Three Scottish local authorities rated worst for broadband speeds

Scottish local authority areas have been ranked the worst in the UK for broadband speeds, according to a consumer publication.

The Orkney Islands finished at the foot of the table of 389 entries with an average test speed of just 6.3Mbps.

The archipelago was followed by the Shetland Islands (8.4Mbps), with Highland (8.8Mbps) third from bottom.

Consumer publication Which? used data from its speed checker from January to March 2017 to show variations across the UK.

Average tests in the locations fell short of 10Mbps, which experts say is necessary to meet the typical demands of a family or small business.

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home servicthree es, said: “Far too many households across Scotland are suffering from slow broadband speeds, which can stop you being able to carry out essential daily tasks.

“We are encouraging everyone with broadband to use our speed checker so people can see if they are getting the speeds that they’ve been promised by their provider and find out how to complain if their speed is too slow.”