Ranked: The best and worst London boroughs for broadband
Broadband speeds in the City are the lowest of any London borough, according to new data on internet speeds across the capital.
The data, compiled by Broadband Choices, shows massive disparities in average download speeds, with the fastest borough clocking up an average speed over three times quicker than the slowest.
Read more: Boris Johnson set to unveil £5bn full-fibre broadband boost
Richmond upon Thames ranked first with a 65.8 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed, with Kingston upon Thames coming in just behind with 65.4 Mbps. The City of London trailed at the bottom of the league with a 17.1 Mbps average.
The average download speed across the UK is 54.2 Mbps, meaning that 18 boroughs have above average speeds.
The City of London has consistently performed poorly in rankings of internet speed, partly caused by its relatively small geographic size and population.
The City’s 10,000 residents are often forced to deal with slower internet speeds because of the difficulty and expense of replacing old copper lines in the densely populated area.
Businesses in the Square Mile tend to be able to meet the costs of the upgrades, however.
Average broadband speeds across London boroughs
| Borough | Average download speed (Mbps) |
| Richmond upon Thames | 65.8 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 65.3 |
| Sutton | 63.3 |
| Merton | 62.6 |
| Hounslow | 61 |
| Enfield | 60.7 |
| Waltham Forest | 60.2 |
| Redbridge | 59.6 |
| Bromley | 59.5 |
| Havering | 59.4 |
| Hillingdon | 59.2 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 58.6 |
| Haringey | 58.3 |
| Harrow | 57.8 |
| Camden | 56.7 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 56.6 |
| Croydon | 55.5 |
| Islington | 55 |
| Ealing | 51.8 |
| Bexley | 51.8 |
| Greenwich | 49.7 |
| Hackney | 48.8 |
| Brent | 48.1 |
| Newham | 47.9 |
| Wandsworth | 47.7 |
| Lambeth | 46.3 |
| Lewisham | 44.4 |
| Barnet | 43 |
| Southwark | 43 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 40.4 |
| Brentwood | 31.6 |
| Tower Hamlets | 31.5 |
| Westminster | 28.5 |
| City of London | 17.1 |
According to Ofcom data, superfast broadband is now available across 95 per cent of the UK. However, only seven per cent of the country has access to full-fibre networks, which generate a more reliable connection.
It was reported yesterday that prime minister Boris Johnson is preparing to unveil a £5bn subsidy to boost his plans to roll out full-fibre broadband to every UK home by 2025.
Read more: Broadband firms pledge to cut prices after Ofcom review
Matt Pocok of Broadband Choices said consumers should be aware of what speeds they can expect in their area, and demand more from suppliers that fail to deliver on promised speeds.
Pocock said although broadband speeds are “vitally important”, “most British consumers only become aware of what broadband speeds they should be getting after they have signed up for a deal”.
Main image credit: Getty