Ofcom Connection Speeds Code Slammed

Router manufacturer ZyXEL has strongly criticised Ofcom for its recently released code of practice on broadband fees.

The media regulator's new guidelines are to oblige internet providers to give each customer a better idea of what the maximum connection speed that they can provide is. Other parts of the code attempt to make it easier for consumers to break contracts if the provider cannot fulfil its connection speed promises.

Recent consumer complaints regarding providers advertising their connections as "up to" a certain speed, rather than giving exact details of the actual average speed the connections allow, are understood to have provided the impetus for the code. However, these new demands are now being resisted by some firms who deal with providing broadband connections in the UK, industry source ISPreview.co.uk reports.

Head of product management at ZyXEL, Jon Pearce, commented: "You have to empathise with internet service providers in light of the publication of a voluntary code for regulating published broadband line speeds. Ofcom appear to have misunderstood the meaning of the 'up-to' prefix that precedes the advertised service provider bandwidth numbers.

"Equally, you can see that some ISPs put the 'up-to' prefix in the Terms and Conditions, but mostly in small wording that could be missed by the consumer."
 

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