As Australians struggle to understand why they often get much slower broadband speeds than advertised, the UK has taken a step to ensure that such advertising is made more transparent.
The Advertising Standards Authority says that from 23 May 2018, numerical speed claims in broadband ads "should be based on the download speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time and described in ads as average”.
This will apply to residential broadband services.
Currently, any "up to" speeds advertised need to be available to just 10% of customers.
{loadposition sam08}The ASA has also recommend that speed-testing services should be promoted in broadband speed advertising when possible.
The change comes after a public consultation that canvassed views from ISPs, a trade body representing more than 200 ISPs, consumer groups, think-tanks and the regulator Ofcom.
Committees of Advertising Practice director Shahriar Coupal said: “There are a lot of factors that affect the broadband speed a customer is going to get in their own home – from technology to geography, to how a household uses broadband.
"While we know these factors mean some people will get significantly slower speeds than others, when it comes to broadband ads, our new standards will give consumers a better understanding of the broadband speeds offered by different providers when deciding to switch providers.
"We continually review our standards to make sure they reflect consumers’ experiences, the technology available and the evidence base to make sure our standards are in the right place.
"Following extensive research and consultation, we hope our new standards will improve customer confidence in future ads.”