Broadband users pay extra for failure to understand bandwidth

Consumers are often "paying too much for their broadband" because they unwittingly exceed their bandwidth limits, according to an online services expert.

Neil Armstrong, products and marketing director at PlusNet, claimed that many people fail to understand how bandwidth usage affects their monthly bills.

He said: "Many customers don't understand how much bandwidth they use, what activities contribute to heavy usage amounts or what exceeding download limits actually means for their bill."

Research by YouGov suggests that 78 per cent of broadband users do not keep a track of how close they are to exceeding their download limit, while a further 27 per cent of users do not even know what usage allowance they signed up for.

Mr Armstrong warned that this lack of awareness can prompt internet service providers (ISPs) to impose penalties, which can include offering reduced speeds or banning accounts.

He urged consumers to use a bandwidth calculator to avoid being overcharged for their internet packages.

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