In the UK, many broadband comparison websites are now offering speed test or speed checker services. This is in response to a number of reports by the national press that confirm that almost all broadband internet users experience much slower download speeds than those advertised by broadband providers.

It is worth mentioning that download speeds can be restricted both by the users own computer speed and by the speed of the server that is sending the file. However, for the purposes of this article we will assume that both those factors are optimal, and concentrate on broadband speed meaning the speed of the connection provided to the user or consumer.

In general, the download speed advertised by a broadband provider is the maximum download speed theoretically available somewhere on their network. The actual speed experienced depends on the hardware in the telephone exchange, the distance between the exchange and the physical location of the user and the quality of the line between the exchange and user. It is therefore no surprise that a study by consumer magazine Which? last year showed that users on an 8Mbps download speed broadband service experience an average speed of 2Mbps.

Broadband download speeds are never going to be constant for UK consumers. Too many factors play a part, including the number of other people using the service and therefore also the time of day. So the question then becomes, how should broadband providers fairly advertise their download speeds? Consumers ability and desire to switch between broadband providers is what keeps the marketplace competitive and improves quality of service in the long run, so I'm not about to propose that broadband providers start advertising solely with the minimum download speeds that users experience. However, more information needs to be given to the consumer.

Ofcom introduced a voluntary code in June 2008 under which broadband providers must tell give potential customers an accurate estimate of the maximum speed that their phone or cable line can support. However, this is only relevant when the customer is already speaking to a sales team or placing an order on a website. So changes need to be made in the print and television advertising by broadband providers, and it would be much more effective as a requirement by Ofcom rather than a voluntary code. One suggestion is to require them to publish next to a maximum line speed some sort of independent average download speed experienced by their users. There is no reason for the maximum line speed to be removed because that is also what the consumer is paying for, but consumers shouldn't be switching to another faster broadband provider only to find that the actual speeds are the same or less than their old provider.

The purpose of advertising broadband in the UK using average rather than maximum download speeds is that broadband providers would have to compete based on the actual quality of service given to their customers rather than theoretical ability or customer service. At a time when the government is asking BT to improve the broadband speeds in the UK, this is something that the consumers really want to see done.