Consumer advocates hope the FTC will take a hard look at how ISPs advertise broadband service by telling consumers that, for a certain monthly fee, they can access the Internet at speeds "up to" -- and then make a claim about speed.

When the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission delivered an important speech last year about competition in cyberspace, she ended her remarks by focusing on an issue that directly affects the 65 million U.S. households that have broadband Internet service.

"We will continue our consumer protection work," FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras said at a conference in Aspen, Colo., "by, for example, holding Internet service providers accountable for any false or deceptive representations to consumers concerning the nature of the Internet access provided."

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