Is your broadband provider up to speed?

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Written by Mark Burton
Know Your Money editor

Ofcom has weighed in on the increasingly important consumer topic of broadband speeds and has slammed the likes of AOL, Tiscali and BT for failing to provide their customers with the level of service advertised.

In a review of the country's nine most popular broadband services - which collectively are used by 57 per cent of households - the telecoms watchdog revealed that on average, customers are getting little more than half the speeds they are paying for.

Tiscali loses broadband race

In compiling its result, Ofcom teamed up with technical partner Sam Knows and pollsters GfK to test the average broadband speeds enjoyed by 1,600 households using the nine most popular providers.

And while the regulator held broad criticism for their collective failure to offer the speeds pledged in advertising campaigns touting speeds of 'up to 10 Mbps', it revealed Tiscali Broadband as the worst offender in the speed stakes.

Results from the poll showed that customers on Tiscali's 'up to 8Mbps' package typically received speeds of between 3.2 and 3.7 Mbps. Using the data, the Guardian has estimated that at these speeds, it would take two hours and 45 minutes to download a 90-minute DVD-quality film.

AOL and BT fared little better, with users of each service receiving a top average speed of 3.9 Mbps and 4.2 Mbps respectively.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Virgin Media was found to be giving the fairest account of its speeds, with users achieving average speeds of between 8.1 and 8.6 Mbps, compared to the advertised speed of 'up to 10 Mbps'.

Responding to the report, consumer groups were quick to pounce on internet service providers (ISPs) failing to provide a fair service, many consumer sites reported that a growing number of complaints from disgruntled customers stuck on snail-pace connections.

Commonly, broadband speeds are dictated by the strength of the underlying network and the Ofcom study showed that by investing in new network infrastructure, ISPs can boost their service considerably.

Virgin Media was prominent among the companies lauded for doing so and its position as the fastest provider should come as no surprise as it has invested millions of pounds into establishing a faster network.

However, there are still many customers who cannot access such services and have been suffering as their supplier has failed to invest in greater speeds.

So what can be done?

Consumers who are fed up with waiting for downloads to finish may find the easiest way to escape slow broadband speeds is to switch to another supplier. However, the Ofcom report revealed that the choices available in any given area can differ considerably, with rural customers commonly getting the worst deal.

Findings from the report showed that, as well as paying more for broadband, rural customers typically endure considerably slower speeds than customers living in the city or close to a telephone exchange.

For those that who are unable to switch, Broadband Choices has recommended taking a number of simple measures that may help to boost average speeds.

The site has advised that before trying to increase the speed of a broadband connection, it is important to first carry out an online speed check, so that any differences in the strength of the connection can be measured.

Once this has been done, the site recommended moving the wireless router to a place where it will be able to transmit free from obstacles or interference from competing devices such as cordless phones. This can have a significant effect on the speeds available and may result in an immediate improvement.

If this fails to make a difference, users should disable any peer-to-peer download software running on the PC as this can eat up bandwidth at an alarming rate.

"This will not only slow you down but can also use up your download allowance. To avoid this, check the settings and set the programme to 'no peer-to-peer,' so it won't run when you are not using it," the site advised.

One final piece of advice offered by the group is to avoid surfing at peak times, as ISPs come under considerable strain during these times and network traffic can often be limited to prevent overload. By thinking ahead and setting downloads to run overnight, consumers could find they avoid having to wait impatiently during peak hours.

Important Notice
This guide is intended for general information only and is not intended as, and does not constitute, any form of advice, recommendation or endorsement by us of any particular product(s) or services and you should rely on your own further research and professional advice in relation to your specific requirements and circumstances before purchasing any products or services. Use of this guide is subject to the Terms of Use of the KnowYourMoney site.