Consumer group Which? has criticised the broadband speeds advertised by ISP's and called on Ofcom to investigate because the actual performance received often falls considerably lower.

More than a third of the groups members apparently subscribe to an 'up to' 8Mbps product, yet over 300 of those found that they could only achieve an average of 2.7Mbps, with the lowest speed being just 0.09Mbps:


There's nothing new in this news and by now it's practically common knowledge that the expected speed will always be lower, often considerably, than the stated headline figure. Interestingly the maximum speed recorded by Which? was 6.7Mbps.

However investigating such an issue would be difficult due to the variability of individual connections and complex differences between providers and technology. It's known that Ofcom are working with the ASA to see what could be done but we don't expect any significant changes.

Thankfully just 10% of Which?'s members actually expected to receive the headline speed, suggesting that people are broadly aware of the reality. Still, if it causes this much hassle with 'up to' 8Mbps products then just imagine the "fun" we'll have with 'up to' 24Mbps services next year! Perhaps then a re-think of advertising will become truly essential as the gap turns to chasm.