Today, more than ever, the internet plays a pivotal role in our lives. Increasingly, we have been dependent on the World Wide Web for virtually anything. We do banking online. We socialize through Facebook and Twitter. We learn through Wikipedia. We watch video via Netflix and YouTube. As such, the demand for faster, cheaper and more efficient means of providing internet to customers has been the thrust of every service provider worldwide. Different technologies have been carefully researched, developed and eventually leveraged by these organizations to differentiate themselves amongst the competition. One of such technology is broadband internet.
In the UK, various companies provide broadband services catering to different types of users. From the casual browser to the power user, these companies have flexible options to offer to its clients. Having a multitude of options, customers need to be very conscious about the service they avail, or else, they would be locked in a multi-year contract with some company providing unsatisfactory broadband service.
Luckily, the folks at broadband.co.uk have been testing the broadband speeds of the various providers currently operating in the UK. With their broadband speed test, we could approximately gauge how the advertised speeds of broadband suppliers live up to their real-life usage. With a national average of 18.1Mbps, Virgin Media tops the list for May 2013, with BT Broadband closest to the national average with 17.92Mbps. Unfortunately, as indicated on the table, all the other service providers fall short of the national average. However, you can maximize each provider’s offerings by first comparing, search for great packages, vouchers and promos primarily before signing in into any contracts.
For the complete results, see the table below:
Provider | Average Download Speed (May 2013) |
National Average | 18.1Mbps |
Virgin Media | 36.39Mbps |
BT Broadband | 17.92Mbps |
Plusnet | 11.06Mbps |
EE (formerly Orange) | 9.76Mbps |
Sky Broadband | 8.04Mbps |
TalkTalk (see talk talk promos) | 6.88Mbps |
BE and O2 Broadband | 6.57Mbps |
Wrap-up
Another important thing to note when looking for the service provider in your area is a recent research published by The Guardian, indicating that fast broadband speeds are not necessarily guaranteed if you are living in city centers. According to them, research based on 900,000 speed tests over a three-month period by price comparison firm uSwitch shows the slowest area in London has a postcode which covers the Barbican, a short walk from the city.
A number of factors may cause slow connections. For those lucky enough to live in areas where fiber optic cables have been setup, faster internet speeds could be expected. Distance from the nearest telephone exchange also needs to be considered. Hence, it is advised to check the speed you are likely to receive before signing up for a broadband service. Bottom line is, different providers offer different speeds, and this is a function of where you live in.
Source: broadband.co.uk, The Guardian