| Broadband is a common facility in most modern | | | | fibre optics rather than the older telephone |
| homes, the rise in speeds over the past few | | | | lines comprised of copper. Other complaints |
| years has seen prices tumble to keep in line | | | | included the omission of the prefix "up to" |
| with what customers are willing to spend. | | | | when describing broadband speeds. |
| For the price you paid for a 128kb connection | | | | |
| four years ago, you can now expect to receive | | | | The "up to" scandal is one that has plagued |
| an average speed of 2MB broadband from some | | | | broadband companies for the past year or two, |
| suppliers. | | | | when they advertise speeds companies are now |
| | | | required to say that advertised speeds are |
| With nearly every household being able to | | | | only if you have a very good connection and |
| afford some form of Broadband package these | | | | since a good proportion of customers aren't |
| days most suppliers are now faced with the | | | | going to fit in this category then they |
| battle to gain your loyalty, attractive new | | | | should be warned that they may not get |
| customer packages are a plenty on our | | | | exactly what they think they're paying for, |
| televisions and in order to make your company | | | | |
| appear as the better choice some companies | | | | The best way to find out if your current |
| have resorted to boasting and mud-slinging to | | | | broadband is up to scratch is to find out how |
| get you to switch on. | | | | far away from your local exchange you are, |
| | | | the closer you are the better your broadband |
| Virgin and BSkyB are two such competitors who | | | | will be, if you use an online broadband speed |
| are in direct competition for customers, both | | | | test are another way to determine the actual |
| now offering universal packages comprising of | | | | speed, but don't fret if you are getting |
| Broadband, Television and Telephones. Both | | | | below half the advertised speed, this is |
| companies have put out slightly misleading | | | | fairly common and something the government is |
| advertising campaigns belittling the | | | | looking into changing. |
| opponent, who in turn have filed complaints | | | | |
| to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). | | | | Companies like Virgin are changing this by |
| | | | installing fibre optic cabling to increase |
| BSkyB complained, amongst other competitors | | | | the strength of the signal over long |
| as well, that Virgin Media had unfairly | | | | distances, in countries like Japan they |
| compared the speed of their 8MB broadband to | | | | already have this technology and can handle |
| Virgin's 2MB deal, Virgin claimed their | | | | much faster speeds that make our "high speed" |
| cabling did not degrade the further you lived | | | | broadband seem pedestrian in comparison. |
| from your telephone exchange as they use | | | | |