Broadband code comes into force

ISPs will be obliged to give potential customers realistic estimates of the kind of speed they can expect from broadband services from tomorrow. A new voluntary code of practice, drawn up by industry regulator Ofcom, will see broadband providers beholden to make terms of so-called 'fair usage' policies clear to potential customers. Broadband speeds: the key points The ISPs will also have to make clear any other factors that can affect broadband speed, such as electrical interference, and how these obstacles can be overcome. A total of 45 ISPs have signed up to the code and according to Ofcom this accounts for more than 95 per cent of broadband customers in the UK. Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards said: "Ofcom welcomes the fact that so many ISPs have signed and now implemented the code of practice. "Over 95 per cent of broadband customers are covered by the code which means that the vast majority of people should be confident about the advice they receive on broadband speeds," he continued. The Communications Consumer Panel, formerly known as the Ofcom Consumer Panel, a body that advises Ofcom, was pleased with the new code. "The new code will help consumers make better informed choices. It addresses the concerns that we raised with Ofcom and the ISPs last year about broadband speeds – about the mismatch between the speeds that consumers think they are buying and what they actually get," it said in a statement. www.ofcom.org.uk/broadbandcode www.communicationsconsumerpanel.org.uk Save up to £16 a year this Christmas when you subscribe to Web User!