Broadband providers in the UK

Compared to the slower dial-up connections before it, broadband also known as ADSL is an affordable, fast and reliable way to experience high-speed Internet connections. At 512k, broadband connection is 10 times faster than dial up and it is “Always On" which means that unlike the dial up before it, users no longer have to connect and disconnect from the Internet instead they can vary their preferred usage to a suitable monthly price.

Although many broadband providers claim to offer much faster connections at 1mb, 2mb, 8mb, and 24mb, these connections are often not available. The Ofcom Consumer Panel has found that broadband providers often offer their customers Internet connection speed substantially slower than what they have advertised. They fail to tell their customers that there is no uncontended bandwidth back to the Internet. This has led to widespread complaints against broadband providers in the UK. The regulator wants to institute changes through an enforceable code of practice that would allow customers to leave their contract early if they deemed the broadband provider’s service unsatisfactory. Under the new practice code broadband providers would be required to improve on their contact with the customer and they are to contact their customers with details of their actual connection speed. Should this be unsatisfactory and the customer then decides to switch broadband providers the code aims to make sure that the customer does not experience downtime to his broadband service.

Customers wishing to change broadband providers need to get what is called a Migration Authority Code or "MAC" code for short, from their current provider. They then give this code to the intending broadband provider while maintaining the operations of the current provider. Between the current and the intending broadband provider the two operators can then manage your migration and switch over on your behalf with the aid of the MAC code such that you do not loose broadband access at any point in the switch-over. At the end of the process, one billing account is discontinued while a new account is created such that you are only billed by the new broadband provider.

Despite these progressive attempts to sanitise operations, some dodgy operators make life hard for their customers by making demands that customers pay fees upfront before they release the MAC codes needed to switch accounts. It may take a lot more than was initially thought to gain the required compliance.