Has Your Broadband Provider Offered You The Right Broadband Speed?

Broadband speeds in the UK vary wildly, depending on a number of key factors such as the location of your home, the services available in your area and the number of other local users who are connected to the internet via broadband. By 2012 the government plans to roll out at least 2Mbps connections to every UK household, but experts say that this speed is in itself conservative and fibre optic technology which is continually being deployed nationwide will let you receive up to 50Mbps already.

However, there is controversy over the way in which broadband packages are advertised based on their speeds, as providers usually sell themselves on the theoretical maximum download speed that their service is capable of, masking the fact that in reality most users will never achieve this maximum speed because of technological restrictions and other unforeseen factors. This means that for the majority of people who use ADSL broadband to connect to the internet via their existing BT landline, the maximum speed of 8Mbps which many providers tout is in fact going to be far off from the real world speeds they'll experience, with many getting less than half of that maximum.

It's for this reason that performing a broadband speed test on your own connection at home will help you cut through the advertising gibberish and tell you the true speed of your connection. This can then be used for a variety of different reasons.

Broadband speed tests work simply by downloading a file to and uploading a file from your home PC using your broadband connection. The speed at which this occurs will be recorded and displayed in real-time on screen so that you can accurately gauge the speed of your connection. You can then compare this against the speed the connection was advertised at and many people use broadband speed test to help them in their search for a new provider.

Make sure that you use a broadband speed test site that is based in the region or country which you are in otherwise the results will be distorted. Also make sure that you limit any other network activity for the duration of the test to ensure an accurate reading is taken. Broadband speed test results can be used in partnership with your existing ISP to resolve any connection issues.

If you're dissatisfied with your broadband service and want a change, head to a price comparison site online. You'll be able to check out which other options are available in your area as well as being able to use the broadband speed test which most sites offer to help you in your search.

Once you've picked a new provider you'll need to start the process of migrating your connection over in the case of most ADSL customers, with your existing provider giving you a MAC code and arranging the switchover date. The process itself is almost always relatively painless and you'll have to make sure you've fulfilled any contractual obligations.