UK homes should check their Wi-Fi speeds and switch suppliers if things aren’t up to scratch.
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The UK’s worst areas for broadband speeds have just been confirmed and it’s a good reminder for all of us to make sure we are getting the downloads we’re paying for. It appears that some parts of the country are suffering from seriously dismal internet access with homes getting speeds that are far below the UK average (around 70Mbps).
According to new stats released by Broadband Genie, residents living on Greenfields Road, Bishop Auckland (DL14 9TQ) are the facing the worst broadband in Britain with speeds of just 0.35Mbps being beamed into homes. At that dire rate, it would take over 5 hours to download a full Hollywood blockbuster movie and almost a week to whizz a new game to the PS5 and Xbox consoles.
Along with Greenfields Road, those living in Collingdale Road, Northampton (NN3 2TS) and Southcote Farm Lane, Reading (RG30 3DU) are also struggling to get online with speeds averaging under 0.65Mbps.
To get these figures, Broadband Genie says it recorded and analysed over 207,000 speed tests to crown the winners and losers when it comes to speeds. Incredibly, there are other parts of the UK, such as Tynemouth Street in London, seeing downloads at welll over over 900Mbps – at that blisteringly quick rate a full HD movie could be downloaded in under 40 seconds!
So where are the best and worst places for broadband? Here’s the full list according to Broadband Genie
THE SLOWEST AREAS FOR BROADBAND
• STREET – Greenfields Road, Bishop Auckland – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.35Mbps
• STREET – Collingdale Road, Northampton – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.47Mbps
• STREET – Southcote Farm Lane, Reading – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.61Mbps
• STREET – Water Lane, Oakham – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.62Mbps
• STREET – Barrowgate Road, London – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.67Mbps
• STREET – Birch Grove, Gillingham – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.72Mbps
• STREET – Falmouth Close, Eastbourne – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.73Mbps
• STREET – Grosvenor Street, Liverpool – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.81Mbps
• STREET – Garden Lane, Royston – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.86Mbps
• STREET – Turnberry Crescent, Aberdeen – DOWNLOAD SPEED 0.90Mbps
THE FASTEST AREAS FOR BROADBAND
• STREET – Tynemouth Street, London – DOWNLOAD SPEED 921.76Mbps
• STREET – Bloxworth Close, Wallington – DOWNLOAD SPEED 910.10Mbps
• STREET – Lumsdale Crescent, Matlock – DOWNLOAD SPEED 886.32Mbps
• STREET – Saxon Dale, Leicester – DOWNLOAD SPEED 823.98Mbps
• STREET – Moatview Park, Belfast – DOWNLOAD SPEED 794.34Mbps
• STREET – Limbury Road, Luton – DOWNLOAD SPEED 780.12Mbps
• STREET – Powerscourt Road, Portsmouth – DOWNLOAD SPEED 759.96Mbps
• STREET – Orrell Road, Wigan – DOWNLOAD SPEED 757.68Mbps
• STREET – Curzon Road, Rochdale – DOWNLOAD SPEED 757.54Mbps
• STREET – Tanfields Grove, Corby – DOWNLOAD SPEED 752.24Mbps
Even if you don’t live in one of those slow zones it’s still worth running a speed check to make sure your downloads are up to scratch. It’s also a good idea to plug a laptop directly into your router to make sure it’s not the Wi-Fi that’s causing issues.
Once you’ve run those Wi-Fi and hard-wired speed checks, call your provider if you’re not getting what you think you are paying for as you might find you can leave your contract and move to another supplier.
Speaking about the latest stats, Alex Tofts, Strategist at Broadband Genie, said: “Broadband customers should not have to tolerate slow broadband, especially when the majority of providers continue to annually raise prices for customers.
“However, it’s important to note, these are real speed tests. Poor broadband can be caused by various factors, such as number of devices, number of users and activity, router placement, and Wi-Fi signal strength.
“No bill payer or internet user should suffer in silence. If you find your broadband is consistently underperforming, and you can’t troubleshoot the issue yourself, contact your internet service provider.
“The majority of widely available broadband providers are signed up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speed Code of Practice. If your provider can’t resolve the issue within 30 days, you’re free to leave your contract without charge.
“If you haven’t renewed your broadband contract in over two years, it’s likely you can get a faster deal at the same or lower cost than what you’re currently paying.”