UK ISPs asked to clean up broadband speed claims

Stuart Corner
Friday, 12 October 2007 06:15

Opinion and Analysis

In the letter - addressed to the CEO's of the parent bodies respective ISPs -and including BT CEO Ben Verwaayen and James (son of Rupert) Murdoch who heads BSkyB - OCP chairman, Colette Bowe, writes: "…we believe that broadband customers are not at the moment getting enough information. We are of course aware of the technical reasons for the 'up to' terminology that you use. I would however like to have your views about how these technical issues might be better addressed in terms of giving clearer information to potential customers...At the most basic level consumers need to be able to see what they are buying, what influences the performance of the product or services they are buying and how to do something about it if it doesn't live up to their expectations.

The OCP has asked ISPs to consider changing their sales practices to include:

* Advising customers what their likely connection speed would be to a specific line;
* Extending the cooling off period so that customers can test out the connection speed before they sign a contract;
* Allowing customers to exit from contracts if consumers experience speeds and quality well below the advertised speeds, and whose problems persist rather than be resolved by a technical solution, to exit from the contract early and without penalty.

Food for thought in an Australian context, perhaps.