Internet users across Europe face geographic lottery regarding the price, speed, and range of choice of broadband, according to new EU research. Four new studies shows that there is virtually no pattern or coherence in broadband markets across the EU. Consumers are also confused by the varying information provided by operators, limiting their ability to make the choice that best suits them. The research shows that prices for the most common broadband connections can be up to four times higher in some Member States, 66 percent of consumers do not know what Internet speed they have signed up for, and internet users only get 75 percent of the broadband speed they sign up for, on average.
One new study shows up to 400 percent price difference between EU countries in advertised broadband offers in the 12-30 Mbps category of fixed broadband that most Europeans subscribe to. Prices start from EUR 10-EUR 46 per month, and reach up to EUR 140 per month. The cheapest advertised broadband is available in Lithuania (from EUR 10.30), Romania (from EUR 11.20) and Latvia (from EUR 14.60); in other countries, the lowest available offer can be as high as EUR 46.20 (Cyprus), with Spain (EUR 38.70) and Ireland (EUR 31.40) not far behind. The biggest domestic price range is in Poland, with offers ranging from EUR 20 up to EUR 140, and Croatia – from EUR 30 up to EUR 121.
Another study, by @SamKnows, took more than 7 billion measurements of the internet connections of almost 10,000 volunteers and found actual download speeds can be as little as 64 percent of what is advertised. The European Parliament will soon vote on the Commission’s plans for a 'ConnectedContinent' which address the problems of different rules and pricing in member states by offering consumers more transparency, more rights and better services.
