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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/15/internet-speeds-uk-broadband-forgotten-homes-ofcom-report
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| More than 1m 'forgotten homes' in UK do not get fast enough broadband | More than 1m 'forgotten homes' in UK do not get fast enough broadband |
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| More than 1m “forgotten homes” across the UK are unable to get sufficiently fast broadband to meet a typical family’s needs, from watching Netflix to browsing YouTube. | More than 1m “forgotten homes” across the UK are unable to get sufficiently fast broadband to meet a typical family’s needs, from watching Netflix to browsing YouTube. |
| Ofcom, the communications regulator, said 4% of UK homes and offices, about 1.1m properties, could not access broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps. | |
| This is the minimum speed deemed necessary to cope with modern internet requirements, from downloading a film on Sky to streaming music and watching services such as Amazon and Netflix. | This is the minimum speed deemed necessary to cope with modern internet requirements, from downloading a film on Sky to streaming music and watching services such as Amazon and Netflix. |
| Ofcom said rural families were being left behind where properties are far from the local exchanges that provide fast speeds. It said 17% of homes were not getting decent internet, compared with 2% in cities and towns. | |
| Steve Unger, the regulator’s chief technology officer, said: “Everyone should have good access to the internet, wherever they live and work. | Steve Unger, the regulator’s chief technology officer, said: “Everyone should have good access to the internet, wherever they live and work. |
| “Our findings show there’s still urgent work required before the people and businesses get the services they need.” | “Our findings show there’s still urgent work required before the people and businesses get the services they need.” |
| Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report found there had been a decline in the number of households and offices without the minimum speed connection, from 2.4m in 2015 to 1.4m last year. | |
| The regulator said the number of properties with superfast broadband – the government’s target of speeds of 30Mbps or more – had risen from about 30% to 40%. | |
| Matt Hancock, the digital minister, said: “We will have taken superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by the end of the year, but we are not complacent and there is more work to be done. | Matt Hancock, the digital minister, said: “We will have taken superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by the end of the year, but we are not complacent and there is more work to be done. |
| “We are making sure that by 2020, every home and business in the UK will have access to reliable, high-speed broadband.” | “We are making sure that by 2020, every home and business in the UK will have access to reliable, high-speed broadband.” |
| However, a report in August found that Britain remained a global broadband laggard, ranking it 31st for average speed, trailing most of Europe, Thailand and New Zealand. | |
| In July, 57 MPs published a report calling on Ofcom to make broadband providers such as BT and Sky compensate customers who do not get the connection speeds they are promised. | In July, 57 MPs published a report calling on Ofcom to make broadband providers such as BT and Sky compensate customers who do not get the connection speeds they are promised. |