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The UK's poorest locations for broadband connectivity have been revealed, with Greenmeadows Park in Bamfurlong, Gloucestershire taking the bottom spot with average speeds of just 0.14Mbps.
This is according to research from broadband price comparison site uSwitch, which noted that this makes the street nearly 2,000 times slower than the UK's fastest location, Abdon Avenue in Birmingham, where residents can enjoy average speeds of 265.89Mbps.
Across the UK as a whole, the average speed is 46.2Mbps. However, more than a quarter of homes (26.3 per cent) receive speeds below 10Mbps, while one in eight (13.3 per cent) cannot even reach 5Mbps.
Ofcom has defined 10Mbps as the minimum speed that is needed for a decent connection, which lets users browse the internet, stream video and download large files.
The survey found that the south-west is the region most likely to enjoy high speeds, with five of the UK’s fastest broadband streets found across Devon, Dorset, Cornwall and Wiltshire. By contrast, the north of England is the least well-served region, with nine out of the 20 slowest streets north of the River Mersey.
However, it noted that when it comes to quality connectivity, there remains a postcode lottery, with some areas such as South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire home to some of the fastest and slowest speeds in the country.
Broadband expert at uSwitch Dani Warner said: "This research lays bare the extent of the UK’s digital divide. Streets that are relatively close geographically can be light years apart when it comes to the download speeds they are getting."
One other barrier to faster connectivity identified by the research is a lack of awareness among users about what is actually available.
The broadband sector has made significant progress on coverage in recent years, with 95 per cent of properties now able to receive superfast connectivity. But despite this, only around half of householders (56 per cent) believe these capabilities are available in their area, which may mean many people are still unnecessarily putting up with unusable services.
"The industry should be doing more to help consumers understand what sort of broadband they can get at home," Ms Warner continued. "And for those who can’t yet obtain faster speeds - which the industry is directly aiming to address with the rollout of full fibre - improvements really can’t come soon enough."
