Ofcom has called on the major internet service providers (ISPs) to allow customers to try out broadband connections before they sign up, in an attempt to address the problem of customers experiencing speeds slower than those advertised.

'Try before you buy' broadband was one of a range of options proposed by the regulator to address "widespread concern" among consumers, who typically sign up to deals offering speeds of 'up to' a certain amount, but in fact experience far slower connections.

Among the other measures suggested by the regulator were the ability for customers to exit from contracts early if they were disappointed with their package, and better advice from ISPs at the point of sale about the speeds individual phone lines can support, which vary widely.

In a letter to the six largest ISPs, including BT, Carphone Warehouse, Orange, and Tiscali, the Ofcom Consumer Panel said: "People need to be able to see what they are buying, what influences the performance of the product, and how to do something about it."

"Against these tests, we believe that broadband customers are not getting enough information."

The panel, which advises Ofcom on consumer issues, acknowledged that there were "technical reasons" that affected broadband speeds, such as the distance of any house from the nearest exchange and the level of internet traffic at any given time, but said that advice to customers needed to be clearer.

A spokesman for BT said the group was "carefully considering" the points raised by the panel, but maintained that the advertising on its advertising was clear about the potential for speeds to vary. He added that BT was able to advise individual customers on the speed - or "line rate" - they could expect by testing the connection between their house and the exchange.

Paul Allen, editor of Computer Active magazine, which has called for customers to be given greater clarity about broadband speeds, said that providers only ever conducted line rate tests when asked, and that such tests should be mandatory during sign-up.

"The difference between the maximum speed and the typical speed experienced is only ever in the small print, and many customers sign up to 12 or 18 months packages only to be disappointed with the speed they are getting, and then find it difficult to get out of their contracts," he said.

A Which? report in August concluded that while many packages now advertise speeds of 'up to' 8 megabytes per second (Mbps), the average speed for such connections was 2.7 Mbps.

Only 30 per cent customers were satisfied with their ISP, with some of the biggest providers - Orange, Bulldog and Tiscali - being among the most poorly rated, the study suggested.

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