If your broadband feels like it’s constantly trudging through treacle it appears you are not alone. The worst postcodes for download speeds have just been confirmed with 10 areas being and named and shamed for offering internet access at less 1Mbps. At that horrendous rate it would take over 5 hours to download a full HD movie and almost a week to whizz a PS5 game to the popular consoles.
The list, which has been created by the team at Broadband Genie, shows Greenfields Road, Bishop Auckland (DL14 9TQ) has Britain’s worst internet access with homes their suffering from speeds of just 0.35Mbps.
Coming in second is Collingdale Road, Northampton (NN3 2TS), followed by Southcote Farm Lane, Reading (RG30 3DU).
Broadband Genie says it recorded and analysed over 207,000 speed tests to crown the winners and losers and the differences are pretty stark.
At the other end of the table is Tynemouth Street, London with homes on that road getting 921.76Mbps downloads – at that rate a full HD movie could be downloaded in under 40 seconds!
Here’s the full list of good and bad areas for broadband according to Broadband Genie
THE SLOWEST
Greenfields Road, Bishop Auckland – Speed 0.35Mbps
Collingdale Road, Northampton – Speed 0.47Mbps
Southcote Farm Lane, Reading – Speed 0.61Mbps
Water Lane, Oakham – Speed 0.62Mbps
Barrowgate Road, London – Speed 0.67Mbps
Birch Grove, Gillingham – Speed 0.72Mbps
Falmouth Close, Eastbourne – Speed 0.73Mbps
Grosvenor Street, Liverpool – Speed 0.81Mbps
Garden Lane, Royston – Speed 0.86Mbps
Turnberry Crescent, Aberdeen – Speed 0.90Mbps
THE FASTEST
Tynemouth Street, London – Speed 921.76Mbps
Bloxworth Close, Wallington – Speed 910.10Mbps
Lumsdale Crescent, Matlock – Speed 886.32Mbps
Saxon Dale, Leicester – Speed 823.98Mbps
Moatview Park, Belfast – Speed 794.34Mbps
Limbury Road, Luton – Speed 780.12Mbps
Powerscourt Road, Portsmouth – Speed 759.96Mbps
Orrell Road, Wigan – Speed 757.68Mbps
Curzon Road, Rochdale – Speed 757.54Mbps
Tanfields Grove, Corby – Speed 752.24Mbps
If you don’t think your broadband is up to scratch it’s worth doing regular speed checks throughout the day. It’s also a good idea to plug a laptop directly into your router to make sure it’s not the Wi-Fi that’s causing issues.
Once you’ve run those speed checks, call your provider if you’re not getting what you think you are paying for as you might find you can leave your contract and move to another supplier.
Speaking about the latest stats, Alex Tofts, Strategist at Broadband Genie, said: “Broadband customers should not have to tolerate slow broadband, especially when the majority of providers continue to annually raise prices for customers.
“However, it’s important to note, these are real speed tests. Poor broadband can be caused by various factors, such as number of devices, number of users and activity, router placement, and Wi-Fi signal strength.
“No bill payer or internet user should suffer in silence. If you find your broadband is consistently underperforming, and you can’t troubleshoot the issue yourself, contact your internet service provider.
“The majority of widely available broadband providers are signed up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speed Code of Practice. If your provider can’t resolve the issue within 30 days, you’re free to leave your contract without charge.
“If you haven’t renewed your broadband contract in over two years, it’s likely you can get a faster deal at the same or lower cost than what you’re currently paying.”