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Internet Speeds in the UK and Across the World
A fast and reliable internet connection is increasingly important, not just for businesses but for families who are looking to move. Here East Anglian removal firm Hamiltons Removals look at why speeds vary so much – and where are the best places in the UK and overseas to move to if a good broadband service is essential for your work or leisure time.
Why Speeds Vary
In the UK, if you live in a town or city then you will usually have access to fibre broadband offering higher speeds. If you live in a rural area, this rollout may not have reached you yet, so you may still be relying on older infrastructure such as a copper wire system which is slower and more prone to interruptions.
Speeds may also be slower if you use them during times of peak demand, although pinning this time down has become harder to quantify now that so many people work from home.
The same problem applies overseas as well. So, given its reputation as a high-tech country (and the home of many of the internet multinationals), you might think that the USA would be at the top or near the top of the list for internet connections.
However, because it is such a vast country, and the cost of improving the high-tech infrastructure is so great, it’s not right at the very top. Also, much of the US internet market is dominated by a few big players with regional monopolies so there isn’t much competition, or an option to switch to another provider.
In this respect smaller countries with more modern infrastructure (such as the Middle East and South-East Asia) often have the advantage of better speeds and quicker access to high-tech upgrades.
The Best Places in the UK….
Southampton has the fastest average download speeds of anywhere in the UK in figures released in 2024 by uSwitch*, with households and businesses enjoying average speeds of 166.677Mbps (megabits per-second). It is closely followed by Stockton-on-Tees in the north-east (166.356Mbps); the London borough of Newham is third (157.795Mbps).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Isles of Scilly, Argyll and Bute and the Outer Hebrides in Scotland have the slowest average download speeds across the UK (the Isles of Scilly is the slowest, at 24.536Mbps).
…and Overseas
Singapore has the best average download speed of 284.13Mbps, according to 2024 figures released by SpeedTest. If you are interested in international removals to the UAE, then the country comes second with 276.02Mbps.
The USA is fifth on the list, at 254.01Mbps, while Cuba is at the bottom (just 2.92Mbps).
Moving Your Home or Business with East Anglia Removal Firm Hamiltons Removals
Wherever you want to move to in the UK – whether it’s as far north as the Outer Hebrides, or as far south as Southampton or the Isles of Scilly – then Hamiltons Removals can help you get there. For more information about our UK removals service, click here. And we can help with overseas moves as well – to Europe and many international destinations, including to America and the UAE.
And if you are moving your business, we specialise in the packing, transport and reinstallation of all IT related equipment, using packaging and vehicles specially designed for computer removals. Our staff will work alongside your own IT team to ensure all your equipment is transported undamaged and we will help you set up and reconnect everything at your new location.
If you would like to know more about our commercial removals service, then follow this link; you can also call us on 01379 855203.
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