One in four UK residential fixed broadband connections is now ‘superfast’, offering headline speeds of 30 Mbps or more, according to the latest research published by the regulator Ofcom.
The figure of 25%, valid as of November 2013, contrasts with that of only 5% two years earlier.
The average superfast connection speed has continued to rise, reaching 47 Mbps by November 2013 – an increase of 47%, or 15.1Mbps, since May 2010.
The findings come from Ofcom’s tenth report measuring consumers’ actual broadband connection speeds, as opposed to headline advertised speeds. As well as looking at superfast broadband, it considers ADSL broadband, which accounts for 69% of UK residential broadband connections.
The report reveals that at 17.8 Mbps average actual fixed-line residential broadband speed in the UK is almost five times faster than it was five years ago when Ofcom first began publishing the data (up from 3.6 Mbps in November 2008).
While the growth in average speeds show that investment in broadband technology is delivering benefits for most consumers, the UK picture is uneven. A significant number of households especially those in rural areas, can experience considerably slower speeds. The average urban download speed in November 2013 was 31.9 Mbps, a 21% increase since May 2013, while the average suburban download speed in November 2013 was 21.8Mbit/s, a 22% increase since May 2013.
In rural areas, average speeds increased from 9.9 Mbps to 11.3 Mbps between May and November 2013. However, the sample sizes were small and the figures should be treated as only indicative.
One key reason for the slower speeds in rural areas is the limited availability of superfast broadband services. In addition, broadband speeds over ADSL are generally slower in rural areas because of the longer distances to the telephone exchange.
What is more, problems with slower broadband speeds are not just confined to rural communities but can also affect urban areas.
According to Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, “The growth in superfast broadband and the rise in average speeds is testament to the investment in the sector. But the benefits are not shared evenly across the UK. There is more work needed to deliver wider availability of broadband and superfast broadband, particularly in rural communities but also in some locations within cities to enable wider access to fast internet.”
