So London's broadband users can go online at average speeds of 4.5 Mbps, nearly twice those in Wales and one and half times as fast as most users in Scotland. In a survey for BBC News, Thinkbroadband.com have just analysed speed tests from the last two months in 6,000 locations and found the average speed to be 3.2 megabits per second (Mbps). In Wales the average figure was 2.6Mbps. Scotland fares slightly better at 2.9 Mbps. Unsurprisingly towns and cities tend to benefit from faster speeds than rural areas
International broadband league tables
A major report on broadband published last week by OECD puts the UK 12th overall with an average of 24 households per 100 connected to broadband. Denmark leads these rankings at 35 households per 100, with Iceland, Norway and Finland (the other Arc of Prosperity countries favoured by the Scottish Government) averaging 30 households per 100.
Add this to the digital divide between rural and urban areas around broadband speeds as highlighted by Ofcom's report below with Scotland averaging 2.9Mbs and if we're really going to make Scotland plc digitally competitive we've quite a way to go.
Speed wise we're still a long way behind the leaders, South Korea where 100Mbs speeds are planned for 2010. On the plus side the UK has one of the most competitively priced broadband markets in the world lying 5th in the league tables .
