Canterbury fails: Kent city is UK’s worst for broadband again

• Canterbury has won the wooden spoon for the UK’s slowest city for broadband for the second consecutive year in Broadband Genie’s Slickest Cities index

• Lichfield has the crown of UK’s slickest city, with a weighted broadband speed of 359Mb

• London is placed a mediocre 38th, with residents receiving broadband speeds of 57Mb

Canterbury has been named the UK’s slowest city for the second consecutive year, in the annual ‘Slickest Cities’ research from Broadband Genie.

The historic city clocked in with broadband speeds of 22Mb, which is around the bare minimum offered by the most basic superfast packages.

Despite being one of the most expensive UK cities to live in, Canterbury currently lacks the otherwise widely available Virgin Media and almost a third (30%) of premises don’t have access to full-fibre broadband.

After a year of dwindling broadband speeds, the two slowest cities are unchanged from 2023. The Cathedral City of Ripon, in North Yorkshire, is the UK’s second-slowest city, also failing to give broadband speeds of the most basic fibre package (broadband speeds of 28Mb). 

Top 5 slowest cities in the UK for broadband speed

The results are based on over 149,000 real user speed tests, using a mix of download and upload speeds to reflect what most customers experience daily. Tests are from fixed and mobile connections and were run through Broadband Genie and other partners using the BroadbandUK speed test solution.

Full-fibre broadband is available to 68% of the UK, and the Government plans to reach 85% by 2025. However, barriers to uptake, such as cost, confusing language in advertising and on websites (which trick people into thinking they are getting fibre-optic) slow the adoption rate.

At the speedy end of the spectrum, Lichfield in the heart of Staffordshire topped the charts with a weighted broadband speed of 359Mb, over 16 times faster than broadband users are experiencing in Canterbury. 

Says Alex Tofts, Strategist at Broadband Genie:

“No broadband customer should accept a sub-par service, least of all in a year when customers are putting up with hefty price rises.

“Most of Britain’s biggest providers sign up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice. This means they have to be clear about the speeds you should expect at your address, including a guaranteed minimum they must keep above.

“Speed tests are a useful tool for regularly monitoring the performance you are receiving. If they are falling short of what has been promised, contact your provider and raise the issue. 

“It’s worth bearing in mind that poor broadband speeds can also be influenced by factors outside your provider’s control, so make sure you check these first. Poor home wiring or a poorly positioned or a faulty router could be dragging your Wi-Fi down. 

“If you are out of contract and looking to upgrade your broadband, do a quick comparison online to see the best deals on offer. You may even end up paying less for a better and faster service.”

Top 5 slickest cities for broadband speed

When it comes to UK capitals, Edinburgh (12th) has the broadband bragging rights. Previously held by Belfast, which drops to (15th), the Scottish capital recorded weighted broadband speeds of 78Mb — fractionally ahead of the Northern Irish city (76Mb), 26% faster than London (57Mb) and 36% more than Cardiff (50Mb).

Do you live in a broadband dead spot? Discover the full results here. Curious to see how your broadband compares? Run a speed test now to find out

 

 

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