The panel has proposed that the net firms should look to improve how they sell and advertise broadband. The panel wants consumers to get more information so they are not misled about the speed they sign up for, as many providers are failing the speed tests.

Failing to deliver

Chairwoman of the Ofcom Consumer Panel, Colette Bowe, said

"We believe that broadband customers are not at the moment getting enough information."

In the letter to the net firms, Ms Bowe recognised that there were understandable technical reasons for the difference in the speeds advertised and those actual recieved.

She asked the net firms to find ways to 'deal with' the technical issues so that consumers could be better informed about the likely broadband speeds in their neighbourhood. One of the shock suggestions was the idea that net providers should allow customers to terminate a contract early and without penalties if speeds are well below what is advertised.

Its approach comes after a series of events that have highlighted the gulf between the net speeds firms claim and what consumers experience. In response Ofcom said it was "aware" of the issue and was investigating what could be done about it. Research by analyst firm Point Topic has shown that few people will be able to enjoy the top speeds advertised by broadband firms. It estimates that only about half the UK's population will be able to use the web at speeds of 8Mbps.

Looking for a new ISP? 

So how do you decide which Broadband to go for?

Which ISP review the main broadband providers so you can compare not only on price, but also customer service, the average speed achieved compared to speed advertised. Which ISP has a regularly updated Best ISP List to help users to understand how well their ISP performs against other internet providers. They also point you in the direction of speed tests to help you test what speeds you are really getting.

A report out today by Which? Consumer Group reveals a massive gap between the speeds that are offered by the UK’s leading broadband providers and the actually speed reported by customers.

In the survey Which? tested 300 consumer lines and found that the average broadband  speed was 2.7mbs, a far cry from the 8mbs advertised my many of the providers.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has investigated several cases of misleading promotions, most recently asking one provider to make it clear in its adverts that speed was dependent on how far away from the exchange people lived.

A BT spokesman confirmed that 8Mbps would be a rarity for users.

"Virtually no-one will get it. The laws of physics start applying as soon as it leaves the exchange and you would have to live on top of the exchange to get the full 8 megabits"

he said.

Beating Physics

Dynamic imaging technology allows Netfury Broadband Accelerator to load web pages much faster than normal with no trade off in quality. Although images appear degraded when a web page first loads overtime the quality improves to near original image quality. The more visits you make to specific website the better performance you will receive.

Which ISP?

If you'd like to find out more information about Broadband Internet service providers, compare prices, speeds and read other consumer reviews then read more at which? ISP.