Broadband speeds vary depending on location, technology and provider, according to research unveiled by Ofcom.

Ofcom has announced the findings from its research into fixed-line broadband speeds in the UK, and has revealed that living in a town can significantly boost internet connection.

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communication industries. The research was carried out in conjunction with SamKnows and market research agency GfK, and revealed that the majority of consumers had been misled with regards to the internet speed they thought they were getting.

Overall, the average broadband speed in the UK was recorded at 4.1Mbps, compared to the average advertised ‘up to’ speed of a significantly higher 7.1Mbps.

Fewer than one in ten of those consumers who had signed up to a 8Mbps headline package received actual average speeds of over 6Mbps, and alarmingly around one in five of those received less than 2Mbps.

There was also a widening gap in the experiences of those living in urban areas, compared to those in rural areas. Town-based customers recorded significantly faster speeds with an average of 4.6Mbps, compared to their rural counterparts with an average of 3.3Mbps.

However, it appears that the consumer is not feeling too much impact. In a survey looking at consumer perceptions, carried out alongside the primary research, the majority of consumers actually said they were happy with their broadband speed, although 26% did say the speed was not what they had originally signed up for.

Charlie Ponsonby, Chief Executive of broadband comparison website, Simplifydigital, stressed the responsibility is with the consumer: “What is key is to understand what sort of technology your preferred broadband provider is able to provide at your location, before signing up to a long contract.”

The number of homes and small businesses with broadband has significantly increased since 2006. A rise of more than 60% has seen the figure now stand at 17.6 million in the UK alone.

Virgin Media has recently announced that it has commissioned SamKnows to do some further independent research – lasting 12 months – to measure the performance that its own customers receive from their fibre optic broadband services.

Alex Salter, Chairman of SamKnows, said: “This deal represents a significant shift in service provider attitudes. Instead of simply complying with external regulation, in a pioneering step, Virgin Media is proactively looking to assess itself to make sure its customers are getting value for money.”  

Virgin Media came out as one of the best providers when looking at what the headline speed was, compared to the speed consumers actually received. For further results and analysis visit www.ofcom.org.uk