UK’s worst street for broadband is more than 800 times slower than the fastest
The UK’s slowest street for broadband is Kingsclere, Huntington in York — with average download speeds of 0.22Mbps[1]
This is 830 times slower than Darwin Street, Livingston in Scotland, which boasts average speeds of 182.52Mbps[2]
The average UK speed is 54.2Mbps[3], yet a fifth (19%) of homes struggle with speeds of less than 10Mbps and one in ten (9%) crawl along below 5Mbps[4]
One street in York boasts speeds of 135.56Mbps, while the UK’s worst street is just 16 minutes drive away — with download times 616 times slower[4]
Seven of the ten streets struggling with the slowest speeds are able to get superfast fibre broadband[5]
The slowest broadband in the UK, with an average download speed of 0.22Mbps, is found in Kingsclere, Huntington in York, according to the latest consumer speed tests collated by Uswitch.com, the price comparison and switching service.
Kingsclere suffers average speeds a staggering 829 times slower than the UK’s fastest street, Darwin Street, Livingston in Scotland, where average speeds have reached 182.52Mbps over the past year[2].
In Kingsclere it would take more than 65 hours to download a two-hour HD film on Netflix and at least 24 hours to download a 45-minute HD TV show. By contrast, on Darwin Street it would take less than five minutes to download the same film and less than two minutes to download the same TV show[6].
According to the research, which is based on more than 122,845 ‘real world’ speed tests run by broadband users over the last year, a fifth (19%) struggle with speeds of less than 10Mbps, while one in ten (9%) crawl along at less than 5Mbps[4].
However, the number of broadband users enjoying faster speeds is growing. Nearly four in ten users (38%) now get speeds of more than 30Mbps, up from less than a quarter (22%) four years ago[7]. But despite the fact that superfast broadband is now available to 95%[8] of the country, a recent uSwitch survey found that only six in ten Brits (61%) believe they can access it in their local area[9].
In York, it’s a tale of two cities as residents in York Road, Elvington, enjoy ultrafast speeds of 135.56Mbps, while households just 16 minutes drive away in Kingsclere, Huntingdon, are enduring broadband that crawls along at just 0.22Mbps[4] — more than 616 times slower.
Superfast fibre broadband is available on seven out of the ten slowest streets (70%)[5], suggesting that consumers are being deprived of a better service by a lack of awareness.
Table – UK’s ten slowest streets for broadband
Table – UK’s ten fastest streets for broadband
Dani Warner, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says: “If Charles Dickens were writing A Tale Of Two Cities today, it could begin, ‘It was the best of broadband, it was the worst of broadband.’
“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.
“It’s ridiculous to think that it would take someone in York Road, Elvington less than seven minutes to download a two-hour HD film like Toy Story 4, yet it would take more than two and a half days for someone living less than 16 minutes drive away in Kingsclere, Huntington.
“Lack of awareness regarding superfast broadband is one of the biggest obstacles stopping people from getting faster download speeds.
“More than two-thirds of the slowest streets have access to superfast broadband, so we urge residents there — and anyone else unhappy with their broadband speeds — to visit uSwitch.com to see what speeds they could be getting.”
Anyone frustrated with their broadband service can test what speed they’re getting at www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest
Find out how you could save over £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rory Stoves
Phone: 020 3872 5613
Email: rory.stoves@uswitch.com
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Notes to editors Broadband users ran a total of 122,845 consumer speed tests during the twelve-month period 1st October 2018 to 30th September 2019 inclusive, using Uswitch.com’s free speed testing tool. We took the slowest and fastest postcodes from the 122,845 speeds tests within 3,928 postcodes. In order for a street to qualify for inclusion in the top or bottom 30, tests from at least three unique IP addresses and at least 10 residential properties were required at a postcode.
See tables of UK’s 10 slowest and 10 fastest streets for broadband
Fastest street in the UK is Darwin Street (182.52Mbps) and the slowest street is Kingsclere (0.22Mbps). Calculation: 182.52/0.22 = 829.6
Average download speeds is now 54.2Mbps according to the latest Ofcom research.
Uswitch.com analysis of speed data
Out of the UK’s 10 slowest streets seven of them have access to superfast (fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)) broadband (70%)
Calculated using this online tool: https://www.download-time.com File sizes: average 2-hour HD film on Netflix is 6GB, average HD 45-minute TV show on Netflix is 2.25GB
Based on 1,030,865 consumers’ tests taken during the six-month period Aug 2014-Feb 2015. More details can be found here.
Uswitch.com surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults (aged 18+) from 4th to 8th October 2019. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria. Respondents were asked: ‘Do you know if it is possible to get superfast broadband in your postcode?’ The net response for ‘yes’ was 61%
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