Despite trying to make broadband speeds fairer in advertising Ofcom and the ASA have inadvertently made things much more confusing for UK consumers, says Broadbandgenie.co.uk.

New rules which came into force on 1 April mean ISPs can no longer claim ‘up to’ speeds which cannot be achieved by at least 10% of customers. However the amendments have not had the intended effect and broadband customers are now faced with a confusing list of differing speed estimates for what amounts to the same product.

“In many cases the download speeds quoted are still far in excess of the rates a user is likely to see in practice”, says Broadband Genie editor Matt Powell. “While at the same time it hasn’t made things any clearer for someone who simply wants the best service for their money - in fact, it’s now worse.”

“Now when comparing broadband services we’re seeing a wider range of speeds, even when ISPs are using the same equipment. Postcode checks on an unbundled exchange result in varying estimates, some as high as 18Mb, but there’s no difference in the hardware at the exchange and in reality the line is not going to be faster than 8Mb.”

The latest Ofcom data shows the average broadband connection in the UK is just 7.6Mb, still much lower than the speeds advertised. ISPs do provide accurate line data before a customer signs up to a service, but it was broadband advertisement which had concerned Ofcom and the ASA previously, and the guidelines were an attempt at clamping down on misleading claims.

“The attempt by Ofcom and the ASA to fix the issue has only made things worse”, says Matt. “ISPs can hardly be blamed for stretching the rules to the limit to get an edge over their competitors, the fault lies with the regulators and it should not have been implemented without greater consideration of the impact upon consumers and the industry.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Matt Powell at Broadband Genie: t 07411 747 216 / matt.powell@genieventures.co.uk

Internet service providers have been told that they will no longer be permitted to advertise ‘up to’ speeds based on a theoretical maximum but must instead state a figure that is achieved by at least 10% of customers.

This may prove troublesome for many providers. According to data provided by Ofcom the median speed of an ADSL2+ connection advertised as ‘up to’ 20/24Mb is just 5Mb. The top 10% achieve only 14Mb while most subscribers get anything between 3Mb - 10Mb.

For unlimited broadband claims subscribers can no longer be hit with extra charges or have their service terminated for breaching a fair use limit, though providers are still permitted to employ traffic management to prioritise or slow traffic, which is often set to control specific uses such as file sharing and Skype voice calls.

Broadband Genie editor Matt Powell said: “From reviews and comments left on our site we know a vast number of broadband subscribers have been disappointed to find they receive a connection speed far slower than advertised so these new guidelines are a positive step, however by allowing ISPs to base figures on the top 10% of its customer base we are concerned a significant number will still be less than satisfied with the performance of their broadband service, which in many instances will continue to fall well below the advertised rate.”

“We’d prefer to see typical speed ranges used instead to provide a realistic indication of potential download speed based on the real-world performance of a large number of connections. This could help prevent broadband customers feeling like they have been misled and reduce the number of complaints ISPs receive about their services.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Matt Powell at Broadband Genie:
t 07741 747 216 / matt.powell@genieventures.co.uk

The poll asked, ‘Will you buy a tablet or iPad in 2012?’ Of more than 1,000 respondents, more than half either weren’t interested at all or already owned a tablet PC. 

Some 16.5 per cent answered maybe, while 17.5 per cent intended to buy a top end tablet.

The result will be seen as another blow for makers of low-end Android tablets and cheaper models from other brands - particularly BlackBerry, which has just released an upgrade for its heavily discounted PlayBook tablet.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling commented: “We were quite surprised by the results at first, but in truth it makes sense when you put it in context of what’s available out there for UK consumers right now.

“While American consumers are enjoying feature rich low-end tablets such as the Nook and the Kindle Fire, we’re stuck with what are essentially over-priced, over-sized smartphones.

“While Apple is going great guns at the top-end with its iPads, very little is happening of interest at the budget price point as yet. While it’s great to see the BlackBerry PlayBook finally getting an OS upgrade, it could be too little too late.

“We can only hope Mobile World Congress brings us some new tablet PCs we can actually get excited about, as the fact almost half of those surveyed who don’t own a tablet said they were completely uninterested in buying one doesn’t make good reading for the industry.”

Results: Will you buy a tablet PC in 2012?
Yes, top end 17.5%; Yes, budget 8.5%; Maybe 16.5%; Definitely not 30%; Already own 27.5%

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:
t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07970 993973 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk  

Samsung has held off stiff competition from HTC, with other contenders trailing in their wake. Broadband Genie MD Ciaron Dunne said: It’s been a great 2011 for both manufacturers. 

"We’re recording around four sales by these two for every one for Apple, BlackBerry, Nokia and Sony Ericsson. LG and Motorola are a long way behind despite having some great handsets on the market.”

The Desire and Galaxy S brands took centre stage. The best individual handset in terms of sales tracked by Broadband Genie was the Samsung Galaxy S2, with the HTC Desire second, Samsung’s original Galaxy S third and the HTC Desire HD fourth. Between them, they took more than a third of the year’s tracked smartphone sales.

HTC had five models in the top 10 sellers, Samsung three, Apple and BlackBerry one. HTC’s Wildfire and Wildfire S budget smartphones performed strongly (seventh and eighth respectively), while the BlackBerry Torch 9800 proved popular with Broadband Genie users.

In terms of operating systems, it is no surprise that Android dominated. Smartphones powered by Android made up around 75 per cent of sales, with the Apple OS and BlackBerry OS taking around 10 per cent each. While showing promise, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is yet to make much impact.

Broadband Genie compares thousands of web smartphone deals, both direct from mobile providers and from resellers. Pay as you go and SIM-free handset offers are available on sister site Mobile Phone Genie.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling added: “While our figures tend to mirror the global trend, our iPhone sales are far below them. We feel this is because many consumers buying Apple products tend to have their mind set on them from the beginning, rather than wanting to compare.”

“We often remind our visitors that older hero handsets can be a better buy than the latest budget releases, so it was good to see the likes of the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S still performing well 18 months after their release.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:
t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk
3. Due to commercial relationships we cannot reveal exact tracked sales figures. 

Of more than 1,500 people polled, less than 100 (just 5.3 per cent) said they were definitely happy with their mobile broadband speed, with another 15.8 per cent saying it was ‘OK’.

A massive 56.8 per cent said they were unhappy, with the final 22 per cent saying they were unsure.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “This is another damning indictment on the state of mobile broadband in the UK.

“While home broadband speeds have been racing forward, 3G mobile broadband has stood still – devices that were heralded as ‘up to’ 7.2Mb almost five years ago are still often averaging below 2Mb in reality.

“Consumers are increasingly unhappy about mobile broadband speeds because they are getting more and more out of their home broadband. They expect that experience to translate to their internet experience on the move – thanks to poor reception, frequent drop-outs and slow speeds, it simply isn’t even close.

“To make matters worse, Ofcom is dragging its heels over the 4G spectrum auction that should see things improve dramatically. A date still hasn’t been set, let alone one for when it will be handed over. Even optimistic best guesses put the auction in 2012; actual 4G mobile broadband services won’t be a reality until 2013.

“It’s a joke – especially when you consider there were complaints about the auction being put off as far back as early 2010, when the general election got in the way. Back then a Government spokesperson said it could reduce the likelihood of the auctions, ‘being held this year, or even before mid-2011’. Chance would’ve been a fine thing!”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:
t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@broadbandgenie.co.uk 

Using data from thousands of speed tests run through its website, Broadband Genie has found that average mobile broadband speeds are still around 1-2Mb across the board for all of the UK’s leading providers. This shows a very small increase from last year’s figures, with only 3 mobile and O2 making significant speed gains (O2 being fastest overall at close to 2Mb).

UK mobile broadband companies have failed to realise the full potential of their 3G networks because much improved 4G technology is becoming available. But 4G networks require new spectrum to work in – the auction for which is being delayed by legal wrangling between Ofcom and the broadband providers. The delays mean any chance of 4G mobile broadband being in place for the Olympics has now gone, with late 2013 being a more realistic target.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: A 1-2Mb average is too slow to be able to stream video or use video chat reliably; downloading anything but small files, or do most kinds of online gaming – even if the service was consistent, which it rarely is. Tablets are exploding in popularity, but if you thought you’d be watching Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and the rest win medals while on the move, you can think again. 

“It’s pathetic really. While the mobile broadband big boys play boardroom games with Ofcom, the UK’s businesses and consumers continue to get a sub-par mobile broadband experience. While everyone from America to Australia, including most of Europe, are getting on with auctions or even deploying the technology now, we’re still playing politics.

“The Olympics offered the perfect target date to get our 4G services up and running – just as Brazil is using the 2014 World Cup for the same purpose. Instead anyone coming here next year will find a fourth rate network, instead of a 4G one. And that’s before you even get onto the issue of capacity, which 3 Mobile has just announced is going to be an issue for it.

“While there are half-baked plans for public Wi-Fi, these are also in the throes of auction. These are being run by the London boroughs themselves and we can only hope they do not look to Ofcom and the mobile broadband suppliers for an example of how to do things.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk

2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk

Mobile broadband roaming prices in the EU can still be very high, at anything up to £3 per MB, but the cap stops things getting out of control. Outside the EU, prices can go as high as £7.50 (T-Mobile) or £8 (Orange) per MB. As streaming YouTube videos is estimated to use around 130Mb per hour, that could be more than £1,000 per hour!

Popular destinations such as the Caribbean, New Zealand, Turkey, Australia and India often into the most expensive zones for data, depending on which mobile operator you are with.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “While their websites proclaim the EU cap as 'great news for travellers', many UK operators only impose it where they are forced to – in EU countries. Anyone travelling outside, even in the rest of Europe, needs to make themselves and their families aware of the very real possibility of bill shock.

“Internet use in the UK is taken for granted by many, especially as we have some very generous – even unlimited – data deals available, both on mobile and home broadband. It's hardly surprising that some travellers don't consider the consequences of using the service abroad.

“We say it to our site visitors every year, but we really wish we didn't have to – we see no reason why all the UK's mobile operators haven't done the honourable thing and applied the data roaming cap across all of their data roaming charges. If they don't do it voluntarily, maybe it is time for Ofcom to step in.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk 

2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk 

In our latest poll, 30 per cent of Broadband Genie visitors said they were 'definitely' willing to pay more for faster broadband. A further 10 per cent would be willing to pay a little extra (up to £10), while another 20 per cent were undecided. Less than 40 per cent ruled it out.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling commented: “The people that really want superfast fibre broadband are the millions who live in less profitable areas ignored by BT and Virgin Media alike. Businesses and households in these areas need a good broadband service and, more importantly, are willing to pay for it. A short term hit to their profits would lead to a lot of long-term happy customers.

“Those lucky enough to live in big towns and cities, the broadband 'haves', already enjoy 'up to' 24Mb (or more if they have cable) for the price the rest of us pay for a far inferior service. Most current broadband speed problems are solved at 'up to' 20Mb or more – it's the rest of us still suffering on 'up to' 8Mb exchanges that are crying out for better broadband. These figures show a great desire to bring these services out of the dark ages and across the digital divide.”

Analyst Point Topic recently suggested there will be a low take up of superfast broadband, while BT has faced problems with the rollout of its fibre-optic technology. But our survey of more than 1,000 site visitors shows a strong desire for speedier broadband among the British public.

The Broadband Genie survey asked more than 1,000 Broadbandgenie.co.uk visitors: 'Are you currently willing to pay more for faster broadband?' Definitely 30%; Up to £10 more 10%; maybe 16%; no, but in future 7%; no 37%.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk

2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk

Chris Marling, editor of Broadbandgenie.co.uk, commented: “The figures from Ofcom fall broadly into line with our own research and frankly make pretty depressing reading. Firstly, they back our feeling that the UK's mobile networks are doing next to nothing to increase speeds, as they have stalled at below 2Mb for a long time now.

“It seems the networks are just waiting for the spectrum auction which will allow 4G mobile broadband networks to start rolling out. But In the Ofcom release, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards seems to suggest this is falling back further, with previous estimates of 2012 now slipping back again to a roll-out date of 2013. This technology is already in use in the US and other countries – why are we so far behind?

“The Ofcom report does mention that 3 UK is now among the faster networks, which backs our recent Broadband Genie Road Trip results where the network showed strong improvement from last year in taking top prize. We can only hope it continues to push the limits on its 3G network and that others will then follow.”

The Broadband Genie Road Trip Awards were set up to see how dongles from all the leading UK mobile broadband providers worked under real pressure. They are sold as ‘on the move’ broadband gadgets, so the Genie team puts them through their paces in a gruelling two-day head-to-head competition. More than six hours and close to 50 tests across a 300-mile two-way train trip from Cambridge to Leeds saw Three come out triumphant.

David Kerrigan, Three’s head of mobile broadband, said: “We’re delighted with the performance of our latest dongle in the Broadband Genie Road Trip 2011 awards. Whether browsing the internet, downloading files or streaming video, these awards prove that this dongle delivers an even better internet experience on our 3G network, which is built for mobile internet. This is only the start of the next generation of network technology and we’re really looking forward to bringing further improvements to more areas over the rest of the year.”

This year’s Trip saw seven* dongles competing across five categories, with entrants from O2, Orange, TalkTalk, Three, T-Mobile, Virgin Media and Vodafone. They were judged on upload and download speed, coverage, stability and software. Challenges included completing Broadband Genie speed tests, downloading from the BBC and Downloads.com, uploading to Facebook and streaming from Spotify and YouTube.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “This is a really tough test of mobile broadband, moving at speed through both urban and rural areas. We applaud all the networks for taking part, but this year Three’s new 3G+ dongle was a clear and worthy winner.

“It has been a disappointing 12 months in mobile broadband, with many providers seeming to stand still. However, Three continues to innovate in both its network and consumer technology, giving us hope for more improvements in the near future.”

“Three's winning E367 dongle is currently £2 per month more expensive than its standard dongle offering, or £49.99 up front. Three is the only provider tested to offer monthly deals with more than 4GB per month of data (offering both 5GB and 15GB), while it also offers the largest range of deals and some of the lowest prices.”

Previous Road Trip Dongle on the Move winners: 2010 T-Mobile; 2009 Virgin Media.

Links to more detailed information and award art:

Winners page

Analysis page

Sub-categories
Road Trip Downloader 2011 winner: Three; runner up: Virgin Media
Road Trip Uploader 2011 winner: Three; runner up: Vodafone
Road Trip's Most Stable 2011 winner: Orange; runner up: Three
Road Trip Coverage 2011 winner: T-Mobile; runner up: Orange
Dongle Software 2011 winner: Vodafone; runner up: Three

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
* A last minute technical issue saw BT’s dongle miss the testing.
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk  

When asked, 'Will you buy a tablet or iPad in 2011?”, almost 75 per cent said 'no' – with the vast majority of those not even considering one as an option. Just nine per cent answered definitely, only rising to 20 per cent “if the price was right”.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “Instead of becoming the super selling phenomenon many predicted, it's looking as if tablet PCs will be more of a slow burner.

“Right now, with even cheap devices falling into the £300+ price bracket, many people can't justify the cost. Tablet PCs and iPads simply don't adequately replace a laptop/netbook or smartphone in the vast majority of cases. Also, they serve no real purpose of their own.

“However, the touchscreen form factor is a huge hit and the use of apps and widgets is also massively popular. But for now, there aren't enough of them designed specifically with tablets in mind. For this reason, as prices come down and the range of uses goes up, we see them becoming more popular in the long term, rather than short term.”

For the survey full details, see our results blog.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk

Confused consumers have received huge bills, leading to anger and mistrust of broadband and phone suppliers. Ofcom's own research shows a host of examples of 'bill shock' where charges reach hundreds of pounds, or where internet speeds have been slashed within weeks of starting a new contract due to exceeding the fair use policy. Broadbandgenie.co.uk users regularly contact us with similar stories.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling added: “There is no excuse for advertising a broadband product as 'unlimited' – suggesting you can download as much as you want – and then bury the times you are allowed to do that in the small print. The same goes for texts and minutes on mobile phones.

“While the recent 'up to' recommendations from Ofcom to the ASA took the headlines, this is another significant announcement that will further help consumers get some transparency in the broadband deals they are offered. Complaints about speed are born of frustration, but those about bill shock can have very real consequences.”

The majority of leading UK internet and mobile service providers use the term 'unlimited' in their advertising, despite putting heavy restrictions on usage in the small print.

Consumer champion Which? has also condemned the practice in an article entitled, 'Unlimited claims in phone and broadband adverts'.

On using the word ‘unlimited’ in advertising, Ofcom’s report told the Advertising Standards Authority: “It is clear some consumers are currently being misled by the use of the term 'unlimited' and that many consumers signing up to such packages are not made aware of the relevant fair usage policies.” It concludes, “Ofcom recommends that this term only be used when a service has no usage caps implemented through a fair usage policy.”

It should put an end to a practice many have called dishonest and misleading. The likes of BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk all currently offer supposedly 'unlimited' broadband deals that in fact carry strict fair usage polices. Of the large brands, only Sky and Virgin Media offer any actual unlimited deals at all. The Ofcom proposal will put a stop to this confusing and arguably dishonest advertising practice – a move fully backed by Broadband Genie.

Ofcom Examples

• A consumer had a pay monthly mobile and was told at the point of sale that she would receive unlimited SMS, call and mobile internet. The consumer was subsequently and unexpectedly billed £350 for exceeding the fair usage policy which applied.
• Another consumer took out a mobile phone contract on the basis it had free unlimited texts. He had then had his service suspended as he had spent £157 on texting, after exceeding the fair usage limit of 3000 texts per month.
• A consumer stated that he entered into a mobile phone contract to a provider that offered unlimited internet usage because the 3GB per month limit on his previous contract was not sufficient . The consumer then found that there was a Fair Usage Policy which limited his usage to 500 MB per month, i.e. considerably less than his previous service which he found to be inadequate.
• A consumer signed up to an unlimited broadband service but within the first few weeks received an email from the provider stating that the fair usage limit of 100GB had been exceeded and their broadband service would be slowed down as a result.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Broadband Genie is the UK's leading independent broadband, mobile broadband and smartphone comparison website, providing consumers with an unbiased source of information on prices and contracts and allowing them to compare providers in an independent environment. Broadband Genie was launched in March 2004 as the first dedicated consumer comparison site for broadband, while Mobile Broadband Genie was the first independent mobile broadband comparison site, launched in October 2007. The sites were combined in 2010, with the addition of smartphone comparison. The site is one of the most popular in its field, regularly featuring in the national press. http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
2. All queries and interview requests should be directed to Chris Marling at Broadband Genie:t 0844 415 5531 / f 0871 6618553 / m 07908 327303 / chris.marling@genieventures.co.uk