"ISPA welcomes the new Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) guidelines coming into force today [Wednesday 23rd May] as an important step in bringing greater clarity to consumers. ISPA provided input to the ASA during the consultation phase of the reform to the guidance, and was supportive of a move to include speed estimates that more accurately reflect the experience of the majority of users.
ISPA members are committed to meeting the new obligations regarding median averages, and clearly setting out all the relevant information to consumers before they sign up. ISPA notes that while this is a significant move towards greater consumer understanding and informed expectations of broadband speeds, there are a number of other issues at play. These include the fact that broadband speeds are subject to contention and not a dedicated service, and are impacted by factors inside the home outside the ISPs control. Consumers should also view speeds as one part of the overall package available to them, and also consider reliability, price and customer support." - Andrew Glover, ISPA Chairman