Survey on UK’s fastest and slowest streets for broadband
An annual survey by price comparison site uSwitch.com claims to show the UK’s ten fastest and ten slowest streets for broadband download speeds.
The report claims that Kingsclere in Huntington, York was the UK’s slowest street, with download speeds of 0.22 Mbps. The fastest street, meanwhile, was Darwin Street in Livingston, West Lothian, which had download speeds of 182.52 Mbps.
The research was based on data from 122,845 customer speed tests conducted between October 1st 2018 and September 30th 2019. Streets were required to have at least three unique IP addresses and at least ten residential properties per postcode in order to be eligible for inclusion on the list.
Nineteen per cent of the study’s data sample saw download speeds of less than 10 Mbps, although this figure was down from 26.3 per cent in the previous year’s study. While 9 per cent had speeds below 5 Mbps, again a reduction from 13.3 per cent last year. However, the number of users able to access “superfast” broadband speeds of 30 Mbps+ has grown, up to 38 per cent from 31 per cent last year and 22 per cent four years ago.
Dani Warner, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, said: “Our research reveals the digital divide running through Britain. Residents living on one side of a city can be struggling with broadband as slow as molasses, while people just miles away are enjoying ultrafast speeds.”
Warner’s comment highlighted the fact that, while Kingsclere in Huntington, York was ranked as the slowest street, the second fastest street was York Road in Elvington, just four miles away, which had download speeds of 135.56 Mbps.
However, a key contributing factor to the ranking of the slowest streets could be a lack of awareness that faster speeds are available. uSwitch.com notes that, of the ten “slowest” streets, seven were able to access “superfast” broadband, with Warner commenting that: “Lack of awareness regarding superfast broadband is one of the biggest obstacles stopping people from getting faster download speeds.”
