Good news comes from the UK broadband sector as the country’s average speeds now reach 9Mbps, according to Ofcom’s latest study.
The current speeds are two and a half times faster than those which we had almost four years ago (3.6Mbps). See the timeline of speeds below:
Date Average actual UK fixed-line residential broadband speed
Nov 2008 3.6Mbit/s
May 2009 4.1Mbit/s
May 2010 5.2Mbit/s
Nov/Dec 2010 6.2Mbit/s
May 2011 6.8Mbit/s
Nov 2011 7.6Mbit/s
May 2012 9.0Mbit/s
(Figures: Ofcom)
One of the main reasons why the average figure increased was the quickly expanding trend of fibre optic broadband and enhancements ADSL providers were making to their infrastructure.
Super speedy services such as BT Infinity 2 (up to 76Mbps) and Virgin Media (up to 60Mbps) were also considered when compiling the data.
Also, lest we forget, Virgin Media successfully completed its nation-wide speed doubling scheme while BT boosted its FTTC speeds from up to 40Mbps to 80Mbps and FTTP on-demand from 100Mbps to 330Mbps.
Interestingly, by last May, 8 per cent of fixed-line broadband connections have become superfast, compared to 5 per cent half a year before.
Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said in the accompanying statement:
“Our research shows that the move to faster broadband services is gathering momentum. Consumers are benefitting from network upgrades and the launch of new superfast packages, giving them faster speeds and greater choice.
“We are continuing to work with the advertising code-writing bodies and ISPs to ensure that speeds advertised reflect actual speeds experienced, to allow consumers the ability to make informed decisions when shopping around to find the most suitable package.”
