July 11, 2011 12.19 pm This story is over 161 months old

County has below-average broadband speeds, according to Ofcom survey

Superslow broadband: Lincolnshire is lagging behind other counties with its broadband connections and speeds.

The average home in Lincolnshire is receiving slower broadband speeds than the UK average, Ofcom has revealed.

Ofcom have published an interactive map into the state of broadband in the UK showing speeds, availability and take up rates.

Ofcom’s data shows that in Lincolnshire 66% of homes have an active broadband connection, with the average speed of 6.5Mbit/s.

Only 23% of Lincolnshire homes can receive a super-fast connection — over 24 Mbit/s — and 17% of properties in Lincolnshire receive a broadband connection of less than 2 Mbit/s.

The map showed across the UK as a whole, 68% of homes have a fixed broadband connection and the average speed is 7.5 Mbit/s.

It also pointed out that many rural areas have slower broadband speeds and a lower availability of superfast broadband.

Lincolnshire County Council is already working on improving digital connections throughout the county with the Onlincolnshire project.

Richard Hardesty, part of the Onlincolnshire team, said: “Lincolnshire County Council recognises that broadband connections are increasingly important in everyday life.

“The rapid growth of the internet and the dramatic rise of online services means that a slow broadband connection, or none at all, can pose a serious problem.”

Hardesty added: “This Ofcom report broadly confirms the extensive research already conducted by the County Councils Lincolnshire Research Observatory on behalf of its Onlincolnshire project.

“The county council is already arguing strongly for more investment from broadband providers in areas where services are poor.

“It also wants to convince the Government to spend some of the funds it is making available for rural areas over the next five years on better digital connections in Lincolnshire.”

The County Council are currently bidding to receive £32m from the government to put towards improving broadband across the county.

If the bid is successful, Lincolnshire County Council will look to develop superfast broadband in more areas of Lincolnshire.

The map also revealed that Brighton and Hove has the highest take up of a broadband connection at 80%, and the cities of Edinburgh and Bristol have the lowest percentage of people receiving less than 2 Mbit/s.

To read the report in full, visit here.

Source: Ofcom