New research from uSwitch suggests that many of us are clueless when it comes to download limits and could be at risk of having our broadband service limited, suspended or even terminated as a result. Of those polled by the price comparison site 47% - equivalent to 8.1 million people - did not know their download limit, while 39% believed that they were on a completely 'unlimited' package, when in reality, there's only one provider that offers this service.
So, do you know your limit when it comes to broadband downloads Many of us think we do, but the problem is that often 'unlimited' broadband isn't really unlimited broadband. Fair usage policies and small print mean that broadband companies can get away with classing packages as 'unlimited', when in reality they aren't. Why Because somewhere in your terms and conditions it will usually state that the company has the right to limit your broadband service if your usage is 'excessive'. However, very few companies actually define what they mean by the term 'excessive', so it's next to impossible to know what will push you over your so-called 'unlimited' broadband download limit.
Shockingly, broadband providers aren't breaking any rules by doing this - the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) currently allows them to describe services as 'unlimited' even if there is a fair usage cap, so long as it is detailed somewhere in the small print.
Despite numerous calls for greater clarity and transparency for customers over download limits, just three of the major broadband providers advertise the real limits on their services – they are Sky Broadband, TalkTalk and AOL Broadband. Sky Broadband has also thrown down the gauntlet to other broadband providers, and has launched the first and only completely unlimited download service in the UK.
The problem is compounded by the fact that a large number of broadband users have no idea what their online activity adds up to in terms of usage and downloads. Many people don't realise that sending emails, viewing web pages, watching TV online with services like BBC iPlayer and uploading files all count towards your usage, as well as the more obvious culprits like downloading files like music and video. As we all come to rely on broadband more for almost everything - shopping, banking, keeping in touch with friends and family, watching TV and listening to music - our download usage is likely to increase too. As this demand for downloads grows, so will the need for greater transparency regarding download limits, in order to prevent an increasing number of people unknowingly exceeding their limit and putting themselves at risk of having their broadband service limited, suspended or terminated as a result.
