Broadband News
UK broadband speeds ranked 26th in world
Thursday, 21 January 2010
By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Britain has ranked a disappointing 26th in the latest global broadband statistics, averaging just 3.5Mb.
South Korea came top of the pack with an average download speed of 14.6Mb, followed by Japan in second place with 7.9Mb. Sweden took the top spot in Europe with an average speed of 5.1Mb and followed closely by Ireland on 5.3Mb, according to Akamai’s latest State of the Internet report.
Last year research by Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, found that the average speed in the UK was 4.1Mb, but even that wouldn’t have brought the UK into the top 10.
Another report by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development recently placed the UK 21st out of 30 countries, with slower broadband speeds than Greece and Spain. It also ranked 13th in terms of broadband penetration.
The Government has promised speeds of at least 2Mb for all households in the UK by 2012, while the Digital Britain report aims to generate funds for next-generation, superfast broadband networks through a 50p tax on landlines.
Michael Phillips, Broadbandchoices.co.uk product director, said: “Many consumers are still not satisfied with their broadband speed. While there are a number of factors that affect your speed - such as the distance from your local exchange and congestion on the network - there are also things that you can do - such as installing an iPlate - to boost your speed.
“However, if you're still not happy with your download speed, it could be time to switch broadband provider,” he added. “This can save you a bundle as well as getting you a faster, more reliable service better suited to your needs.”
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