Mobile Phones: Operators Asked to be Honest About Mobile Broadband Speeds
Broadband watchdog, Broadband Genie claims that government legislation could soon come into practice to prevent networks advertising unrealistic mobile broadband speeds via a dongle.
A recent survey of over 6,000 mobile broadband download speeds revealed that the average download speed went up by a mere 0.2mb between January and December of last year – all this while mobile phone carriers have been advertising speeds of between 3.6 and 7.2mbps.
If networks continue to advertise unrealistic broadband speed figures it is likely that consumers will lose faith in the service and swap their mobile broadband dongle for a smartphone boasting 3G connectivity.
Broadband Genie added: “Our tests show that average has gone up across 2009 to an average closer to 1.1Mb, but 'up to' claims have gone through the roof. The latest dongles are being advertised at anything up to 7.2Mb, which is frankly ridiculous.
“While the advertising doesn't lie – the dongles are capable of these speeds – the reality for customers is very different. The outcome can only be a huge swathe of disappointed punters who may be turned off of mobile broadband for good.”
Many UK mobile users have turned to smartphones (http://www.foneshop.com) already for the portability and connectivity of such handsets made by the likes of BlackBerry, HTC and Nokia. Depending on 3G network coverage, users can often get comparatively good download speeds to their smartphone - with the added practicality of it doubling up as a mobile phone with touch-screens and built-in QWERTY keyboards.
