A number of internet service providers have signed up to a new voluntary code put together by media regulator OfCom in which the net firms commit to be more transparent about the speeds of the broadband services they offer. The code follows concerns about the way the ISPs market their services, and the bold claims they make about broadband speeds in their advertising, which are often technically possible in theory but often not really available to consumers, especially at peak times.
The chair of the Communications Consumer Panel, because there is such a thing, Anna Bradley, welcomed the new code, telling reporters: "The voluntary code is very good news - as is the fact that ISPs covering 95% of broadband consumers have already signed up to it. The new code will help consumers make better informed choices. It addresses the concerns that we raised about broadband speeds - about the mismatch between the speeds that consumers think they are buying and what they actually get".
BT, Virgin Media, Talk Talk and Tiscali are among the ISPs who have signed up to the code.