Broadband 10,000 homes and firms are not up to speed
A broadband speed test
THE neighbourhoods with the worst broadband connectivity in Gloucestershire have been revealed.
The latest figures from communications regulator Ofcom show that more than 10,000 homes and businesses across Gloucestershire do not have access to a decent and affordable connection.
This is defined by the Government as a connection that can deliver 10 megabits per second (Mbit/s) download speed and one Mbit/s upload speed, and costs less than £45 per month.
A connection delivering 10 Mbit/s is fine for standard internet usage for one person – reading and writing blogs, checking emails, streaming standard definition contents and downloading small files.
But 10 Mbit/s slows down very quickly for two or more users at home, especially if you are streaming HD videos, playing online games or downloading larger files. And it won’t be enough for business usage.
Only a small proportion of people do not have access to a connection that meets these standards.
The area most affected in Gloucestershire is Forest Of Dean, where 9.9 per cent of homes and businesses have poor broadband connectivity, affecting 4,122 premises.
That compares to 0.3 per cent of premises in places like Cheltenham – affecting 170 homes and businesses.
However, in some neighbourhoods in Gloucestershire, more than one in every three properties does not have access to decent and affordable broadband.
In Dymock, Hartpury and Huntley in Forest of Dean, 33.8 per cent of homes and businesses have poor broadband connectivity. The same is true for 23.4 per cent of people in Lydbrook, Newland and St Briavels and 13.8 per cent of people in Tidenham and Woolaston, both also in Forest of Dean.
Also making it into the top five neighbourhoods worst affected are Longhope, Westbury and Blakeney in Forest of Dean (13.5 per cent) and Wottonunder-edge and Kingswood in Stroud (12.6 per cent).
Last year, the Government announced the Universal Service Obligation for broadband as part of its commitment to ensuring the UK has worldclass digital connectivity and inclusion.
The USO is intended as a “safety net” to deliver broadband to those premises that do not have access to a decent and affordable connection.
If a premises’ broadband falls below these standards, and is not due to be connected to a publicly funded roll-out scheme within a year, the USO provides a legal right to request a decent broadband connection from the Government, up to a cost threshold of £3,400.
Alternatively, the customer can choose to pay the excess if the cost of installing decent broadband would be more than that amount.
Ofcom’s figures show the situation in January this year, so do not reflect any upgrades that have occurred through the USO so far.
Overall, most people across Great Britain have superfast broadband available to them (94.6 per cent of premises), while 54.2 per cent of homes and businesses have ultrafast broadband available and 12.2 per cent have full fibre.
However, 1.6 million homes and businesses are unable to receive 30 Mbit/s, including 489,248 of whom can’t receive 10 Mbit/s, 249,267 five Mbit/s and 90,891 not even two Mbit/s.
Selina Chadha, Ofcom’s connectivity director, said: “With many people needing to work and learn from home now, having a decent internet connection has never been more important.
“And while more people are being connected to faster broadband every day, there is more to do to bring all parts of the country up to speed – particularly rural areas.
“Anyone who cannot get a decent connection can now request one through the universal broadband service, so we encourage anyone in this situation to check if they are eligible for an upgrade.”