While the broadband regulator has stepped in on a number of occasions to censor firms which are promising broadband speeds that are not available to the masses, there are concerns that this light handed approach is not bringing results. A recent survey has yet again highlighted how far many broadband users are from the maximum speeds used to tempt them in, and the value for money they can expect.
Even though much of the talk in the industry has centred on the broadband providers offering speeds in excess of 20Mbps, there seems to be greater value for money in the 8Mbps sector at the moment. A recent mass test of broadband services throughout the UK, involving over 20,000 different broadband lines, found that O2 is currently top of the list, with an average broadband speed of 5.39Mbps for the company’s8Mbps offering. Sky and TalkTalk came in second and third in this area with speeds averaging 3.59Mbs and 2.99Mbps respectively.
Even though O2 was streets ahead of its main competitors in the test, is an average speed of 5.39Mbps close enough to the advertised rate of 8Mbps?
There is a steady reduction in value for money per MB the higher up the speed chain you move, reflecting what many people already suspected – the UK broadband industry has progressed well of late, but there is more work to be done!