Glasgow has the widest disparity in broadband speeds among major UK cities, with its fastest area delivering download speeds 866 times greater than its slowest, according to analysis of 16,500 consumer speed tests by Uswitch.com.
The highest average download speed recorded in Glasgow was 840.4 Mbps in the Milton district. Just four miles away in Bearsden, some households recorded speeds as low as 0.97 Mbps — well below the UK Government’s universal service obligation (USO) minimum of 10 Mbps for a decent broadband connection.
At the slowest recorded speed in Glasgow, downloading a two-hour HD movie would take roughly 11 hours and 54 minutes. In contrast, using the fastest connection in the city would reduce that time to around 49 seconds.
Nottingham shows the second-largest broadband divide, with its top speed 689 times faster than the slowest recorded 1.16 Mbps connection. Cardiff, Inner London and Newcastle complete the top five. In all these cities except Newcastle, many areas registering the lowest speeds have access to much faster packages nearby, including full-fibre services offering gigabit download rates above 1,000 Mbps.
Edinburgh logged the highest recorded speed across UK cities at 840.6 Mbps in the Forth ward. Glasgow and Nottingham followed, with Nottingham’s Top Valley recording 799.8 Mbps.
At the other end of the spectrum, Bradford had the smallest range of speeds between its fastest and slowest areas, with a gap of 129 Mbps. Portsmouth and Wolverhampton were close behind. Hull, where the majority of broadband is supplied by regional provider KCOM, reported the highest minimum speed among the cities surveyed at 14.2 Mbps.
The shortest physical distance between a city’s fastest and slowest measured addresses was found in Brighton. Just 1.2 miles separate Patcham, where a top speed of 419.5 Mbps was recorded, and nearby Preston Park, where the slowest measurement was 4.37 Mbps.
Table – UK’s ten biggest two-speed cities
| Rank | City | Fastest download speed (Mbps) | Slowest download speed (Mbps) | Speed difference multiple |
| 1 | Glasgow | 840.4 | 0.97 | 866 |
| 2 | Nottingham | 799.8 | 1.16 | 689 |
| 3 | Cardiff | 643.0 | 0.99 | 649 |
| 4 | Inner London | 742.7 | 1.40 | 531 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 486.7 | 1.28 | 380 |
| 6 | Derby | 441.8 | 1.21 | 365 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 591.1 | 1.62 | 365 |
| 8 | Edinburgh | 840.6 | 2.32 | 362 |
| 9 | Birmingham | 545.2 | 1.65 | 330 |
| 10 | Greater Manchester | 640.9 | 2.07 | 310 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Table – So near and yet so far apart: UK’s ten closest broadband divides
| Rank | City | Fastest download speed (Mbps) | Slowest download speed (Mbps) | Distance between fastest and slowest areas (miles) |
| 1 | Brighton | 419.5 | 4.37 | 1.2 |
| 2= | Liverpool | 433.0 | 4.20 | 1.5 |
| 2= | Portsmouth | 247.2 | 1.96 | 1.5 |
| 4 | Inner London | 742.7 | 1.40 | 1.6 |
| 5 | Nottingham | 799.8 | 1.16 | 1.8 |
| 6= | Wolverhampton | 206.1 | 4.12 | 1.9 |
| 6= | Exeter | 546.4 | 10.89 | 1.9 |
| 8 | Reading | 464.0 | 7.63 | 2.5 |
| 9 | Cardiff | 643.0 | 0.99 | 2.8 |
| 10 | Swansea | 271.9 | 4.21 | 3.2 |
Source: Uswitch.com
The average UK household download speed currently sits at 59.4 Mbps. However, the gap between homes — even those in the same neighbourhood — is widening as many customers upgrade to faster services. In Glasgow, more than a third (37%) of addresses in its slowest area lacked access to a superfast package, while other local addresses could choose from standard, superfast or ultrafast full-fibre deals.
Ofcom’s latest figures show that 4% of UK households receive average download speeds below 10 Mbps, with most relying on older copper-wire connections. Under the USO, these households can request an upgrade from their provider.
At the opposite end of the distribution, nearly 7% of broadband customers now receive ultrafast average speeds above 300 Mbps.
As the broadband divide grows, those unhappy with their current speeds are advised to check available deals for their postcode. Superfast fibre is available to more than 95% of the UK, and many customers on copper-wire connections can at least triple their current speeds by switching to an alternative package at similar or lower cost.
Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said: “While the average UK broadband speed is increasing year on year, not everyone is benefiting. We are seeing a large and growing gap between customers enjoying ultrafast speeds and those getting the bare minimum.
“Legacy copper-wire broadband services often struggle to handle the demands of busy households with many devices and are more likely to suffer outages. Advances in technology and infrastructure rollout mean millions of customers now have faster options on their doorstep, and competition among full-fibre providers has improved value for consumers.
“Where once upgrading to a faster package meant higher bills, you can now often move to a better deal without paying more at the end of your contract. It’s a good time to review your options. Anyone unhappy with their broadband should perform an online speed test to confirm they are receiving the minimum guaranteed speed from their provider and check what alternatives are available by switching.”
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