Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow for broadband users

Two in three broadband internet providers are deliberately slowing the speed of connections at peak hours for some users, a new report has found.

Which?, the consumer watchdog, discovered that 11 of 17 companies it tested slow down the speeds of “non-time critical” downloads so that users streaming video experience a more even service.

The culprits include BT and Virgin Media, who between them provide nearly half of the fixed broadband in the country.

The “traffic management” policy operates despite advertisements that proclaim speeds of “up to” 10 or 30 MB, when in reality these speeds are rarely achieved in the majority of British homes”.

Which? Computing editor Sarah Kidner said: “Broadband is not perfect. To make things worse, some providers are deliberately choking download speeds.”

A spokesman for BT said it manages traffic: “to provide the best experience for all our customers by ensuring that non-time critical peer-to-peer traffic does not impact on the performance of time-critical services such as video streaming”.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Media said: “[The policy] is designed to ensure that the majority of customers enjoy a high quality online experience.”