The UK has to do that because the fastest widely-deployed internet connections available are VDSL2. DSL connections in general are relatively unreliable, and sp

The UK has to do that because the fastest widely-deployed internet connections available are VDSL2. DSL connections in general are relatively unreliable, and speeds vary wildly depending on a variety of factors, most importantly the length of the cable between you and your cabinet/exchange. Australian folks may chime in here with tales of their DSL connections dropping out during heavy rain, when their telephone junction boxes fill with water and short out. If the UK had deployed fit-for-purpose tech like Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH), there would be much less need for the UK's advertising regulations. (Obviously speeds are never guaranteed on residential connections, but advertised fibre speeds are a much more accurate predictor of internet experience than DSL or cable.) "But", you might say, "that BT page is advertising 'Superfast Fibre'!". Well, yes, in the UK it is legal for telcos to lie to their customers. When they say fibre, they mean Fibre-To-The-Cabinet - and VDSL the rest of the way. Would anyone call their 3G mobile service "Superfast Fibre" because the tower is fibre-fed? No. For whatever reason, though, this is totally okay in the UK.