Following recent changes to advertising rules the majority of broadband providers have been forced to cut the headline speeds they advertise, according to research by Which?.
An analysis of the biggest broadband providers has found that, since new rules were introduced by the Committees of Advertising Practice in May, 11 major suppliers have had to cut the advertised speed of some of their deals – with the cheapest deals dropping by 41%.
BT, EE, John Lewis Broadband, Plusnet, Sky, Zen Internet, Post Office, SSE, TalkTalk, and Utility Warehouse previously advertised their standard (ADSL) broadband deals as ‘up to 17Mbps’. The new advertised speed is now more than a third lower at 10Mbps or 11Mbps.
Previously, suppliers were able to advertise broadband deals which claimed ‘up-to’ speeds that only one in 10 customers would ever reach. But the new advertising rules mean that at least half of customers must now be able to get an advertised average speed, even during peak times (8-10pm).
