For the first time, average fixed broadband speeds pass the 50Mbps mark.
Background: Ofcom publishes annual reports on home broadband performance. These compare results taken from monitors installed on people’s home routers. Ofcom has undertaken this research since 2008, using data collected by its research partner SamKnows from a volunteer panel of UK residential broadband users.
What the new report says: Today, Ofcom published its report for the year 2018. Iit finds that the average download speed received by UK fixed broadband users is now 54.2Mbps. It is the first time that the average broadband speed in the UK exceeds 50Mbps; Ofcom’s data shows that the 2018 result is more than double compared to the average speed of 2014, which was 22.8Mbps. Upload speeds continue to be much lower, but grew from an average 6.2Mbps in 2017 to 7.2Mbps in 2018 (it was 2.9Mbps in 2014). The fastest packages are Virgin Media’s VIVID 350 (a cable connection which reached a peak 360Mbps) and BT’s 300Mbps full-fibre package.
What this means: More than 90% of UK households and businesses are now able to get superfast connections. Ofcom is confident that many on standard broadband could now upgrade, and often be able to do so without paying more. The regulator is running the ‘Boost Your Broadband’ campaign to allow people to check which speeds are available to users and get the best deal; this should foster uptake of faster broadband, at a time when full-fibre investment is on the rise in the country.
