Brits will now have the option of leaving a broadband contract without being penalised if they find within three months of signing up that their actual speed is significantly below the estimate they were given when purchasing the package.
Ofcom has added the clause into its Voluntary Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds, which came into force in December 2008 and has been signed by 95 percent of UK ISPs.
According to the watchdog, ISPs must provide Brits with an estimated range of speeds they can expect on their line. This "durable record" will be used should consumers find the speeds are not provided and want to extract themselves from their contract.
"The ISP must tell the customer their minimum guaranteed access line speed and explain that if the technical fault cannot be fixed, then the customer will have the opportunity to leave their contract immediately and without any penalty provided this is within a three month period of the start of their contract, or longer (if the ISP so chooses)," Ofcom said.
Ofcom also strengthened the code's requirements to offer consumers a more accurate and consistent estimate of the maximum speed likely to be achievable on their line.
The amendments to the Code of Practice won't come into force for 12 months.
"While we support Ofcom's efforts to ensure broadband providers are more open with consumers about what they should expect from their broadband connection, we feel that Ofcom have missed an opportunity to redraft the code itself in a format which consumers could better understand," said Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of Thinkbroadband.com
"Instead of providing additional guidance notes which would assist providers in interpreting the code, Ofcom have created an even more complex code, which is less accessible to the average user."
See also: Ofcom to act on broadband speeds
Comments
Ron the Don said: Yet another one of those wonderfully vague phrases significantly below Thats another cop-out phrase that can be argued over Changes will never be effective until specifics are stated and used
I'm One Of The Lucky Ones. said: Im one of the lucky ones - indeed one of the very exceptionally lucky ones - whose broadband speed is over 15 to 19 kbps here in a rural community The Up To speed often quoted in sales jargon will never be met for at least 99 of the UKIs it reasonable to suggest ISP adverts contravene the old Trades Description Act by defaultieenticing customers to sign up for a package knowing full-well its misrepresenting by virtue of misleading and wrongful wordingJust a thought
Ian Hewlett said: If only I could get the average speed of 52Mbps I would be happyI signed up to talktalk Pro and it has never gone above 12Mbps It is now beyond three months so I would have to pay the penalty to change providerWhat a very Poor service to say the least
Mike J said: Poor old Uncle Sam like we did Germany during WWII Id be happy for the US to be isolationist but that means no subsidizing the defense of Europe against the USSR to the tune of about a a trillion dollars of American taxpayers money fighting Nazis helping quake victims amp all that too
Scots said: While the speeds advertised against the speeds attained ratio is bad in urban areas its a whole lot worse in rural areas--and as per usual rural areas will be the last to see any benefit form whatever changes are madeWelcome to ripoff Britain The Tories are back in power so the punter can forget any benefit from here on out
Poor old Uncle Sam said: Maybe time to stop spending all that money bombing the whatnot out of whoever you please and start spending it on your infrastructure But then the politicians wouldnt get fat on the backhanders from the arms manufacturers
Mike J said: Well hangman maybe the telecoms in the UK dont have the government in their back pockets as they do in AmericaMy godawful OTA ISP if I can get 100kBsec I am pleased as punchThird World countries have better internet service than the US does
Slippery Sam said: If the VCoP came in in Dec 2008 why must we wait another 12 months before this comes into forceIs it because the ISPs need to re-word their advertising Surely Up To is a legitimate get out for them
hangman said: sure wish we had something like this on our side of the pondmy 2525 package from verison has alwasy had in the neighborhood of 18-2306-5Their wiggle is that the contractwritten in very tiny font is an UP TO number--as in if it works at all it qualifies ubder the contract It may be legal but it damn sure isnt moral