Over a quarter of UK households struggling with slow broadband
Over a quarter of UK homes struggle with their broadband speed of less than 10Mbps and only 56% of households are aware they could access superfast broadband.
Around 28m households are getting by on speeds of less than 10Mbps, the level Ofcom considers the minimum requirement for a modern household, and one in eight are struggling with broadband speed below 5Mbps.
A new report from uSwitch revealed what areas are the slowest in the country with Greenmeadows Park in Bamfurlong, Gloucestershire, where residents have average download speeds of just 0.14Mbps, taking top spot.
With that speed it would take 100 hours to download a two-hour HD film on Netflix said uSwitch.com.
On the other hand Abdon Avenue in Birmingham, is the fastest area in the country with speeds of more than 265Mbps, where it would take under four minutes to download the same film. The two streets are less than an hour away from each other.
Broadband expert at uSwitch Dani Warner said: "This research lays bare the extent of the UK’s digital divide. Streets that are relatively close geographically can be light years apart when it comes to the download speeds they are getting."
The research also revealed that many consumers may be unaware of what is available to them. Even though 95% of properties in the UK are now able to access superfast broadband of at least 24Mbps, only 56% of Brits believe this is available in their area.
The government recently promised all homes and businesses will have a legal right to demand access speeds of at least 10Mbps by 2020. Broadband providers will be legally bound to provide this minimum standard to anyone requesting it, subject to a cost threshold.