Ofcom’s Ed Richards and the disgruntled citizen-consumer

I thought it was pretty amusing depressing to see Ed Richards’ response to this one consumer’s question about misleading broadband speed claims and poor service:

Qu: I live within easy walking distance of a BT exchange. I pay for BT Broadband. I do not expect to receive downloads at “up to 8meg”. I expect to receive downloads of at least 2.5meg.

Why then cannot BT answer my repeated questions upon receipt of Broadband at 225k. Will I be expected to continue to pay Broadband prices for dial-up service. Hope that’s not too technical for you. I could walk to the BT Exchange to receive downloads from an old Roneo copier, faster. Barry Prestwich

ER: There are a number of reasons why some customers cannot get higher speed services, including the length of their line, use of different materials for the line e.g. aluminium, sharing of lines and generally poor quality copper.

Industry is in the process of addressing many of these to increase broadband availability. However, issues with line length will remain.

In these circumstances, new super-fast broadband technologies may offer prospects for higher bandwidths to customers who receive a poorer quality broadband service. Other alternatives include mobile broadband and satellite broadband services. Making sure customers know what speed their line can support before buying broadband is also important. The code of practice that we agreed with industry on information at the point of sale looks to deliver this for customers.

Wow.  Ed didn’t exactly leap out of his chair in sympathy for this consumer. 

How about showing a little regulatory outrage for this fairly typical story?  What’s the use in making a personal appearance in an online chat if you are just going to talk about line length and the future prospects for ’super-fast broadband’.  The consumer already said he lives near the exchange.  And promises about an even rosier future fall a little flat when your current service stinks and the CEO of the regulator talks right past you.

It’s a bit like a cop telling a crime victim there are many reasons why crime occurs…

I’ve observed Ofcom quite closely on this issue over the past few years.  My take is that the regulator too often apologises for poor industry service instead of taking umbrage and doing something about it.  I thought Ofcom turned a corner when — after pressure from Colette Bowe and the Ofcom Consumer Panel — it decided to undertake a broadband census.  But it still seems like Ofcom doesn’t quite hear the steady consumer drumbeat of broadband mis-selling and poor service.

Barry Prestwich:  you had better keep that Roneo well-maintained!