UK broadband outperforming rest of Europe, report finds
Broadband coverage in the UK is consistently better than in other major European countries, a new study has found.
While the UK's broadband roll-out has been the subject of criticism in recent months, with questions raised over how it will provide superfast broadband access to the most rural parts of the country, the report by Analysys Mason suggests that it is still outperforming its European counterparts.
According to the report, the UK is around three years ahead of other major European countries when it comes to the speed and coverage of its broadband services. Furthermore, the research suggests that the UK is on course to become world leading within five years as it can already rival the broadband infrastructure available in places like Japan and South Korea.
Analysys Mason partner Matt Yardley stated: "The debate continues to rage over how the UK fares when it comes to broadband speeds, coverage and pricing, and this report shows it is doing very well.
"When it comes to superfast broadband coverage, the UK is around three years ahead of the western European average, and by 2020 we expect the UK will be ahead of the US and similar to Japan."
The data from Analysys Mason shows that 78 per cent of premises in the UK can access superfast broadband, although it is important to note that the government's definition of superfast broadband is speeds of 24Mbps and above, which is lower than many broadband authorities who say 'superfast' applies to speeds of 30Mbps and upwards.
Nevertheless, 78 per cent is still higher than other major European countries, including Germany (77 per cent) and Italy (34 per cent). By the end of 2017, it is predicted that 95 per cent of premises in the UK would be able to access superfast.
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