Consumer Panel says broadband adverts should stop using 'up to' speeds to prevent consumers being misled
25 February 2011
The Communications Consumer Panel has told broadband providers (ISPs) to stop using the term 'up to' when they advertise broadband speeds, and advised them to use clear and simple descriptions instead that consumers can easily understand.
Responding to the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA’s) Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP/BCAP) consultation on proposals for guidance on the use of 'up to' broadband speeds in adverts, Panel Chair Anna Bradley said that “the current approach of advertising 'up to' broadband headline speeds is no longer credible or sustainable and is causing widespread scepticism amongst consumers”.
The Panel is concerned that actual download speeds are often so significantly below the advertised or headlines speeds that 'up to' adverts are misleading consumers and potentially distorting the market, resulting in less choice for consumers. It has called on CAP/BCAP to come up with a clear and simple way of advertising speeds that consumers will understand.
“I would like to see 'up to' replaced by a typical speed description, such as half of our customers receive at least xMb,” Anna Bradley said.
Key recommendations
Adverts should:
- be short, simple with a minimum of information in small print
- use a single speed rather than a range
- indicate that speed achieved will not be the same for all consumers
- sales materials and adverts should include a prominent statement encouraging consumers to ask for the actual speed at point of sale.
"The onus should be on ISPs to substantiate speed claims by providing robust data,” Panel Chair Anna Bradley added.