Honest broadband

It is bad enough that broadband services in many parts of the country are so slow; but insult is added to injury when the speeds fall well short of what is advertised, especially in rural areas. The Local Government Association, representing around 370 councils in England and Wales, has called for greater transparency from providers. Currently they are allowed by advertising rules to promote download speeds claiming “up to” maxima – available to only 10 per cent of their customers.

There have long been complaints about this practice and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it is “currently conducting research into consumers’ understanding of broadband advertising speed claims”. Other ruses it needs to look at include special offers that expire after six months and excessive line rental costs hidden in the small print.

There is a simple way to avoid the ASA having to crack the whip and that is for the providers to stop giving their customers misleading information. Of course they want to sell their products; but they must do so honestly. If they need to advertise the speeds, they should give the average that can be expected and not the fastest that only a few can obtain.

People rely heavily on good digital connectivity, not merely for basic information but often for work and, increasingly, to access services. The banks are encouraging greater use of online accounts, and the Government’s “digital by default” programme will give people no option but to use the internet to meet a whole raft of legal requirements from paying taxes to registering vehicles. With so much of our lives conducted online, we are at least entitled that providers stop treating us like idiots.