New analysis reveals Yorkshire’s broadband woes

Latest Ofcom figures show that Yorkshire has almost 20,000 homes in the region still without access to usable broadband. The analysis from alternative broadband specialists National Broadband reveals which parts of the region are suffering from poor connectivity and find themselves trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide.

The worst areas in Yorkshire for broadband connectivity are currently as follows:

1. Richmondshire

2. Ryedale

3. Hambleton

4. Craven

5. Harrogate

Rishi Sunak's Yorkshire constituency Richmond ranks as one of the worst locations in the country for broadband accessibility, with over 2,000 homes in the constituency being unable to access broadband speeds of 10 Mbps. One resident, Dominic Bath and his family grappled with poor internet connectivity for over four and a half years, before finding a 4G alternative through National Broadband.

The UK Government classifies broadband speeds of 10 Mbps as the national minimum standard. This is a surprisingly low bar in this day and age, since speeds below this level make it almost impossible to perform even the most basic of online tasks, from video calls to online streaming.

Despite its large number of broadband-starved properties, Yorkshire is yet to receive any funding from the Government’s flagship Project Gigabit. This contrasts with well-connected areas such as the South East and East of England already receiving several millions to improve their connectivity.

Whilst rural locations in the region suffer with the worst broadband, Yorkshire’s cities are also lagging behind their urban counterparts across the rest of the UK. According to the Fair Internet Report, the likes of Sheffield and York with median speeds of 48 Mbps and 38 Mbps respectively pale in comparison to the likes of London (72 Mbps), Edinburgh (72 Mbps) and Bristol (67 Mbps). Whilst Leeds has stronger median speeds at 64 Mbps it does not rank among the top performing UK cities.

David Hennell, Director at National Broadband, commented "There’s a growing disparity between digital haves and have nots across the UK. Whilst many are experiencing seemingly ever-increasing broadband speeds and improved connectivity, there are those who are being left by the wayside stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. We cannot continue to neglect those in rural and remote areas as exemplified by Dominic Bath and his family, since the negative impact that poor broadband has on households’ day to day lives is profound. Our mission at National Broadband has consistently centred on tackling this disparity head-on and offering reliable broadband access to all individuals and communities across the entire UK. The fact that we succeed where traditional landline-based technologies fail homes and businesses clearly shows there is a pressing need for the government to explore alternative solutions to bridge the digital divide, if it is serious about universally levelling up.”