Scarborough among worst areas for internet connection

Scarborough is among the ten worst internet connection areas according to new research.

The research, conducted by casino experts AskGamblers.com, analyzed new data from Ofcom on download speeds and access to super-fast, ultra-fast broadband across the UK’s 376 local authorities, and created an index to find out which areas had the worst internet connection of all.

Scarborough ranked tenth nationally, with only the regions of Scotland and Devon considered the least connected.

Further afield, Kingston upon Hull has the best internet connection in the UK, with the best combined download speed (171.4 megabits per minute) and ultra-fast, lightning-fast broadband coverage. And while Scottish regions dominate the list of UK regions with the worst internet connection, the place with the second best internet access in the UK is also in Scotland. West Dunbartonshire enjoys a download speed of 127.4 megabits per minute and 89.6% of its households have access to superfast broadband, well above the UK average of 59%.

On the coast, Middlesbrough ranks third on the list with an average download speed of 111.4 megabits per second as well as high rates of superfast broadband and superfast broadband. The area with the fourth best internet availability is North East Lincolnshire. The area enjoys 96.7% availability for superfast broadband as well as 92.4% availability for superfast broadband. Stockton-on-Tees completes the top five UK regions with an excellent combination of megabit per second download speed (115.1) and high availability rates in the region for superfast broadband (95.9%) and ultra-fast broadband (89%) .

The Orkney Islands has the lowest percentage of premises connected to superfast broadband (64.3% compared to the UK average of 94%) and has only 1% of households with superfast broadband (compared to compared to the UK average of 59%). Residents of the Orkney Islands also face the slowest download speeds in the UK, at just 37.4 megabits per second – the UK standard is 58.2 megabits per second.

Scotland tops the list of the ten worst internet hotspots in the UK, with half of the areas falling in Scotland.

Top 10 areas with the best internet connection

Top 10 areas with the worst internet connection:

The Shetland Islands have the second poorest internet access in Scotland and the UK. In the Shetland Islands, only 2.1% of locals have access to superfast broadband, compared to a UK average of 59%, and the median download speed is 41 megabits per second, compared to a UK average of 58.2 megabits per second .

Argyll and Bute ranks third on the list of areas in the UK with the worst internet access. The median download speed in Argyle and Bute is just 42.7 megabits per second, while only 78.1% have access to superfast broadband and only 1.8% have access to superfast broadband.

Na H’Eilenan Siar comes fourth on the list of areas with the worst internet access in the UK. Only 4.5% have access to ultra-fast broadband, while the median download speed is just 42.1 megabits per second. Dumfries and Galloway also has some of the poorest internet sites in the UK.

A spokesperson for AskGamblers.com commented on the results:

“These data give us a compelling insight into the extent of the digital divide in the UK. Everything we do as a society, from entertainment to work to everyday life, is so intertwined with the internet, and the importance of equitable digital access for all should never be underestimated. While some areas of the UK are doing well in terms of internet access and connection, it is worrying to see many areas falling short of average download speeds and access to decent broadband” .