UK broadband coverage outstrips other European countries – now BT promises to double speeds across the country
Hot on the heels of BT’s promise to revolutionise the UK’s broadband, a new study has revealed that Britain’s broadband growth already outstrips other European countries – setting it on course to become world leading within five years.
The UK already beats major European countries, with broadband speeds and coverage around three years ahead of the Western European average.
But by 2020 the UK’s broadband will have become world leading, according to the study International Benchmarking Report, done by Analysys Mason and commissioned by BT.
Both speeds and coverage are expected to be ahead of the US and similar to the world’s most advanced telecoms countries, Japan and South Korea, said Analysys Mason partner Matt Yardley.
He added:
The debate continues to rage over how the UK fares when it comes to broadband speeds, coverage and pricing, and this report shows it is doing very well
Earlier today, BT announced plans to boost both speeds and reach across the country, as broadband moves "from luxury to necessity". The telecoms giant promised to give Britain universal broadband speeds of at least 5-10 megabits per second (Mbps), doubling today’s minimum standard.
Today, one in three Britons are still making do with internet speeds under 5Mbps, and Ewan Taylor-Gibson, broadband expert at price comparison site uSwitch, said this showed there was much left to do:
Terrible speeds can isolate people and take their toll on businesses, schools, even house prices, so BT's announcement will be music to the ears of many UK users who live with substandard broadband speeds.