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Broadband users aren't getting the speeds they are paying for, says Ofcom. One reason is because the signal degrades over distance when sent through copper wires, so where do the missing megabits go?

Nearly one fifth of those on an eight megabits per second (Mbps) connection actually receive less than 2Mbps.

They aren't lost in the way that you would lose water pressure through a leaky water pipe. The extra megabits per second you are paying for and not receiving are usually never given in the first place, say experts.

In most cases the speed of your broadband ADSL connection is set from the start, it doesn't get slower or faster. So if it's only 2Mbps then that's the speed it was sent out from your local telephone exchange, even if you paid for a faster connection.

Several factors decide this rate but the main one is "sync speed", says Richard Shaw from SamKnows, a broadband measurement site and Ofcom's technical partner.

Broadband works best on a stable line and "sync speed" is the most stable speed possible on your line. It is calculated between the exchange and the ADSL modem in your home before the connection is fully established and working.

"You could think of it like a greeting between two people at the start of a phone call before the main conversation starts," says Mr Shaw.

There are two factors that decide "sync speed". The first is line attenuation, which is the natural loss of the signal due to the distance you are from an exchange.

This is the most referred to factor in broadband quality because a signal sent through copper wires degrades over distance. Quite simply the further you are from an exchange, the longer the copper wire used and the worse the signal.

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