We have seen the news about maximum speeds available in the UK, we have seen the reports showing what we actually receive, but what speed do you think you receive? Does it actually tie up with the figures advertised?
Point Topic has just completed a very interesting survey whereby they asked broadband users who they believe offered the fastest broadband services seemingly in many cases without users checking their actual broadband speeds. In reality this is a test of the best marketing skills and who has managed to grab the attention of the broadband community.
As you might have guessed Richard Branson’s brain child came out on top (is there a better man at promoting himself?) with Virgin Media perceived to offer the highest speeds, then came Tiscali, BT and Carphone Warehouse. Interestingly Sky broadband seems to have fallen back in the table of perceived speeds but perversely this is probably due to the success of the groups high speed range and the fact that Sky customers are now more aware of what has been promised and what is on offer.
The results show that many broadband customers still believe they are receiving between 16Mbps and 20Mbps for the faster services when in reality, depending on their distance from the exchange and other factors, the actual speeds they have at their disposal could be decidedly less.