Consumers urged to check broadband speeds

Consumers should be careful to check the actual speed of their broadband or mobilebroadband service, a leading website claims.

According to research conducted by telecoms regulator Ofcom, actual broadband speeds reach on average 49 per cent of the rates advertised in supplier promotions.

This included cases where an advertised speed of 8Mbps in reality resulted in one in five consumers receiving a speed of less than 2Mbps.

Therefore, price comparison website Broadband Genie has urged consumers to ensure that they check the true speed that they are receiving.

Chris Marling, Broadband Genie editor, said: "Nobody wants to pay for something they're not getting, especially in a recession."

"Factors such as closeness to your nearest telephone exchange and the quality of your ISP's [internet service providers] equipment, or network coverage if you're using mobilebroadband, can hugely affect your broadband speeds," he added.

Broadband Genie indicates that the power of home computers can also affect broadband speeds, alongside the time of day and the traffic management techniques used by ISPs.