Greater Manchester broadband speeds still stuck at traffic lights
The Northern Powerhouse, whether you think of it as a meaningful attempt to invest in Northern England or a throwaway gimmick, seems to be stuck in the internet slow lane. According to the Manchester Evening News and OFCOM’s Connected Nations report, Manchester has some of the slowest broadband speeds in Northern England. Most of the slower speeds have been concentrated in residential properties throughout the city centre.
We at Net66 have a top speed of 24.26 Mb/s which, in spite of being above Manchester’s median speed of 14.8 Mb/s, is still pitiful compared with superfast broadband in Singapore and parts of mainland Europe. It is stated in some sources that Manchester’s slow broadband is due to many of its connections being ADSL based rather than fibre optic cable based.
For a time, Mancunians enjoyed some of the fastest broadband speeds. With newer faster systems being installed, the nucleus of the Northern Powerhouse has fallen behind in terms of its internet connection speeds. In the survey, it was noted that Stopfordians enjoyed the fastest average speeds in Greater Manchester, with the Metropolitan Borough of Bury seeing the greatest improvement.
Net66 can reveal that three parts of Greater Manchester have broadband speeds lower than 2 Mb/s and two of which are in the Tameside area. The slowest broadband speeds are enjoyed in Mossley where residents on Fountain Court (off Manchester Road, A635) browse at 0.19 Mb/s. Next slowest in the same borough is Alt Hill Lane in Park Bridge, on the outskirts of Ashton-under-Lyne with a ‘superfast’ 1.73 Mb/s.
Net66 can reveal that three parts of Greater Manchester have broadband speeds lower than 2 Mb/s and two of which are in the Tameside area. The slowest broadband speeds are enjoyed in Mossley where residents on Fountain Court (off Manchester Road, A635) browse at 0.19 Mb/s. Next slowest in the same borough is Alt Hill Lane in Park Bridge, on the outskirts of Ashton-under-Lyne with a superfast 1.73 Mb/s.
For household use, OFCOM recommends a minimum of 0.5 Mb/s for basic web browsing, 1.5 Mb/s for video calls, 2.0 Mb/s for catching up on the soaps, and 6.0 Mb/s for the latest HD films. Greater Manchester’s ageing broadband infrastructure is more of an issue than being able to catch on Coronation Street or EastEnders. It is about ensuring businesses are able to use the internet to their full potential. Hopefully, to the point where broadband speeds are fast enough to take traffic off the Mancunian Way.
Central Manchester and Salford landmarks
Top broadband speeds at Net66 HQ and a selection of landmarks.
| Location | Speed (Mb/s) |
|---|---|
| Net66 HQ | 24.26 |
| MediaCityUK | 82.29 |
| University of Manchester | 52.88 |
| Beetham Tower | 29.46 |
| Angel Square | 5.07 |
Within Greater Manchester
A selection of towns, cities and suburbs within Greater Manchester.
| Town | Speed (Mb/s) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Stockport | 98.42 | St. Mary’s Close |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | 46.95 | Tameside College, Beaufort Road |
| Oldham | 43.39 | Oldham College, Rochdale Road |
| Bolton | 42.72 | Bolton railway station, Trinity Street |
| Rochdale | 161.79 | Fallinge estate |
| Bury | 44.88 | Parliament Street |
| Altrincham | 38.60 | Kingsway |
| Wigan | 68.12 | Morris Street |
| Atherton | 101.79 | Market Street |
| Salford | 65.42 | Crescent (A6) |
| Stalybridge | 42.20 | Staley Hall Road, Millbrook |
| Eccles | 23.91 | Corporation Road |
| Leigh | 52.87 | Eyet Street |
| Hindley | 52.06 | Cambourne Drive |
| Cheetham | 24.89 | Cheetham Hill Road |
| Moss Side | 31.75 | Staycott Street |
| Fallowfield | 38.85 | Willow Bank |
| Swinton | 124.84 | Lower Sutherland Street |
| Ramsbottom | 30.76 | Beechacre |
Greater Manchester Broadband Notspots
The slowest top connection speeds within the Greater Manchester area.
| Place | Speed (Mb/s) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Mossley | 0.19 | Manchester Road/Boundary Court |
| Ainsworth | 0.27 | Bury New Road |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | 1.73 | Alt Hill Lane, Park Bridge |
References
- OFCOM: Connected Nations report, December 2015.
- Manchester Evening News: Why Does Manchester Have Some of the Slowest Broadband Speeds in the Region?, 18 January 2016.
- Broadband Speed Checker: a useful website detailing broadband speeds throughout the United Kingdom over the last six months.
Net66, 19 January 2016.
