City suffers slowest broadband speeds in London, report finds
Broadband speeds in the City are the lowest of any London borough, new research by consumer group Which has revealed.
Average internet speeds in the Square Mile are just 9.9Mbps, lagging far behind other boroughs and below the government’s minimum speed of 10Mbps.
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The report also revealed average speeds in Westminster are only 10.8Mbps, proving the capital’s political and economic centres are languishing behind suburban areas.
At 26Mbps Harrow boasts the fastest average broadband speeds in London, while Barking and Dagenham follows close behind with 25.7Mbps.
In the UK as a whole, Nottingham and Cambridge have some of the highest speeds, while the Lake District and remote areas of Scotland and Wales are among the worst-served regions.
Consumers in some of these areas might struggle to use streaming services or even to carry out online banking, Which said.
Which managing director Alex Neill said: “Having a good broadband connection is a basic requirement for many important everyday tasks, so it is unacceptable that some Londoners are still struggling to get what they need.
“The government and the regulator must now press ahead with plans to provide a bare minimum connection speed of 10Mbps in every household and make sure that no one is at a disadvantage because of where they live.”
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Last month a report by Uswitch revealed more than a quarter of households in the UK suffer from insufficient broadband speeds. Ofcom has warned a lack of awareness is also limiting access to high-speed broadband.
While 94 per cent of UK homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband, only 45 per cent are subscribing to them, the regulator said.