BT accused of throttling iPlayer

BT has been accused of 'throttling' connection speeds of customers on its cheapest package during peak times.

The BBC reported that one customer on an Option 1 contract routinely noticed internet speeds, especially when viewing the iPlayer, slowed right down, from 8Mbps to 1Mbps, during peak hours in the evening.

BT is the UK's biggest broadband provider with 4.8 million customers.

It confirmed that it does cut the speed at which users can watch videos on YouTube and the iPlayer during evening times, "in order to optimise the experience for all customers".

The BBC said throttling bandwidth to the minimum viewing speed needed to watch programmes on the iPlayer, 500Kbps, can make the viewing experience less satisfactory.

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BT countered stating that its fair use policy was explained on its site. However, the clause which states: "We do limit the speed of all video streaming to 896Kbps on our Option 1 product, during peak times only" has been criticised for being difficult to find on the BT website.

Ofcom, the industry watchdog, brought in a voluntary code of practice on broadband speeds, which calls on ISPs to provide clear information about speeds when users sign up.