Broadband firms told to come clean on speed

OFCOM has called on broadband providers to improve the information they give consumers about speeds during the sales process.

A mystery shopping exercise by the communications regulator found TalkTalk and BT Total Broadband were significantly less likely than other providers to provide a speed estimate without prompting.

The compliance check with Ofcom’s voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds found information given to consumers had improved.

The code helps to make consumers aware of the broadband speeds they are likely to get before signing up to a service, with signatories committing to give maximum speed estimates in the form of a range as early as practicable in the sales process.

The provider gave an estimate in 93 per cent of telephone inquiries, with 72 per cent giving the figure in the form of a range.

Overall, speed estimates were provided without prompting in 59 per cent of all calls.

Providers who were most likely to give callers an unprompted estimated speed were Karoo (76 per cent), Sky (72 per cent) and Plusnet (67 per cent).

TalkTalk and BT were significantly less likely to offer an estimate without prompting from the caller, at 47 per cent and 48 per cent respectively. Both had agreed to amend staff training and sales processes, Ofcom said.

The code was last updated last year and Ofcom said it would review it again over the next year to ensure it was still appropriate for consumers’ needs.

Ofcom’s consumer group director Claudio Pollack said: “It is vital that UK consumers get the best possible information when choosing a broadband provider. Our mystery shopping shows that, while consumer information about broadband speeds has improved in important areas, there is still more to be done.”