Consumers in Northern Ireland are generally happy with the broadband speeds they are receiving, a new study has revealed.

Research conducted by media regulator Ofcom indicated that 83 per cent of citizens are 'fairly' or 'very' satisfied with the download speeds they have access to.

This is up from 70 per cent in 2010, suggesting that recent network infrastructure upgrades have had the desired effect in terms of improving customer service levels.

Northern Ireland currently has the greatest fibre broadband coverage of any country in the UK, following significant investment from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, BT and other broadband providers.

In urban areas, 88 per cent of respondents said they are happy with their current broadband speeds, compared to 75 per cent of those living in the countryside.

Broadband penetration has continued to rise in Northern Ireland in recent years.

Some 75 per cent of households in the Six Counties are now signed up to a broadband deal, compared to just 52 per cent in 2008.

Ofcom's Northern Ireland Director Jonathan Rose commented: "Over the last five years we have caught up, and in some cases overtaken, the rest of the UK in the use of the latest communications services."