Average UK broadband speeds 'stand at 5Mbps'
25 October 2011 15:10:58
 |
| The average UK broadband speed is 5Mbps, new figures suggest. |
IT specialist Akamai has released its second quarter State of the Internet report, which suggests that the UK ranks 25th in the world for typical broadband speeds, despite having one of the world's largest web-connected populations.
Akamai's research also indicated how important it is for consumers to thoroughly compare broadband deals when choosing a provider. While 91% of the country's online population receive speeds in excess of 2Mbps, only 30% are provided with more than 5Mbps by their internet service provider (ISP).
This compares poorly with the Netherlands, Europe's leading country in the survey, where there is an average connection speed of 8.5Mbps and 68% of the population receive more than 5Mbps.
Akamai's list of the 100 cities with the fastest average connection speed was dominated by Asia, with 59 Japanese cities included, as well as 10 from South Korea. None of the UK's cities were included in the top 100.
The UK figures differ slightly from those issued by UK communications regulator Ofcom earlier this year. In July, it published research indicating that the average broadband speed stood at 6.8Mbps in May, a 10% increase compared with the end of 2010.
However, the watchdog did highlight the large discrepancy between advertised 'up to' speeds and real-world performance, which is typically much slower. At the time of publication, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: "The research is still telling us that some consumers are not receiving anywhere near the speeds that are being advertised by some ISPs."
‹ Back
Other Broadband deals News
-
Ofcom: UK enjoying faster broadband speeds
Many Britons switched to faster broadband deals last year. -
Compare broadband to save money, Ofcom says
Switching broadband deals is one way to save money. -
Wireless subscriptions drive broadband growth
Wireless broadband is becoming more popular. -
Broadband costs boosted by value-added services
Services such as VoIP are often included in broadband deals.
All Broadband deals News
Other Home Page News
-
Think twice before taking out a payday loan
Payday loan customers may experience severe financial problems in future. -
Planning a trip? Here's where to spend your travel cash
Sterling has made strong gains against many currencies this year. -
Make sure you know your likely broadband speed
Many ISPs are still not being upfront about broadband speeds. -
Save money by checking out fixed-term energy deals
Energy costs are expected to rise again this winter.
All News Stories
Product Offers
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.
Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.
Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.