Ofcom: UK Broadband Speeds Have Risen 22% in One Year
But which ISP offers the fastest?
Telecoms watchdog Ofcom has revealed that UK consumers are achieving 22 per cent faster broadband speeds at home than they were one year ago. Ofcom says that in November 2011, the average speed of UK residential broadband speed was 7.6Mbit/s. This is up from 6.2Mbit/s for the same period in 2010. Even six months earlier, in May of last year, the average was only 6.8Mbit/s. The telecoms regulator says the increase is mainly a result of consumers moving to higher speed packages. As a result of this migration, the November 2011 study found that, for the first time, more than half (58 per cent) of UK residential broadband connections had an advertised speed of above 10Mbit/s. This is up from 48 per cent in May of 2011.
Ofcom goes on to highlight the newly published guidance that requires speed claims from broadband providers be achievable by at least 10 percent of the ISP's customer base. The watchdog says that in line with this new guidance (and using its own research data), the average speed based on the 10 percent availability criteria would be 6Mbit/s for services currently advertised at 'up to' 8Mbit/s, and 14Mbit/s for services currently advertised at 'up to' 20/24Mbit/s.
For those wondering which ISP has the fastest service, Ofcom says that of the 13 ISP packages covered, its research found that fibre-based and cable broadband solutions were the fastest. Virgin Media's 'up to' 50Mbit/s came out on top with the highest average download speeds (49Mbit/s), while BT's fibre-based BT Infinity delivered the highest average upload speeds (8.8Mbit/s).
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still , best i can get is 1m/b
The averages are up due to Virgin increases their bandwidth 60mb & 120mb packages, and also due to FEW individuals getting BT Infinity around 35-40mb. Obviously these numbers are going to affect the average stats but this is NOT an accurate reflection of those stuck on ADSL2+.
People who already have a decent internet connection are again benefiting from the Openreach FTTC rollout, meanwhile those with poor connections continue to suffer hence, the digital divide increases once again.
The averages are up due to Virgin increases their bandwidth 60mb & 120mb packages, and also due to FEW individuals getting BT Infinity around 35-40mb. Obviously these numbers are going to affect the average stats but this is NOT an accurate reflection of those stuck on ADSL2+. People who already have a decent internet connection are again benefiting from the Openreach FTTC rollout, meanwhile those with poor connections continue to suffer hence, the digital divide increases once again.
I have to agree whole heartedly with what russianphysicist said in that Virgin's recent changes, increases in speed packages and BT customers moving to Infinity in an effort to get better than ADSLx can offer are all that has caused the change in the stats.
Overall, consumer broadband over the phone line (PPoA) type services still suck very badly in the UK and despite all of BT's claims to offering the best speeds in the industry they are realistically the worst as they set the bar for ADSL and the majority of customers are theirs which then leads to the simple conclusion that most of the customers with poor speeds are BT customers.
I just got sick of BT a couple of years ago and jumped to a cable service (yes, you guessed it, it was VirginMedia) and I haven't looked back.
I've commented to that effect on other articles here at TH and there is absolutely no reason for anyone that expects value for money and a good speed to bother with anyone other than Virgin (at the moment at least).
It makes me feel both angry at BT and sorry for their 'conned customers' when their adverts are on TV in which they blow their own trumpet concerning how marvelous their broadband speeds are when all the reports pretty much show they offer poor 'bang for your buck', especially when you consider that whole 'up-to' speed scam (that's what Ofcom should be looking at primarily not compiling nonsense figures that make false claims about speed improvements).
'6Mbit/s for services currently advertised at 'up to' 8Mbit/s, and 14Mbit/s for services currently advertised at 'up to' 20/24Mbit/s' what a con! tell it, or rather sell it as it is and price your customers with what speed they can achieve and recieve. Oh, and don't think that ADSL based service ISPs can't calculate that because they can very easily.
Last point now; recently BT released a statement that they will have 300mbit offerings next year. Hadn't they sort out their ADSL service quality as well rather than trying to beat VirginMedia to the next big number. VirginMedia can offer every customer in a cable are 30mbit. Can BT or any other ISP say the same - no. Virgin will make 120+ mbit available to all it's customer by the time BT has gotten infinity on the 'majority' of it's exchanges and even when BT are in that position I still bet they won't guarantee any speeds as of course that is likely to be exempt from the new guidelines or speed set out by Ofcom.