Broadband customers need accurate speed comparison sites
There are calls for ISPs to provide more accurate broadband speed information to customers to allow them to make better comparisons between companies. The current method of providing theoretical maximum figures is just not acceptable, says the UK's Local Government Association.
The LGA points out that ISPs' current provision of estimated speeds are not necessarily a true reflection of the reality. Just as consumers can use price comparison sites to check out the best deals for electricity and other utilities, so the LGA believes a similar service should be available to allow for more accurate speed comparison.
At the moment, the figures provided by ISPs about broadband speed in a given area cover many, many households, and there can be quite a difference between the fastest and slowest in the catchment area. Consumers are forced to visit the websites of individual ISPs to see what the speed claims are, and having to deal with varying presentations.
Mark Hawthorne, head of the LGA's People and Places board says:
The quality of digital connectivity can be markedly different from area to area with some households being able to access superfast broadband speeds whilst others can only achieve substantially less [...] Good digital connectivity is a vital element of everyday life for residents.
The LGA believes that regulatory body Ofcom should have the power to force ISPs to hand over accurate speed information for individual households.
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