Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Gadget Show campaign on broadband speeds

The Gadget Show has launched a campaign to get ISPs to be more honest in their advertising about the real speeds that people can expect from their broadband services.  Ofcom and various consumer groups have complained to ISPs for some years about misleading adverstising but to little real effect. TV shows, fortunately or unfortunately, can have a power that transcends mere official regulators or civil society.  They seem, at least, to have more impact in rousing the masses to take an interest in a particular issue, so this particular campaign will be an interesting one to watch.

Perhaps Jason Bradbury (who my kids hugely admire and call "a big kid" with his seemingly boundless enthusiasm for technology) and his Gadget Show colleagues will have a little more impact than previous efforts to shift the communications companies' behaviour.

Incidentally, if you do have kids in the 9+ bracket, I can recommend Jason Bradbury's books, Dot Robot and Atomic Swarm. Fun adventure stories.

No comments: