Concerns raised over broadband speeds

The discrepancy between advertised broadband speeds and the rate actually received by customers is an "industry-wide problem", according to a new study.

Consumer group Broadband Choices claims that broadband users on the fastest package offered by providers frequently receive speed that is up to 50 per cent slower than that which they signed up for.

The research supports the findings of another survey by Computeractive last year, which found that 62 per cent of consumers regularly received less than half of their advertised speed.

Broadband Choices product director Michael Phillips said: 'I think there's an industry-wide problem with the way that broadband packages are advertised.'

He added that soaring demand for super fast video was a reflection of how consumers 'want far more from it [broadband] than was probably ever initially envisaged'.

This comes as experts have warned that the internet could slow to a standstill unless an estimated $20 billion is spent on installing high speed fibre optics to cater for increased usage.