What's my broadband speed?: Portsmouth named among cities with fastest internet connections

According to the internet speed comparison site Broadband Genie, Portsmouth has been named among the cities with the quickest broadband speeds. Canterbury was declared as the city with the speediest WiFi – ahead of Ripon in North Yorkshire, Chester, Carlisle and Worcester.

The study analysed more than 265,000 consumer internet speed tests. Halkirk, a village in the Scottish Highlands, has the slowest connection according to the study – with residents receiving average speeds of just 2.8Mbps. This is well below the UK average of roughly 69Mbps, with 32 cities across the country also found to fall below that threshold.

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The average speed in Canterbury is 34Mbps, with the fastest area for broadband being in Scotland. Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire was found to have average household speeds of 409.2Mbps, while Belfast was the city with fastest broadband, averaging 152Mbps, and came ahead of Portsmouth, Milton Keynes, Derry and Plymouth.

Broadband Genie is urging the public to use an online speed test to check their broadband speed and take action if it is below their needs. Alex Tofts, broadband expert at the comparison site, said: “No broadband customer should accept a sub-par service, least of all in a year when we have seen record price increases in the industry.

“Most of Britain’s biggest providers sign up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice. This means they have to be clear about the speeds you should expect at your address, including a guaranteed minimum they must keep above.

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“Speed tests are a useful tool for regularly monitoring the performance you are receiving. If they are falling short of what has been promised, contact your provider and raise the issue.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that poor broadband speeds can also be influenced by factors outside your provider’s control, so make sure you check these first. Poor home wiring or a poorly positioned or faulty router could be dragging your wifi down.

“Residents in the slowest towns and cities may also be suffering unnecessarily, with faster speeds available in their area if they switch. If you are out of contract and looking to upgrade your broadband, do a quick comparison online to see the best deals on offer.”