Britons Confused By Fancy Broadband Buzzwords

Here’s a message to broadband providers across the UK: your customers have no idea what you’re talking about.

All the talk about megabit, megabytes, services, solutions… it’s making people confused.

That is what a survey, conducted by telecoms advice site Cable.co.uk has shown.

The survey of 2,000 UK broadband customers shows that a huge majority of Britons do not clearly understand the language used by broadband providers to describe their products.

Only eight per cent of people say they know what a megabit is and were able to correctly define it as both a measure of speed and of data.

Meanwhile, only 11 per cent could correctly define the term ‘superfast’ as a broadband connection that delivers 24Mbps or better.

Commenting on the results, telecoms expert and Cable.co.uk editor-in-chief Dan Howdle said: “Thanks to the ubiquity of broadband, terms like ‘megabit’ and ‘superfast’ have entered every day parlance, but I don’t find it at all surprising that so many are unaware of their correct meaning.

More meaningless buzzwords means bigger sales, he says.

“Broadband providers, much like manufacturers and suppliers of technology in other fields, know well that ‘technical buzzword plus big number’ equals sales. Just look at the markets for TVs, cameras and mobile handsets and their ever-increasing – and ever more meaningless – complements of megapixels.

According to Howdle, providers are to blame, for not doing enough to clarify what’s being offered.

“The blame lies firmly at the feet of the providers, who are clearly not doing enough to ensure clarity surrounding the broadband deals they are advertising.”