Ofcom unveils voluntary broadband code

Fixed line broadband services in the UK are set to come under scrutiny after Ofcom published a voluntary code and announced that around 90 per cent of major ISPs have signed up to the scheme, with customers to be given the choice to move to a lower priced service if they are not receiving an accurate level of service.

According to the telecoms regulator, some 32 internet providers have signed up and the code will take in several steps, including providing customers with an accurate estimate of the speed they will receive before signing up, resolving technical problems that may be detrimental to the level of service being provided, offering customers the choice to move on to a cheaper service when the speeds they receive is below what they should receive and providing customers with accurate information on usage limits, as well as warning them when those limits are being reached.

Ofcom’s chief executive Ed Richards told the BBC: "Broadband is a thriving market in the UK. We want to encourage real clarity for consumers about the actual broadband speeds they can recieve."