- Broadband Genie analyzed 265,572 speed tests from consumers across the UK
- Canterbury has the worst average speeds, while Belfast has the best connection
We’ve all been there: You go to download a movie or listen to a song, only to be met with the “spinning wheel of death.”
Poor broadband speeds are something many Brits have to contend with, and now new figures have revealed which cities have the worst connections.
Consumer speed testing by Broadband Genie reveals that Canterbury is the city with the slowest average speeds, closely followed by Ripon and Chester.
By contrast, residents of Belfast, Portsmouth and Milton Keynes enjoy the fastest average speeds, according to the report.
“No broadband customer should accept poor service, especially in a year when we’ve seen record price increases across the industry,” said Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie.
Poor broadband speeds are something many Brits have to contend with, and now new figures have revealed the cities with the worst connections.
In the study, Broadband Genie analyzed 265,572 speed tests from consumers across the UK.
At a city level, Canterbury ranked at the bottom of the list, with residents experiencing average speeds of just 34.4MB.
It was followed by Ripon (39.9 Mb), Chester (43.6 Mb), Carlisle (46 Mb) and Worcester (46.9 Mb).
At the other end of the spectrum, Belfast topped the list, with average speeds of 152MB.
Portsmouth (122 Mb) was not far behind, along with Milton Keynes (117.2 Mb), Derry (114.9) and Plymouth (109.5 Mb).
Scroll down to the average speeds for all UK cities.
Meanwhile, across all areas of the UK, the town of Halkirk in Caithness was named the slowest area, with residents receiving average speeds of just 2.8MB.
For reference, Ofcom advises that 10Mb is the “decent” minimum speed that homes should receive.
By contrast, Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire enjoys the fastest broadband speeds in the UK, with an impressive average of 409MB per home.
“Most of Britain’s largest providers adhere to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice,” Mr Tufts said.
‘This means they must be clear about the speeds you should expect in their direction, including a guaranteed minimum they must maintain.
We’ve all been there: you go to download a movie or listen to a song, only to be met with the ‘spinning wheel of death’.
‘Speed tests are a useful tool to periodically monitor the performance you are receiving. If they don’t deliver as promised, contact your supplier and raise the issue.
‘It’s worth bearing in mind that poor broadband speeds can also be influenced by factors outside your provider’s control, so make sure you check these first.
‘Poor home wiring or a faulty or poorly located router could be affecting your Wi-Fi.
‘Residents of slower towns and cities may also be suffering unnecessarily as there are faster speeds available in their area if they switch.
‘If you’re out of contract and looking to upgrade your broadband, do a quick online comparison to see the best deals on offer.
“You may even end up paying less for better, faster service.”
