Over half of the UK will have worse broadband speeds than the moon by 2024, according to new analysis by National Broadband

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National Broadband

07 Feb, 2023, 08:00 GMT

- Over half of the UK will fail to match broadband speeds available on the moon by 2024 

- Rural villages and over 500,000 UK properties will have speeds over 10x worse than the moon

- Both Mount Everest and the Arctic Circle are already showing up the UK when it comes to broadband speeds

LONDON, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The moon is set to get broadband speeds of 100Mbps in 2024[1]. According to new analysis from alternative broadband specialists National Broadband, this means that over half of UK properties will be worse off than the moon when it comes to broadband performance.

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Analysis of broadband speeds in the UK regions versus the moon

These latest figures highlight how advancements in technology are continuing to leave large parts of the UK behind. This is especially true when it comes to rural broadband, with those in major cities being far less likely to lag behind lunar broadband. Only 9% of London are unable to access typical broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps, compared to 70% in Wales, the worst performing part of the UK.

The five worst performing regions in the UK vs the moon* are:

  1. Wales - 70%
  2. Yorkshire - 60%
  3. East of England - 59%
  4. North East - 58%
  5. Scotland - 56%

*percentage of cities, towns and villages analysed where typical broadband speed ranges would not match broadband speed on the moon

Shockingly, over 500,000 UK properties[2] today have broadband speeds ten times worse than the moon is due to get. And new analysis from National Broadband has revealed the following rural villages are the very poorest broadband performers*:

  1. Narberth, Wales 
  2. Temple Sowerby, Cumbria
  3. Corsley, Wiltshire
  4. Bowmore, Scotland
  5. Roydon, Essex
  6. Pomeroy, Northern Ireland
  7. Portree, Scotland
  8. Kilvington, Nottinghamshire
  9. Achaphubuil, Scotland
  10. Llandyfriog, Wales

*Median broadband speeds. No. 1, Narberth has poorest broadband

The fact that rural areas that are seven times more likely to be stuck with speeds under 10Mbps highlights clear failures within the Government's levelling up agenda.

However, it's not just outer space that will soon have better connectivity than huge swathes of the UK. Many Brits would already be better off in remote spots such as Everest Base Camp and the Arctic Circle when it comes to being able to get a good internet service. Mount Everest currently receives broadband speeds of 50Mbps[3}. This means that communities like Coylton in South Ayrshire, Falmouth in Cornwall, Hartwell in Northamptonshire, Newhaven in Sussex and many more are all experiencing worse speeds than Everest.

The Arctic Circle with speeds of 100Mbps[4} again puts many areas of the UK to shame including Hamilton in Scotland, Windermere in the Lake District, Tadcaster in Yorkshire, and Saffron Walden in Essex.

David Hennell, Director at National Broadband commented: "The disparity between digital 'haves' and 'have nots' in the UK is sadly growing. While the moon is set to gain dizzying broadband speeds of 100Mbps, those in rural areas such as Corsley, Wiltshire and Portree, Scotland to name just two are left struggling with near-unusable broadband speeds of less than 10Mbps.

"And we know that's just the tip of the iceberg, as there are over 500,000 properties dotted across the UK experiencing the exact same issues. This makes it very clear that just not enough is being done to close the digital divide in this country. At National Broadband we believe that every connection matters and we're proud to offer alternative broadband solutions and fast and reliable internet connectivity to those who are being left behind." 

If your broadband speeds pale in comparison to the moon, take a look at National Broadband's 4G rural broadband solutions.

Notes to Editors 

Methodology

Utilising data from the Fair Internet Report, National Broadband analysed median download broadband speeds and typical download broadband speed ranges of 1,339 cities, towns and villages in the UK.

  1. https://www.aquarianspace.com/ 
  2. Ofcom Connected Nations Report 
  3. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/mount-everest-link-internet-wifi-perpetual-planet 
  4. https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/07/kepler-achieves-a-world-first-for-satellite-broadband-with-100mbps-connection-to-the-arctic/ 

About National Broadband

National Broadband specialises in leveraging 4G and 5G technology to deliver fit for purpose broadband across the whole UK, with a particular focus on providing much improved internet connections to more rurally located homes and businesses where fibre doesn't reach. 

To us, every single connection matters and every day we get to see how better broadband genuinely changes our customers' lives. We believe that everyone should be able to access fast and reliable broadband and are committed to ensuring that no property gets left digitally disadvantaged and stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.

www.national-broadband.co.uk 

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