News
BackDate:15 August 2012
Average UK broadband speed up by almost 20%
The average home broadband speed in the UK is now 9 Megabits-per-second, according to research by Ofcom. This is 18% higher than the average recorded in November last year of 7.6Mbps, and follows the arrival of superfast broadband connections from BT and Virgin Media which have boosted the average residential speed in the UK. Ofcom’s report also reveals that broadband speeds have more than doubled over the past three years, up from 4.1Mbps in May 2009.
The fastest home broadband services include Virgin Media’s ‘up to’ 100Mbps service, which Ofcom said delivers an actual average speed of around 88.3Mbps. BT Infinity, which offers speeds of up to 76Mbps, delivers an average of 58.5Mbps, according to Ofcom.
Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “Our research shows that the move to faster broadband services is gathering momentum. Consumers are benefitting from network upgrades and the launch of new superfast packages, giving them faster speeds and greater choice.
“We are continuing to work with the advertising code-writing bodies and ISPs to ensure that speeds advertised reflect actual speeds experienced, to allow consumers the ability to make informed decisions when shopping around to find the most suitable package.”
Ofcom’s research also revealed that 10% of Britons currently have broadband speeds of less than 2Mbps. The UK Government has committed to broadband speeds of at least 2Mbps for the entire UK population by 2015, promising the best broadband network within Europe.