UK ranks 43 out of 224 countries for broadband speed

The 2021 annual report on global speeds from research firm M-Lab and Cable.co.uk reported that the UK provided an average (average) broadband ISP download speed of 51.48 Mbps ( compared to 37.82 Mbps last year), ranking us 43rd fastest. worldwide (up from the 47th last year, but still down from the 34th in 2019).

The research is based on information gathered through 1.166 billion speed tests via approximately 250 million unique IP addresses (users), which were made across the world through 224 countries (up from 221 last year). The world’s average broadband download speed was recorded at 29.79 Mbps (megabits per second), which is a slight increase from 24.83 Mbps last year.

On the surface, some may notice that the latest figure of 51.48 Mbps for the UK is remarkably similar to the latest data from Ofcom (here), which was released last week and saw an average download rate of 50. , 4 Mbps. However, Cable.co.uk uses a “mean“average, while Ofcom used a”median“, and if we convert the data from the controller to”mean”Then it comes out at just over 79 Mbps. But the two studies used very different methodologies (e.g. the regulator directly tested the connections through a modified router, which excludes key issues like poor WiFi and local network load, etc.).

The good news is that the UK’s global ranking of countries has improved, if only slightly. But at 51.48 Mbps, the UK ranks 20th out of 29 Western European states, or the ninth slowest. Average UK speeds are around 57% of the Western European average (90.56 Mbps). As before, this is largely due to the fact that the UK is behind our “full fiber”(FTTP) and other gigabit compatible network coverage, but we’re improving fast (here).

By comparison, the five “countries”With the fastest internet speeds in the world are Jersey (274.27 Mbps), Liechtenstein (211.26 Mbps), Iceland (191.83 Mbps), Andorra (164.66 Mbps) and Gibraltar (151, 34 Mbps). All five are in Western Europe and all are either very small or island nations, where FTTP is generally prevalent and often easier to deploy.

On the other hand, the five countries in the world with the slowest network speeds are Turkmenistan (0.50 Mbps), Yemen (0.68 Mbps), Ethiopia (1.20), Guinea- Bissau (1.24 Mbps) and Equatorial Guinea (1.30 Mbps).

Data caveats

Reports based on speed tests like this should be taken with a pinch of salt as they can easily be misinterpreted. In particular, no one should equate these studies with a direct reflection of the availability of faster connections, as the two are far from in sync. On top of that, people are more likely to measure their speed if there is something wrong or if they are not getting the speed they need, which can produce a negative bias.

Just for a bit of background, Ofcom reports that “very high speed“(30 Mbps +) networks are available in over 96% of UK premises and 40% can access a ‘gigabit”(1Gbps +) capable network (24% if you only include FTTP networks), although many people have yet to upgrade (i.e. cannot afford, are aware or even feel the need to upgrade). Meanwhile, around 17% of locals still subscribe to much slower ADSL copper lines.

Such tests may also be affected by other factors, such as poor home wiring, user’s choice of plan (for example, 1 Gbps may be available, but users can always choose a higher tier. slow and cheaper), local network congestion (i.e. performing a test while others or background tasks are using the network) and slow home WiFi etc. Likewise, it is not clear whether this study also aggregated mobile broadband speeds (4G, 5G, etc.) or commercial connections with fixed line services to homes.

Nonetheless, if we assume that such caveats will apply to all countries, then the data is still useful as a rough indicator of market development and adoption around the world. The new British government £ 5 billion Gigabit project The program, which aims to extend gigabit coverage to at least 85% of UK premises by the end of 2025, will also help to improve things over time.

224 countries ranked by average download speed (average)

It should be added that countries where less than 100 measurements could be taken during the sampling period were excluded from the study, which includes Norfolk Island, Antarctica, the remote minor islands. United States, Niue, Heard and McDonald Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. , North Korea, Cocos [Keeling] Islands, French Southern Territories, Montserrat, Falkland Islands, Tuvalu, Bouvet Island, Tonga, Nauru, Christmas Island, Tokelau, Western Sahara, Cook Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Central African Republic, Wallis and Futuna and Kiribati.

For the record, the limited data provided for the Falkland Islands, powered by satellite connectivity, revealed an average speed of 14.42 Mbps.