Press & PR

Following much recent discussion of the discrepancies between advertised broadband speeds and the levels of service customers are receiving, one commentator has sought to clear up what consumers can expect from their provider.

Rory Cellan-Jones notes on the BBC that for most people, there is very little chance that they will receive the speeds advertised by major broadband suppliers, with many claiming to deliver up to 8Mbit per second connections.

Following a recent media conference hosted by provider BT, customers have been advised to look at two things when considering a broadband package: line speed and throughput.

Line speed describes the potential flow of data that can be supported between a telephone exchange and someone's home - so for a resident living adjacent to one such exchange there is a fair chance that they will receive the advertised line speed. For people living some distance from the exchange, that chance is very low.

The other important consideration is throughput, which is a more accurate representation of the way date is sent and received when using online services - such as making a VoIP call for example. It is this that customers should look to check when considering their provider, Mr Cellan-Jones notes.

UK provider Tiscali has recently responded to BT's assertion that suppliers need to be clearer on speeds, telling online resource Tech Radar that it is doing its utmost to provide consumers with accurate information.

Vonage's broadband phone services allows people to make cheap calls using relatively low bandwidth requirements.