Virgin to go public about average internet speed

One of the constants in the online environment is that consumers are sceptical towards the veracity of the download speeds the ISPs advertise with. In Britain, Virgin has plans to address this situation by publishing the average attained speeds every month.

According to a poll conducted for Virgin Media, only 9% of the respondents feel that ISPs deliver the promised bandwidth. 98% indicate that they believe there is a clearer way to advertise than with the normal “up to 20 mbps” slogans. A recent study by Ofcom, the British telecoms authority, shows that on average, ISPs only deliver 46% of their promised bandwidth.

Virgin Media now propose that ISPs should use terms like ‘typical’ or ‘average’ when advertising download speeds, using data received from independent experts. BT has indicated not to support this proposal, as it fears that it disadvantages the larger network operators operating in rural areas. Longer copper lines negatively influence internet speeds.

Source: The Guardian