Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[UncleUB]

6.2Mbps according to Ofcom

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/story/2011/03/02/ofcom-reveals-uk-average-broadband-isp-speeds-reach-mbps.html

[roseway]

The performance data itself is taken from a base of just 1,710 panellists who had a broadband monitoring unit connected to their router in November/December 2010.

Those panellists were selected according to predefined criteria, and of course they were only selected from people who actually applied to be on the scheme, so it was nothing like a random sample.

In any event, OFCOM only seem to be interested in the gap between advertised and actual speeds. Although this is of some importance, far more important in my opinion is the widening divide between the best and the worst connections, and they appear to say nothing about that.

[UncleUB]

In any event, OFCOM only seem to be interested in the gap between advertised and actual speeds. Although this is of some importance, far more important in my opinion is the widening divide between the best and the worst connections, and they appear to say nothing about that.

That's true Eric,I have said for a long time that those that already had fast speeds will have/are getting faster speeds and those with poor speeds are getting ignored/left behind even further 

[sevenlayermuddle]

It's been on BBC news a lot today.

One thing that worries me is I'm not sure the reporters understand the difference between connection speed (often quoted as 'up to 20 meg' or whatever), and the real-life download speed which is determined entirely at the whim of the ISP's traffic shaping policy, and also by the financial investments they are prepared to make in they're own infrastructure.

I've a horrible feeling that Ofcom don't really get it either.  I'm betting Ofcom will do their best, and we'll end up with a much clearer expectation of what connection speed we can expect.  Better still, FTTC may be rolled out, so we all really do get blistering connection speeds.

But t won't help as we'll still have no idea how long it will take to download (say) a 4.7GB DVD image, or whether we can stream video without puases,  because that's a matter of ISP policy as well as than connection speed.  Speaking purely for myself,  during working hours, demon's download 'throttle' means I'm lucky to utilise more than 10% of my 4Meg IP profile, for anything other than speed-test sites (which are usually not throttled).  That's the problem I think the legislators should be tackling, but I just don't think they really understand it.

Pessimistically,
7LM

[silversurfer44]

The way I read the article Ofcom are merely interested in what is advertised and what is nearer actual. I have always looked at the 'up to' clause in any advert as pie in the sky, and could only be achieved by very few.
Agreed the connection speed and throughput speed are two different measurements altogether and are often confused as being the same, and are not clearly defined in the adverts.

[renluop]

Indeed I was debating what worth stats like those in table 8.11 had, given there are so many variables. Is PN really slightly inferior to BT, would it be with all things at Ex EU and between condition and equipment wise equal? Hmm.

[BritBrat]

I was average but now with Sky I am above average

I would go back to Plusnet but never BT even though BT own Plusnet.

[renluop]

Originally posted in Fibre roll out in a senior moment

Is  BT better than PN (Tab 8.11) given all the possible variations of conditions and eqpt both ends and between? I doubt it unless sufficient practical notiice has been of those factors and the respondent mix.

I will also stick the neck out and say that 'up to' marketing is not as suspect as 'prices from' of other sectors; e.g. travel, Usually one week when they'll be desperate for custom and the punters' sanity wold be suspect. If anyone really thinks everyone will get the tops or a bargain basement experience from marketers' statements, they are on Planet Doolally. And with conservative estimates of ultimate reality available to potential EUs, may be they are not so misled as they would want everyone to believe.

[razpag]

Originally posted in Fibre roll out in a senior moment

Is  BT better than PN (Tab 8.11) given all the possible variations of conditions and eqpt both ends and between? I doubt it unless sufficient practical notiice has been of those factors and the respondent mix.

I will also stick the neck out and say that 'up to' marketing is not as suspect as 'prices from' of other sectors; e.g. travel, Usually one week when they'll be desperate for custom and the punters' sanity wold be suspect. If anyone really thinks everyone will get the tops or a bargain basement experience from marketers' statements, they are on Planet Doolally. And with conservative estimates of ultimate reality available to potential EUs, may be they are not so misled as they would want everyone to believe.

That's a great comment Renluop. The latter is far,far more misleading than the former.