North Shropshire street the third worst in UK for broadband
A street in north Shropshire has been revealed as the third worst in the UK for broadband, with average download speeds of 0.32 megabits per second.
Ash Lane, on the outskirts of Whitchurch, has been named in the top 10 worst places for broadband speeds across the country, with Kingsclere in Huntington, York, the worst area with average speeds of 0.22 Megabits per second.
This is 830 times slower than Darwin Street in Livingston, Scotland, which boasts average speeds of 182.52Mbps.
The figures come from an annual uSwitch.com survey which reveals that in Kingsclere, it would take more than 65 hours to download a two-hour HD film on Netflix and at least 24 hours to download a 45-minute HD TV show.
Andy Allen, chair of Whitchurch Rural Parish Council, said the problem is extremely frustrating for people in rural areas and the Ash constituency is so sparse it is hard to get fast broadband there.
"Broadband is very important and we do have problems with it," she said.
"It is so much a part of everyday life and we take it for granted. When you do not get it, it is extremely frustrating. You can forget about streaming. It is just too slow.
"The lack of broadband disadvantages a lot of people. Living in a rural area, the disparity of the area, people are not all in one place. They are spread out over a wide area and so it costs more and is more difficult."
Smart
Andy said the problem in rural areas is a catch 22 because people have to want the broadband for providers to come out and install it.
She added: "We need to think smart in rural areas. You have to have enough people sign up to garner interest.
"The people who provide the super-fast broadband, unless it is worth their while to put it in these kind of areas, then we are stuck.
"Even if you have fibre broadband it only goes to the actual cabinet not to the household. That is another problem – fibre broadband may be very swift going to the cabinet and if you live nearby it will be good, but if you live away from it, that is where the loss is."
Dani Warner, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, said: "Our research reveals the digital divide running through Britain. Residents living on one side of a city can be struggling with broadband as slow as molasses, while people just miles away are enjoying ultrafast speeds.
"Lack of awareness regarding superfast broadband is one of the biggest obstacles stopping people from getting faster download speeds."
