British broadband lags behind Europe

British broadband speeds are among the lowest in Europe, and consumers are being charged some of the highest prices for the privilege.

Research by the Information Technology Innovation Foundation has found that the average broadband speed in the UK is just 2.6Mbps, slower than in Slovakia and Hungary, and half the average speed in Poland.

To add insult to injury, prices in the UK are relatively high. The average cost for British households is £5.50 per month, compared to £2.54 in Finland for an average speed of 21.7Mbps.

The report will add further impetus to the Crystal Clear Broadband campaign being organised by vnunet.com's sister publication Computeractive to challenge UK ISPs to be more honest about broadband speeds.

A national survey of the actual performance of Computeractive readers' broadband connections revealed that 62 per cent consistently receive less than 50 per cent of the advertised speed which they were promised.

And a shocking 25 per cent of the 180,000 people who completed the test received only a quarter of their maximum advertised speed.

The research is backed up by the Broadband Stakeholder Group, which warned in April that Britain's ageing copper infrastructure is affecting UK companies' competitiveness.

Minister for Competitiveness Stephen Timms has also warned that broadband companies need to invest in high speed networks.

Industry regulator Ofcom has promised a debate on the issue and will look at the costs and benefits of a high speed network for Britain.