses, even at speeds below 1Mb. But consumer expectations are not being met, which could lead to burn out and a slow in sales.”

He added: “Mobile broadband has proved invaluable to many users. Students, business travellers, holidaymakers and people who struggle to get a fixed-line connection have really benefited, along with many others, but we are inundated with complaints from customers who feel they have been lied to, once again, by the mobile industry. These sales techniques, as well as the quality of customer service and tech support, really have to change.”

Source - PR Newswire