Fastest UK broadband revealed

Average broadband speeds

Although speeds have been improving, the latest reported average broadband speed represent a huge increase over the course of the year (Ofcom reported an average speed of 7.4Mb in 2011). However, this is predominantly down to an accelerating take-up of fibre optic broadband rather than a big jump in standard ADSL2+ speeds.

The communications looked at connections from all of the major providers - and here's how they performed over a 24-hour period:

ADSL2+ broadband packages
Broadband package	Average speed
BT (www.BT.com) up to 16Mb	8.1 to 10Mb
Plusnet (www.Plus.net) up to 16Mb	7.8 to 10.3Mb
TalkTalk ( www.talktalk.co.uk ) up to 14Mb	7.7 to 9.5Mb
Sky (www.Sky.com) up to 14Mb	7.0 to 8.5Mb
O2 (www.O2.co.uk) up to 16Mb BE broadband(www.Bethere.co.uk) up to 16Mb	9.1 to 10.9Mb
Orange ( www.Orange.co.uk ) up to 14mb	6.7 to 8.9Mb
Source: Ofcom broadband speed research, May 2012

These tables make clear the huge differences in speeds delivered by different packages and providers and - most crucially - by different types of technology.

Ofcom's latest research, published in May 2012, was based on a massive 559 million speed tests conducted at over 1,831 homes across the country. It found that 68% of UK residential broadband connections have a headline speed above 10Mb. However, Ofcom also reported that 10% of UK connections are still stuck with fixed broadband speeds of less than 2Mb.

The research also found that some 65% of homes are now within a superfast broadband area, and approximately one in ten broadband connections are now superfast.

Advertised speeds vs actual speeds

Despite the rise in average broadband speeds, the gap between what is advertised and the speed you actually get has not decreased. This is because the increase is down to more people taking superfast broadband packages, and not due to delivery of a faster service on their existing package. Ofcom says, "differences between headline and actual speeds are often caused by broadband being delivered over copper lines which were originally designed for phone calls, hence speeds slow down over long and poor quality lines, and because of electrical interference".

The fastest broadband

The fastest broadband connections are delivered using fibre optic networks. Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) says that it can deliver as much as 100% of its advertised speed - a claim backed up by Ofcom's research. It's 30Mb cable package was even faster than the headline speed, averaging as much as 30.5Mb.

This is because fibre optic cable can carry more data over greater distances and suffers less from degradation of speed over distance.

Virgin Media is in the process of upgrading its network again so it can deliver up to 120Mb broadband, the UK's fastest widely available broadband.

BT claims that roll-out of its fibre network - offering up to 38Mb, 76Mb and 100Mb broadband - is one of the fastest in the world. BT Infinity fibre optic packages will be available to two-thirds of the population by 2014. Its up to 38Mb broadband package delivers average speeds of between 30-34Mb, according to Ofcom, while its up to 76Mb package offers speeds of 55-61Mb.

Sky (www.Sky.com), TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk) and Plusnet (www.Plus.net) also offer fibre products however these have not yet been speed tested by Ofcom.

The fastest copper broadband

Even if you don't have access to a superfast broadband package, a bit of research will highlight which copper wire provider performs best.

O2 (www.O2.co.uk) and BE broadband (www.Bethere.co.uk), who share a network, topped Ofcom's latest speed study of ADSL providers, which accounts for the majority of broadband connections. As well as delivering the fastest speeds over a 24-hour period, O2 and BE broadband were also the fastest of the ADSL providers during peak times.

If you are thinking about switching, you also need to think about your download allowance when choosing a package. Though more expensive, BE broadband rarely implements its fair usage policy and doesn't use traffic management - perfect for heavy downloaders or families sharing their connection.

Of the ADSL providers, BT, O2, Be and Plusnet all averaged over 10Mb over a 24hour test period.

Fastest broadband in your area

Before signing up to a broadband provider you need to check what's available in your area.

Virgin Media's superfast broadband packages are only available through its cable network, which covers around half of the country. While this means that some 13 million people can access faster broadband speeds, if you don't live in a cable area you won't be able to get a Virgin Media fibre broadband package.

BT hasn't completed its Infinity roll-out, but it already covers a significant amount of the UK. You can check when it will be available by entering your postcode on the BT Infinity website.

Many other providers also use their own local loop unbundled (LLU) networks to deliver cheaper, faster broadband, but again, your postcode might restrict your choice of broadband provider.

Run a postcode search from the broadbandchoices homepage to find the fastest broadband in your area.