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posted by mrpg on Friday March 02 2018, @03:04AM   Printer-friendly
from the put-it-in-gear dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

UK watchdog Ofcom tells broadband firms: '30 days to sort your speeds'

Ofcom is tightening the screws – sort of – on broadband providers that play fast and loose with speed promises by imposing a deadline to fix problems or allow customers’ to end their contract early and without a penalty.

Punters are able to exit a deal if velocity slips below a minimum guaranteed level and the provider can’t rectify it, but providers currently have an unlimited resolution time before letting customers leave.

The major update to the code of practice, to be implemented in a year from now, will mean that providers must promote “realistic” speed estimates and “minimum” speed guarantees at the point of sale.

[...] Average download speeds for residential punters in peak hours (8pm to 10pm) are 34.6Mbit/s, and average maximum speeds are 39.1Mbit/s, according to the regulator.

[...] All of the major broadband players have signed up to Ofcom’s code of practice - it covers around 90 per cent of customers in the UK. But there is no legal imperative for these companies to comply with the code.

-- submitted from IRC


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Whoever on Friday March 02 2018, @04:56AM (1 child)

    by Whoever (4524) on Friday March 02 2018, @04:56AM (#646212) Journal

    Some frequent SoylentNews posters are shocked at the idea that companies might not be allowed to lie to their customers and that a government agency should actually enforce such rules. "Let the free market sort it out!"

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  • (Score: 2) by Wootery on Friday March 02 2018, @09:52AM

    by Wootery (2341) on Friday March 02 2018, @09:52AM (#646302)

    Except that Ofcom has been failing to stop ISPs' misleading advertising for, what, 15 years now?

    Also, from the summary:

    there is no legal imperative for these companies to comply with the code.