Broadband shakeup to let customers with slow speeds leave contract early

Ofcom toughens up industry code of practice, which will benefit subscribers who are not getting the minimum speed promised when they signed up

Consumers whose broadband speed doesn't match what they signed up to will soon be able to ditch their provider at any point during a contract, under rules announced by the communications watchdog.

Sharon White, the new chief executive of Ofcom, said she wanted to toughen the industry code of practice to allow subscribers to switch provider if they were not getting the minimum speed they were promised when they signed up.