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Sweden came top of the list
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UK ranks fourth for broadband
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
The UK has been placed fourth in the European Union’s latest Broadband Ranking Index, which rates countries on broadband speed, price, competition and coverage (30-09-08).
The UK’s high position is a result of strong market competition and low prices, with the average price for an up to 2Mb broadband package now standing at £6.72 a month and the average price for an 8Mb package at only £13.10 a month, according to the EU.
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"The average price for an 8Mb package is now only £13.10 a month"
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It also noted that the average download speed in the UK was 3.6Mb with a massive 75 per cent of households owning a PC.
Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark took the top three spots, with Norway and France following the UK in fifth and sixth place.
Although the report noted that the UK is “now on a par with the Netherlands and other Nordic countries in having worldclass potential”, it “lags behind in speeds and take-up of advanced services”.
Overall penetration on the bloc is up to 20 per cent - a three-fold increase since the Union was enlarged to 27 member states in 2004.
However, the report said that take-up was slowing and that a number of large member states such as Poland, Italy, Germany and Spain had to do more “to bring their broadband economy up to speed” if the EU is to reach its target of 30 per cent penetration by 2010.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said that although headline rates are at their lowest today, the UK mustn’t rest on its laurels. “It’s great to see the UK ranking so highly,” he said. “However, the EU is spot on when it says that the UK lags behind when it comes to speed. To secure a position as a world-leader in broadband - like Sweden and the Netherlands - the UK will have to make faster packages more affordable and push average speeds up from a pretty dismal 3.6Mb.”
Related article - Boost your broadband speed.
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