Advertised internet speeds plummet after new ruling

♦a new ruling on advertised broadband speeds has exposed that customers are paying the UK’S biggest providers over £20 a month to receive the slowest internet considered “acceptable” by regulators.

Yesterday, broadband firms were banned from selling internet packages with “up to” speeds and must instead show the average speed received at peak times, under new Advertising Standards Authority rules.

Basic internet packages from Sky, BT, EE, Plusnet and Now Broadband which were previously advertised as up to 17 Mbps, now advertise speeds of just 10 Mbps, which is the minimum speed most households need to meet their needs, according to Ofcom.

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home services, said: “These changes will mean that broadband providers will no longer be able to entice customers with unrealistic adverts.”