Perhaps unsurprisingly to most UK broadband users, it appears that there is an emerging difference between the broadband speeds advertised by internet providers, and what speed you might actually accomplish.

It seems that France and Japan are the most obvious places to be when it comes to not only receiving super-fast broadband, but also getting comparatively greater usage allowances.

The issue of download limits is a hot topic at the moment with many internet service providers claiming to offer unlimited download allowances that are in fact subject to fair usage policies, which means you will be charged for going over and above that limit.

Other providers such as Pipex have recently introduced more transparent broadband packages, meaning users pay in proportion to how much they download or what they need, and can choose to pay a top up fee should they need to go over their normal monthly limit.