Consumers 'confused by broadband offerings'

Consumers can often be left feeling confused by the different broadband package offerings on the market, it has been claimed.

The habit of advertising services as unlimited in particular confuses consumers, said Thomas Newton, lead content writer for UK Web Media.

His comments follow research from uSwitch which suggested that more than eight million broadband customers do not know their download limit.

Often, firms will have a fair usage policy in place when they claim to offer unlimited downloads, but what is deemed fair use can vary from provider to provider.

This can make it "incredibly confusing" when consumers are trying to work out which provider to use, said Mr Newton.

Despite this, more transparency within the market is starting to be seen, he said, noting that one provider has advertised download speeds closer to what consumers can expect rather than what the lines are capable of.