THE UK's worst street for broadband speeds also has access to some of the fastest internet speeds in the country.
Last Year Kingsclere in Huntington was identified as having an average speed of 0.22 megabits per second (Mbps), 830 times slower than Darwin Street in Livingston, Scotland, where average speeds stand at 182.52Mbps, according to uSwitch.com.
But, thanks to full fibre infrastructure being rolled out across York, it has capability to deliver gigabit internet speeds (1000 Mbps), into homes, and host multiple simultaneous devices. The network will reach 55,000 homes and businesses across the city later this year and make York FibreNation’s first UK Gigabit city.
The Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) network currently passes 43,000 homes and businesses across York and is being built by FibreNation, the engineering technology company behind TalkTalk’s Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO).
Nigel Stainforth, who lives on the street and works in IT, has been using TalkTalk UFO, since it was first available on Kingsclere in 2016. The Ultra Fibre Optic service comes straight from the exchange directly into Andrew’s home meaning he and his family can experience internet speeds more than 4,500 times faster than their neighbours who are using standard broadband relying on the old copper network.
He said: “When I saw the uSwitch figures, I thought they were a joke, Kingsclere may have been the slowest street once, but it’s definitely one of the fastest now."
“It was a no-brainer for us to connect to Ultra Fibre Optic when it arrived on our street. The price with TalkTalk is affordable and, as a family of five with teenagers and young adults, we’re heavy internet users. With numerous computers, laptops, phones and other devices in use at the same time around the house we used to have real problems getting online, and we couldn’t all get on at once. Now the only limitation is the capability of the devices we’re using. Even when we are all streaming or downloading movies at once, there is no delay or buffering and the service is never at full capacity.”
Only ten per cent of the UK currently has access to a full fibre network compared with up to 80 per cent elsewhere in Europe.
Beci Fuller, City Communications and Engagement Manager, FibreNation said: “It’s clear that the UK’s slowest street for broadband is actually one of the fastest in the country. We’re thrilled that residents on Kingsclere can access our full fibre network and take advantage of gigabit internet speeds. We look forward to more York residents and businesses being able to experience the difference as we continue to roll out our network across the city.”
Roy Grant, Head of ICT and Digital Services, City of York Council said: “As the first and one of an increasing number of Gigabit Cities in the UK, we are delighted to see more and more residents and businesses benefitting from York’s brilliant connectivity. It's great to see residents championing this in sharing their experiences.
"Having the UK’s fastest internet creates great opportunities for residents and businesses - for collaboration, economic growth and efficiency. Our continual expansion of full fibre internet is equipping our city with the infrastructure it needs for future technology.”
FibreNation is also working in the Harrogate and Dewsbury areas with plans to start building in Knaresborough and Ripon soon bringing its full fibre network to more than three million properties eventually. Originally owned and funded by TalkTalk Group, it was sold earlier this month for £200 million to CityFibre Holdings, the third largest network builder in the UK. The sale is underpinned by a long-term wholesale agreement for TalkTalk which will give customers access to full fibre and a superior customer experience.
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