To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the
oral contribution of the Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries
of Thursday 15 November 2018, Official Report, column 545, what assessment he has
made of the accuracy of the statement that using the term fibre in advertising for
part-copper broadband is misleading advertising.
<p>The 2017 Digital Strategy set out that Government would work with regulators and
industry to ensure that the advertising of broadband reflects the speeds that consumers
can expect to receive and accurately describes the technology used.</p><p> </p><p>Since
the Digital Strategy was published, the ASA has implemented new guidance, which states
that speed claims should be based on the download speeds available to at least 50%
of customers at peak time, and no longer on 'up to' speeds available to at least 10%
of customers. Ofcom has also updated its Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds.</p><p>
</p><p>The ASA also reviewed the use of the term ‘fibre’ to describe part-fibre and
full-fibre broadband and concluded in November 2017 that the term 'fibre' is unlikely
to mislead consumers as currently used in the advertising of part-fibre broadband
services. In June, the Administrative Court granted CityFibre permission to proceed
with its Judicial Review (JR) of the ASA's decision. The next stage is for the Administrative
Court to make a substantive decision on the JR.</p><p> </p><p>The Government remains
committed to working with regulators and industry to ensure that consumers receive
clear, concise and accurate information in order to make informed choices about their
broadband, particularly as the rollout of new technologies like full fibre broadband
increases.</p>
