Telecoms regulator Ofcom is set to launch an investigation into the speed of UK broadband services amid concerns that connections are not as fast as advertised.

The communications watchdog is concerned that customers are getting ripped off by internet service providers (ISPs) because they lure customers in with speeds that will never be attainable.

Many ISPs claim to offer broadband of 8 megabits-per-second (mbps), with others saying you can get up to 20 mbps – which is the UK’s top available speed.

In practice, your internet speed is wholly dependant on the distance you are from the telephone exchange and the number of users on the network at the same time.

Ofcom have estimated that only about half of those customers paying for an 8 mbps connection are actually close enough to get that kind of speed.

The six month probe will examine how broadband seeds are affected by various factors including region, ISP choice and the time of day. The findings will likely put further pressure on companies to increase their investments in next-generation broadband access.

Ofcom has made it clear on many occasions that if the UK des not invest in new technology (upgrading the current copper wire network) we could be left behind on the information superhighway. They cite as an example: if a large number of people wanted to watch high definition television over the internet, the network would struggle.

Already though there are company’s who are looking into developing the network; Virgin Media is looking at ways of offering 50 mbps broadband over its cable network, and BT has said that at new developments, such as Ebbsfleet in Kent, it can offer speeds of up to 100 mbps by installing fibre-optic cables. However, BT say that to upgrade all UK households to fibre optic would cost more than £15bn and the company is reluctant to commit to such a project.

Ofcom has also published a code of practice to internet service providers to ensure they tell customers the truth about what speeds they are likely to receive. Some 32 internet companies, covering 90 percent of the UK’s broadband customers, have already agreed to follow the code.

Ofcom has made it clear that if the voluntary code was not effective, it would consider more formal regulation.