Broadband News

Virgin Media top for January broadband speeds

Thurssday, 04 February 2010

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

Cable giant Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) customers received an average download speed of 7.5Mb last month, new statistics have revealed.

This was 2.5Mb higher than the nearest copper wire ADSL broadband provider, O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk), which took second place with an average of 5.1Mb - a figure that included BE Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) speeds, since the ISP is owned by O2 and shares the same network.

TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) came in third with an average download speed of 3.6Mb, an increase from 3.4Mb the previous month.

However, overall broadband speeds dropped slightly since December 2009, from an average of over 4.4Mb to 2.2Mb.

In terms of upload speeds - which are becoming increasingly important to many consumers - O2 topped the speed chart, with an average of 733kb, followed by Virgin Media with 602kb and TalkTalk with an average upload speed of 498kb.

Michael Phillips, Broadbandchoices.co.uk product director, said: “A fast, reliable broadband connection makes a huge difference to how you can use the web, allowing you to watch live TV online, download high-definition movies and even make video calls to friends and family abroad.

“If you're not happy with the speeds you're receiving from your ISP, you should talk to them to see if there’s anything they can do to boost your speed. If things don’t improve, it might be time to think about switching broadband provider, which can save you £135 on your bills as well as getting you a better service,” he advised.

Run a broadband speed test to see how your provider performs.

Source: Broadband.co.uk

Compare broadband deals

Save up to £363* when you include TV and calls with your broadband

CLOSE [X]

*Enter your postcode to find the best broadband deals in your area. We value your privacy, please see our privacy policy.

Why we need your postcode