MSPs back calls for urgent broadband improvements

More than 50 MPs have backed calls for urgent improvements to Britain's broadband amid warnings nearly seven million connections may not reach a proposed minimum standard.

The British Infrastructure Group of MPs are demanding automatic compensation for families who do not get the internet speeds they pay for, with Ofcom urged to get tougher on broadband providers.

A new report by the group, titled Broadbad 2.0'', found as many as 6.7 million UK broadband connections may not receive download speeds above the Government's proposed minimum of 10 megabits per second (Mb/s).

Less than half of all UK connections are thought not to receive superfast speeds of 24 Mb/s.

However, the MPs say data gathered by regulator Ofcom does not distinguish between connections for customers not signed up to superfast broadband, and those customers not getting the speeds they are paying for.

They argue that under the current system it is almost impossible'' to determine how many households do not receive the speeds set out in their contracts.

Former Tory party chairman Grant Shapps, who chairs the group, said: Although broadband is increasingly considered to be an essential utility, the quality of customer services has simply not caught up with demand.

It is unacceptable that there are still no minimum standards in the UK telecoms sector to protect customers from protracted complaints procedures, and ensure that broadband providers are fully accountable to their customers.''

Analysis of download speed data recorded by Ofcom in 2015 and 2016 suggested 40.8% of all broadband connections reached speeds above the threshold for superfast broadband.

The Scottish constituency of Ross, Skye and Lochaber was the worst-performing of all parliamentary constituencies, with 65.6% of connections getting download speeds below 10 Mb/s.

The cross-party report, backed by 57 MPs, says it is unacceptable'' Ofcom has not considered automatic compensation for households that consistently get a poor service below what they are paying for.

The MPs want Ofcom to produce better data on the take-up and availability of connections, and consider legal rather than voluntary codes of practice for internet providers.

The report says none of the major broadband providers currently signed up to Ofcom's voluntary codes of practice could provide the group with details of their complaints procedures and the amount of compensation they pay to their customers.

This year's Digital Economy Act set out a so-called universal service obligation across the country, which defined a minimum broadband download speed of 10 Mb/s