By Alex Scroxton
8 January 2009
Mobile comms provider O2 has welcomed figures released today
by Ofcom showing that despite claims to the contrary from many ISPs, broadband
speeds in the UK
average 3.6Mbit/s.
Ofcom’s survey results were released after the introduction
of an industry-wide code of practice last month, through which ISPs are
required to give their customers a true picture of likely broadband speeds at
point of sale. Ofcom estimates that about 95% of people choosing a broadband
service are now covered by the code of practice.
“Connection speed is one of the biggest frustrations for
broadband users so a commitment from the industry to be transparent on speeds
is good news,” said Mike Fairman, head of O2 broadband.
Fairman added: “If Ofcom considers publishing ISP specific
speeds, we would want data for all UK broadband service providers,
including O2 Home Broadband, to be made available.”
Although the average true speed was less than the average
maximum possible of 4.3Mbit/s, Ofcom said that most consumers said they were
reasonably happy with their broadband service, despite the fact that over 60%
of UK
broadband users are subscribed to packages claiming speeds of up to 8Mbit/s.
As expected, overall dissatisfaction with broadband speeds
was highest in rural areas, with consumers in the north east, east and south
west parts of England happiest. Consumers who used the internet for streaming
music and video were also more likely to be displeased with their service.
