Ask Our Expert

Am I getting a good broadband speed?

Our Broadband Expert says...

The broadband speeds you receive largely depend on two things; the technology your provider is using and your distance from the local telephone exchange or street side cabinet.

If you're signed up to a traditional copper wire broadband provider, and your internet connection is delivered through your home phone line, then your broadband will be affected by distance from the exchange.

This means that the further you live from the local telephone exchange, the slower your connection will become. These types of ADSL broadband connections usually offer speeds of up to 20Mb or 24Mb - but as you know, this isn’t something you're likely to achieve in reality.

Average broadband speeds

The average UK broadband speed is 6.2Mb according to telecoms regulator Ofcom. Its research, carried out in November and December 2010, showed that this is also the average speed for the most popular 20Mb and 24Mb services - representing just 29% of advertised speeds.

By running a broadband speed test on our site you can also compare the average speeds of other suppliers in your area. This tells you whether or not the speeds you're receiving is typical for your postcode - and indicate if you could improve your speeds by switching broadband provider.

Simply enter your postcode and email address along with your broadband provider and package to run a speed test.

The test works by sending a small file to your computer and measuring how long it takes to be downloaded. You should turn off any applications that are running in the background, or things like the BBC iPlayer, to make sure that you get a more accurate reading.

The test will only take a couple of minutes to complete and you'll then be given a reading for your download and your upload speed.

Remember to check your broadband speed at different times of the day as your connection can vary a lot during the course of the day.

What broadband speed do I need?

It’s easy to get caught up thinking that you need the very fastest speeds on offer but in fact, unless you're sharing your connection with a whole household of other people, 5.9Mb should be more than enough for most activities.

To use the BBC iPlayer, for example, you need a speed of around 1.5Mb. Even if you want to watch programmes in high-definition, the BBC says you only need a speed of 3.5Mb.

The problems arise when you want to multi-task or share your connection around your home. If lots of people are online at the same time, playing online games, surfing the net and watching catch-up TV, then you'll probably notice a drop in your speed.

Fibre optic broadband

The new breed of superfast broadband packages offer far faster connections that are perfect for sharing or use by heavy downloaders - while remaining affordable.

For example, the new BT Infinity (www.BT.com/Infinity) packages from the UK’s biggest broadband provider, offer speeds of up to 40Mb broadband and uploads at up to 10Mb.

Using this same network, TalkTalk (www.Talktalk.co.uk) has launched a new Fibre Optic Boost for an extra £10 a month, and Plusnet (www.Plus.net) is offering the country’s cheapest 40Mb service from just £16.49 a month.

And cable provider Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) offers even faster packages; its up to 50Mb broadband service is already available to nearly 13 million homes, and it is in the process of rolling out a 100Mb broadband package, due to be complete by mid-2012.

As well as offering faster headline speeds, fibre optic broadband also delivers on its promises. Virgin Media’s cable customers enjoy between 90-96% of their advertised speed, according to Ofcom - even those on the slower 10Mb and 30Mb broadband packages.

Although BT’s network isn’t quite as fast, its Infinity customers get around 78% of their advertised speed, as well as the fastest actual uploads in the country at almost 8Mb.

So, although your 5.9Mb might be perfectly suitable to your needs today, with superfast broadband becoming more and more affordable, it might be time to consider an upgrade.

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