The trade association for Internet Service Providers has warned members that far more transparency is required with regards to their fair use policies on unlimited broadband. ISPA has warned ISPs that they have to be clearer with regards to what their fair use policies actually are, and this comes following an outcry from the public as well as from a number of ISPs that are already clear about how their fair use policy works.
A number of Internet Service Providers offer unlimited broadband subject to fair use policy, but do not provide any information on what their fair use policy actually is. This means that consumers have no idea if, when, and why they have breached the fair use policy of their ISP – until they are threatened with loss of service, which some ISPs have been doing. With no limits actually published by the ISP the consumers has no idea when the limit has been reached, which ISPA states is unfair.
Yvan Bamping of broadband comparison site http://www.broadband-
A spokesperson from ISPA stated: "ISPA advises its members to be transparent and to explain the consequences of breaking their bandwidth caps or fair usage policies prior to a customer signing an agreement." The association also added: "ISPA recommends members to incorporate any bandwidth caps, allowances or acceptable and fair use policies in their general sales and marketing literature, and on their websites. Information should also be given to the customer at the point of registration for a service."
Regulatory bodies such as Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Agency have stated that ISPs can advertise an unlimited broadband service without having to publish information on what the fair use policy is, providing that they do state that there is a fair use policy in place.
