The 400 users broadband services in Europe are confused about prices, speed and range of choices for them DSL connections - according to EU data released today.
According to four new studies, there is virtually no single plan or market coherence DSL services across the EU. Consumers are also confused by the different information provided by operators, so they can not choose the best ones.
Prices for the most common DSL connections can be up to four times in some Member States, even taking into account purchasing power.
66% of citizens do not know for which speed DSL have signed a contract.
Consumers receive, on average, all types of wired DSL connections, the 75% broadband speed for which they have signed a contract. The largest deviation is observed in xDSL connections, to which 36% refers.
Although the successive reforms introduced by the EU in the telecommunications sector have helped to change the telecommunications landscape in the EU, the sector still operates largely with base 28 different national markets. Both consumers and operators face different prices and different rules. The European Parliament will next week vote on a package of measures for the Single Telecom Market aimed at realizing the #ConnectedContinent, which will give consumers more transparency, more rights and better services.
Huge price differences for # broadband connections
European Commission Vice President @NeelieKroesEU said: "There is no single market for the internet and this has to change. There is no valid reason why a person should pay more than 4 times more than another for the same broadband connection. "
The new study shows a price difference of up to 400% between EU countries in terms of fixed offer advertisements DSL services in the category 12-30 megabits per second (Mbp), to which most Europeans subscribe. Prices start from € 10 to € 46 per month, depending on where you live, and could reach € 140 per month.
Price deviations: the cheapest advertisers DSL services are available in Lithuania (from 10,30 euro), Romania (from 11,20 euro) and Latvia (from 14,60 euro). In other countries, the cheapest offer can reach 46,20 euros (Cyprus), while in Spain (38,70 euro) and Ireland (31,40 euro) is not much lower. The largest domestic price fluctuation is observed in Poland, with offers ranging from 20 to 140 euro, and in Croatia - from 30 to 121 euro.
While some differences between markets can be justified on the basis of differences in costs and incomes, the current lack of coherence is largely due to strong market fragmentation. The # Continent Continent will help eliminate price differences by giving consumers greater power and investors a more friendly environment across the EU Single Market and will enable operators to sell their services to consumers in other countries.
Deviations between advertising and reality
Another study from the @SamKnows company made over 7 billions of online almost 10.000 volunteer online measurements and found that the actual download speed can be up to 64% lower than the advertiser.
European Commission Vice President @NeelieKroesEU said: "Although the networks on which broadband connections are based are improving, the gap between advertisers and real speeds is just as great as 2012. This confirms the need to strengthen and harmonize consumer rights as foreseen in the Contiguous Continent package.
"It is now time for companies to start working together to find better ways to advertise and explain their products. This is the reaction I hope will come after these findings. "
Thanks to the proposed #ConnectedContinent reforms, new rights will be granted, such as the right to contract in simple language και με πιο συγκρίσιμες πληροφορίες. Ειδικότερα, οι φορείς εκμετάλλευσης πρέπει να παρέχουν ακριβείς πληροφορίες για την πραγματικά διαθέσιμη ταχύτητα δεδομένων. Οι καταναλωτές θα έχουν περισσότερα δικαιώματα, όπως το δικαίωμα να αλλάζουν πάροχο ή σύμβαση, να καταγγέλλουν τη σύμβασή τους εάν δεν παρέχονται οι διαδικτυακές ταχύτητες που συμφωνήθηκαν, και να απαιτούν την προώθηση των ηλεκτρονικών μηνυμάτων σε μια νέα ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση μετά την αλλαγή του παρόχου υπηρεσιών Internet.
Volunteers are asked:
The @SamKnows study will last until the end of 2014 and one more measurement is planned. European consumers can measure the performance of their own provider by joining a community of volunteers from all 28 countries in the EU as well as from Iceland and Norway. Selected consumers will be sent a small device connected to their home internet connection. This device will run a series of automated tests when the line is not in use. It will determine the speed and performance of the broadband connection.
The background of the four studies
Study BIAC
The European Commission publishes a comparative study of 2013 for DSL internet access (BIAC) held in all EU Member States, as well as in Canada, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, California, Colorado, New York State, Switzerland and Turkey. The study is mainly based on information collected in the period 1-15 February 2013. The study analyzes the offers of online service providers. Information for this period was compared, where applicable, with similar information previously collected in February 2011 and February 2012.
Study @SamKnows
This study, which was prepared by @SamKnows on behalf of the European Commission, measures the difference between internet speed for which consumers pay and internet speed actually received. The results are based on performance at peak times, ie from 7.00m to 11.00pm on working days. This is the @SamKnows second study (while a third study is planned for 2014).
It is based on a methodology that uses hardware devices and provides the most accurate and independent results about online performance regardless of access technology and home networking. This methodology has also been used by national regulators in the USA, the UK, Brazil and Singapore.
A total of 7.184.604,603 measurements were made from 9.467 devices in 30 countries in 63.666.843 testing.
The second report was completed independently of the providers of Internet services, who are nevertheless invited to participate in the third report.
Eurobarometer survey
The Eurobarometer survey measures users' opinion on telecommunication services in all EU Member States in February 2014.
COCOM Report
The Commission publishes information gathered in the Communications Committee (COCOM) by 2003 on the number of broadband subscriptions in Member States. The report is based on data from relevant ministries and regulators, as well as other broadband statistics published by the Commission (on wholesale, retail and broadband support).
