Broadband: A need for speed
The ASA has asked the Advertising Code writing bodies (CAP and BCAP) to review broadband speed claims in advertisements as part of a wider look at advertising in the telecommunications sector. The aim is to provide better clarity for consumers and the work is well under way. But why has the ASA felt the need to prompt this review?
Many of us will have seen advertisements for broadband claiming that the service speed is “up to” a certain MB per second. But the actual service consumers experience is often different.
There are many reasons why you might receive a different speed at home to the advertised speed. For instance, the distance between your home and the exchange, the difference between cable and fixed telephone line delivery and heavy internet traffic at peak times can all affect the broadband speed you experience. Even the type of computer you use can affect the service you receive. This means that speed can vary - and not just from one geographical area to another. Neighbours can experience different speeds and even within a single household it can vary depending on the time of day you’re going online.
All of this means that when a speed is advertised, the only speed that can be independently verified is the speed at which the broadband leaves the telephone exchange. And this is the speed that is included in advertisements.
No ad can possibly tell you all you need to know about a service and the same applies to broadband ads. We generally expect to do a bit more research about a product that we are thinking of buying. But the information ads provide can influence our purchasing decisions. We often rely on them to get us started in our search for new service providers and to help us to differentiate one service from another.
Current advertising policy acknowledges that consumers will look into products before spending their money. This works alongside Ofcom’s Code which requires broadband providers to tell their customers what speed they can expect to achieve when they sign up to a particular service.
However, it has become clear that this policy needs to be looked at again. Broadband advertisements can lead to complaints, particularly when someone feels they have been misled about the speed of the service. The ASA takes these complaints seriously and we are committed to ensuring that ads do not mislead, particularly in such a complex area as broadband services. This is why, earlier this summer, the ASA asked the CAP and BCAP to conduct a separate review.
Ofcom’s research report (published 27 July) into broadband speeds supports the need for our review. It confirms that, although the average speed experienced by UK consumers has increased by over 25% in the past year, there is also a growing gap between the advertised and actual speed delivered to customers. Ofcom’s report will be used to inform CAP and BCAP’s project, which will be concluded as soon as possible.
CAP and BCAP’s overriding aim is to provide guidance that will bring advertisers up-to-speed on how to advertise their services and, importantly, will protect consumers from being misled.
Further reading:
Ofcom Broadband Speeds Research
ASA response to the Business and Enterprise Select Committee on Broadband Speeds
Ofcom’s Voluntary Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds