Ofcom’s latest report into customers’ broadband experience has found Edinburgh users enjoy the fastest download speeds.
The report researched the performance of 4G and 3G smartphones across the four main mobile operators – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Manchester.
The report measured four broadband parameters such as download speed, upload speed, web browsing and latency between March and June this year.
Edinburgh was found to have the fastest download speed for both 4G and 3 G while London had the lowest.
Manchester enjoyed the fastest upload speeds -how long it takes to upload content such as pictures or videos- while Glasgow had the lowest.
Glasgow also suffered the slowest 4G web browsing speeds while London had the fastest.
Out of the 5 cities analyised Edinburgh was reported to have the highest levels of latency- the time it takes data to travel to a third-party server and back, which is important to reduce delays when making video calls, for example.
The report also showed that on average 4G download speeds were two and half times faster than 3G download speeds across all four operators.
Uploads speeds on 4G were more than seven times faster than for 3G and web browsing was faster on 4G with Three offering the average feastest web browsing.
Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “Having fast, reliable broadband on the move is vital for many consumers and businesses across the UK.
“Today’s research shows 4G is providing a significantly enhanced mobile broadband experience to customers, which we expect to be available to 98% of the UK population by 2017 at the latest.
“Improving mobile quality of service is an important area of Ofcom’s work.
“Our research both incentivises mobile providers to offer a higher quality of service, while helping consumers choose a mobile package that best suits their needs.”
The full report, titled ‘Measuring mobile broadband performance in the UK’, is available to view on Ofcom’s official website.
Ofcom is currently working with the UK Government’s £150m mobile infrastructure project, which is funding mobile phone masts in uncovered areas and improving mobile services on railways.
