The average broadband speed in the UK has increased 22% in the past year, largely due to consumers upgrading to higher-speed packages.
In November 2011, the average speed for broadband in the UK was 7.6 megabits compared to 6.2 megabits a year earlier, according to industry regulator Ofcom.
This difference of 1.4 megabits will save you around six minutes when downloading a two-hour film and will improve your general web experience, especially when more than one person shares the connection, says broadbandchoices.co.uk.
Ofcom is set to take action on this. A new code has already been drawn up, which stipulates providers can’t advertise a speed unless at least 10% of their customers are able to access it. The code will be introduced in April.
Of the 13 broadband providers covered by Ofcom, Virgin Media and BT had the highest average download speeds in November 2011.