Ofcom interactive map highlights broadband speed differences

There are large parts of the UK where there is a significant under-investment in broadband, with households getting speeds of less than 2Mbits/sec, according to Ofcom.

An interactive broadband map created for communications regulator Ofcom, which now has a new duty to report on the state of the UK's communications infrastructure to the Secretary of State, gives the clearest picture yet of broadband rollout around the country.

Ofcom's Broadband Speed Report has been published alongside the map and the regulator hopes it will help local authorities if they bid for funds put aside for faster broadband services. Funds of £530m have already been allocated for broadband projects during the lifetime of this Government

Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive said: "We are now developing a clear picture of the UK's fixed broadband infrastructure and how it delivers for consumers.

"We hope that this information will stimulate further rollout of broadband infrastructure and better performance for households and businesses."

The colour-coded map shows areas that have the highest speeds in green, the next highest in blue and mauve respectively and the lowest speeds in red. The areas are ranked according to a score based on availability of super-fast broadband.

This includes the average broadband take-up, actual ADSL speeds and the percentage of homes with broadband currently not receiving 2Mbits/sec.

It shows that nearly seven in 10 homes now have a fixed-line broadband connection, where the average speed is 7.5Mbits/sec. People in Edinburgh have the fastest average speeds of 10.1Mbits/sec.

But 14 per cent of the country, still barely reaches 2Mbits/sec. This is shown on the map by places such as Cookstown and Dungannon in Northern Ireland having the highest percentage of households getting less than 2Mbits/sec.