Press & PR

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has said that voluntary compliance to new standards for the advertising of broadband speeds should be completed within the next few weeks.

Speaking to a parliamentary select committee, chief executive Ed Richards told members of parliament that action was needed in the near term in order ensure that consumers were well informed.

The Guardian reports that Ofcom's consumer panel has written to six major internet service providers urging action to ensure that customers knew what levels of service they would reasonably be able to expect.

"People need to be able to see what they are buying, what influences the performance of the product and how to do something about it," the panel told providers.

Mr Richards told the committee that if broadband suppliers did not sign up to the new advertising standards voluntarily then forced compliance would be necessary, although he said such methods were undesirable as they would take longer to implement.

Earlier this month Ofcom also launched a consultation examining the capabilities of UK broadband networks to deliver ultra-fast services in the future.

Vonage provides broadband users with a secure way to make cheap calls using VoIP services.