New research indicates that one million UK consumers have either exceeded or nearly exceeding their broadband usage limits, according to the consumer group uSwitch. "Eighteen months after the unlimited broadband debacle first hit the headlines and around nine out of ten broadband users (86%) still don't understand the limit on their service," says the report.

From the report: "New research from uSwitch.com reveals that 6.2 million broadband customers wrongly believe they have an unlimited broadband service and a further 7.5 million do not know what their limit is — a total of 13.7 million confused customers. This has led to almost 1 million consumers nearly reaching or exceeding their limit in the last year alone, an issue that could be avoided if providers clearly stated their 'unlimited limits'."

Tim Wolfenden, Head of Communications at uSwitch.com, says: "The solution is easy, broadband companies should not be allowed to class their packages as unlimited if they are not. Providers are confusing consumers to the extent that broadband users do not even know if they are exceeding a user limit. Broadband usage levels have gone through the roof as more and more consumers are using things such as on-demand TV services. With so much reliance on broadband, having the service disconnected could feel to someone as serious as having their electricity cut off. As providers aren't choosing to be fully transparent about this issue, people need to be savvy when choosing their broadband packages and pay close attention to the small print."

Read full story: BBC

Related topics: Access Providers, Broadband, Telecom