Member Article

Vast discrepancies found across North West broadband speeds

Significant broadband speed variations have been uncovered across the North West by business advisory firm, Deloitte, with some firms receiving speeds 20 times faster than others.

Deloitte said businesses were on an unfair playing field, with some at a considerable disadvantage to those with far better connectivity.

Research showed a vast range of results from across the North West with almost 40% of businesses tested coming in lower than the UK’s average household broadband speed of 12 megabits per second (Mbps).

Manchester city centre enjoys the highest broadband speed peaks with two companies experiencing speeds over 60 Mbps, while the lowest speed was found in the South Lakes at just 3.94 Mbps.

Preston has seen broadband speeds of 41 Mbps, while Haydock has harnessed up to 26.5 Mbps, and Birkenhead has experienced around 30 Mbps.

In contrast, Deloitte found far slower speeds in Bolton of 6.51 Mbps, while Prestbury experienced lows of 9.81 Mbps and Warrington saw speeds of just 6.19 Mbps.

Jodi Birkett, TMT partner at Deloitte in the North West, commented: “What we’re seeing here is a lack of consistency.

“Businesses are essentially playing a lottery - some have access to superfast connections while others are having to make do with much slower speeds that would be more likely to be found in family homes. This will no doubt impact on their day-to-day activities.

“Infrastructure isn’t just about roads and rail, it’s about connectivity too. Broadband has become something that all businesses completely rely on, so it should be right at the top of the priority list.

“To put it plainly, those companies with slower broadband speeds are at a huge disadvantage. It’s crucial that the investment in our broadband infrastructure continues in order to level the playing field for all businesses in the North West.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .