The Red Monkey

By Chris Walters, 3:16 PM on Wed Sep 30 2009, 1,777 views

Anyone who reads the fine print when signing up for Internet access knows that the speeds advertised are “best case” scenarios, or more cynically that they’re total fabrications meant to lure in customers. Now the FCC, as part of its larger study of how to expand broadband access, has reported that “actual broadband speeds lag advertised speeds by as much as 50% to 80%.”

The real reason for the FCC study—due this coming February—is to figure out a way to make our broadband infrastructure more robust, but from the Consumerist standpoint, we just want to know why ISPs keep lying to us.

Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst at Consumers Union, says he’s heard many such complaints from users and has pushed for the Federal Trade Commission to take up a review under truth in advertising laws.

[...]

“This speaks to consumer empowerment. And if you are advertising one speed but delivering another, that takes power away,” Kelsey said. “Consumers can’t make accurate decisions based on quality of service from one provider off another.”

“Internet Speeds Are Often Slower Than What Consumers Pay For, FCC Finds” [Washington Post]
(Photo: psyberartist)