Ofcom identifies where ISPs need to improve

Ofcom has published a breakdown of how individual internet service providers (ISPs) performed in its latest mystery shopper exercises.

The latest figures provide a more complete overview of the findings from the regulator's initial report released in March.

Using mystery shoppers, covering website and telephone sales channels, the regulator looked at how selected ISPs are complying with its voluntary Code of Practice (CoP).

Ofcom's latest report concluded that “there were few statistically significant differences between ISPs in their observed level of compliance with the Code,” but has flagged up areas when this has occurred.

One of the main requirements this Code of Practice places on ISPs is to give consumers a clearer understanding of the broadband speeds they can get.

The additional data released by Ofcom gives more information on how individual ISPs performed during the exercise.

For example, BT was the worst performing ISP in terms of giving access line speeds without being prompted by the caller (28 per cent against the average of 43 per cent). O2 fared the best by giving line speed unprompted in 54 per cent of cases.

But the results showed that it failed to give any indication of line speed in 20 per cent of calls (compared to the average of 15 per cent). The report also shows that in 79 per cent of cases, Virgin DSL failed to explain to callers that the line speed is only an estimate.

The results from ISPs’ websites revealed that in 51 per cent of cases access line speeds did not match those given by telephone.

Virgin DSL gave inquirers headline speeds in 35 per cent of cases. A headline speed is one defined as a speed advertised by an ISP but not necessarily one a customer can reach.

Ofcom said the results of this exercise indicate that there is a need to ensure that ISPs give consistent line checker information across different sales channels.

Ofcom said, however, that the latest report should be read in conjunction with the original study. It also reiterated its plan to tighten the voluntary code to address the issues it has found. It hopes to have the revamped CoP in place by this summer and will then conduct further mystery shopping exercises.

If it is unable to come to an agreement with ISPs, Ofcom said it is considering introducing formal regulation.