Cable provider promises monthly average speed tally, and publishes survey claiming 93% of public support its case.
virgin media has promised to publish its typical broadband speeds each month, as it publishes a survey suggesting that most customers find internet service providers' advertisements misleading.
Only 9% of respondents surveyed by ICM for Virgin Media think broadband advertising tends to be accurate, and 93% of people believe ISPs should only advertise the typical speed received by the majority of customers.
It is common practice for ISPs to advertise broadband speeds of "up to" 8Mbps, 20Mbps or 50Mbps, although according to the poll 98% of people believe there is a clearer way to advertise speeds.
Virgin Media has thrown its weight behind a move away from advertising "up to" speeds, proposing that ISPs advertise "typical" or "average" speeds qualified by independent experts.
But BT has already signalled its opposition, saying that listing "average" speeds would be disadvantageous to larger networks operating in rural areas that require longer copper lines.
ICM's sample of 1,000 respondents found that 90% of people find it difficult to compare and contrast broadband services advertised by rival providers because they cannot be sure of the speed they will actually receive, while 54% are unsurprised when shown the difference between advertised speeds and delivered speeds.
Data released by communications regulator Ofcom in July showed the average broadband speed is now just 46% of what was advertised, down from 56% a year ago. "There is a very big difference between the headline services that are advertised and the actual speeds that are delivered," said Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive.
Last month the Advertising Standards Authority ? which had asked the Committee of Advertising Practice to review broadband speed claims ? banned a broadband advertisement by BT, the UK's largest fixed line broadband provider, following complaints from BSkyB, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
The ASA ruled that BT could not back up its claim that the 20Mbps service was consistently faster than its 8Mbps offering, saying that the advert was "likely to mislead" and banning it in its current form. BT said it was "disappointed" by the ASA adjudication, saying it had no intention to mislead customers.
Virgin Media is the second-largest fixed-line broadband provider in the UK, with 22.5% of the market share; BT has 26.7%. From today, Virgin will publish monthly updates of the typical speed being received by 66% of customers over 24 hours.
Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "People are paying for faster and faster broadband but being ripped off by unscrupulous providers who can't deliver their promised speeds to even a single customer.
"A change in advertising is urgently needed to build consumer confidence in super-fast broadband and the industry more generally. In the meantime, I hope other ISPs will quickly follow Virgin Media's lead by disclosing their own monthly performance data so people can make an informed decision about how to spend their money."
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Virgin Media steps up battle over broadband speed advertising | Media | guardian.co.uk
virgin media has promised to publish its typical broadband speeds each month, as it publishes a survey suggesting that most customers find internet service providers' advertisements misleading.
Only 9% of respondents surveyed by ICM for Virgin Media think broadband advertising tends to be accurate, and 93% of people believe ISPs should only advertise the typical speed received by the majority of customers.
It is common practice for ISPs to advertise broadband speeds of "up to" 8Mbps, 20Mbps or 50Mbps, although according to the poll 98% of people believe there is a clearer way to advertise speeds.
Virgin Media has thrown its weight behind a move away from advertising "up to" speeds, proposing that ISPs advertise "typical" or "average" speeds qualified by independent experts.
But BT has already signalled its opposition, saying that listing "average" speeds would be disadvantageous to larger networks operating in rural areas that require longer copper lines.
ICM's sample of 1,000 respondents found that 90% of people find it difficult to compare and contrast broadband services advertised by rival providers because they cannot be sure of the speed they will actually receive, while 54% are unsurprised when shown the difference between advertised speeds and delivered speeds.
Data released by communications regulator Ofcom in July showed the average broadband speed is now just 46% of what was advertised, down from 56% a year ago. "There is a very big difference between the headline services that are advertised and the actual speeds that are delivered," said Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive.
Last month the Advertising Standards Authority ? which had asked the Committee of Advertising Practice to review broadband speed claims ? banned a broadband advertisement by BT, the UK's largest fixed line broadband provider, following complaints from BSkyB, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
The ASA ruled that BT could not back up its claim that the 20Mbps service was consistently faster than its 8Mbps offering, saying that the advert was "likely to mislead" and banning it in its current form. BT said it was "disappointed" by the ASA adjudication, saying it had no intention to mislead customers.
Virgin Media is the second-largest fixed-line broadband provider in the UK, with 22.5% of the market share; BT has 26.7%. From today, Virgin will publish monthly updates of the typical speed being received by 66% of customers over 24 hours.
Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "People are paying for faster and faster broadband but being ripped off by unscrupulous providers who can't deliver their promised speeds to even a single customer.
"A change in advertising is urgently needed to build consumer confidence in super-fast broadband and the industry more generally. In the meantime, I hope other ISPs will quickly follow Virgin Media's lead by disclosing their own monthly performance data so people can make an informed decision about how to spend their money."
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Virgin Media steps up battle over broadband speed advertising | Media | guardian.co.uk
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