THE FASTEST street for broadband in Wales is Chamberlain Row, Dinas Powys, new research and analysis from broadband comparison site Broadband Genie has found.
Residents of Chamberlain Row recorded an average broadband download speed of 892.71Mb. This makes it over seven times faster than Wales’ average broadband download speed (118Mb).
UK broadband comparison site Broadband Genie analysed 145,926 speed tests to identify Wales’ fastest broadband streets. Qualifying streets were ranked from fastest to slowest on average download speed.
Half of the fastest streets are found in North Wales, mainly in the north-west coastal area and Anglesey.
78% of premises in Wales have access to full fibre broadband. When available, 49% of bill payers take up the option of full fibre broadband.
| Rank | Street | Download speed (Mb) |
| 1 | Chamberlain Row, Dinas Powys | 892.71 |
| 2 | Lawson Road, Colwyn Bay | 795.62 |
| 3 | Bryn Glas Close, Holyhead | 608.92 |
| 4 | Brighton Road, Rhyl | 513.00 |
| 5 | Garngoch Terrace, Garden Village, Gorseinon | 400.62 |
| 6 | Graig View, Aberbeeg, Abertillery | 359.70 |
| 7 | Triplestone Close, Herbrandston, Milford Haven | 343.87 |
| 8 | Caerwent Road, Trevethin, Pontypool | 322.94 |
| 9 | Lon Y Waen, Menai Bridge | 305.38 |
| 10 | Mayflower Drive, Marford, Wrexham | 284.62 |
The study also highlights that many areas can suffer from slow broadband. Wales’ slowest street for broadband is Heol-Y-Fedw, Cymmer, Port Talbot, where occupants received an average download speed of just 0.81Mb.
To give you an idea of what that feels like, it’s not enough to meet the minimum streaming requirements for Netflix or Disney+. Downloading Aladdin (1992) would take 15 hours and 28 minutes.
The slowest streets for broadband in Wales are as follows.
| Rank | Street | Download speed (Mb) |
| 1 | Heol-Y-Fedw, Cymmer, Port Talbot | 0.81 |
| 2 | Wesley Street, Maesteg | 1.45 |
| 3 | Jessop Road, Rogerstone, Newport | 2.62 |
| 4 | Rheolau Terrace, Pontypridd | 2.80 |
| 5 | B4570, Ponthirwaun, Cardigan | 2.83 |
| 6 | Windermere Road, Wrexham | 3.76 |
| 7 | Ellis Drive, Llay, Wrexham | 4.06 |
| 8 | Gethin Road, Tonypandy | 4.14 |
| 9 | Cae Rhos, Holyhead | 6.10 |
| 10 | Blue Anchor Road, Pen-clawdd | 10.58 |
Most of Wales’ slowest streets have access to fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and 4 out of 10 have access to full fibre broadband, meaning faster options are often available for residents[4].
The findings indicate that there may be opportunities to improve awareness of faster broadband options available on the slowest streets. Greater understanding of these options, and how easy it is to switch, could significantly improve residents’ online experiences.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, offers his advice of what to do if you suffer from slow broadband.
He said: “If you feel your internet is running slow, run a broadband speed test. If you find it’s delivering the speed you signed up for, it may be time for an upgrade. If you haven’t reviewed your broadband deal in the past 2 years, you can switch to something faster at a lower cost.
“For underperforming internet, don’t stress, there are some quick actions you can do for free to help your connection get back up to speed.”
- Router position:
“Place your router as close as you can to the middle of your home, away from walls and other electrical devices.”
- Switch frequencies:
“Routers will have a 2.4 GHz and a 5GHz option. Switch it over to the 5GHz option for faster speeds. If it’s not already enabled, activate it in your router settings. The 5GHz signal will then appear in your available Wi-Fi networks.”
- Router security:
“It’s possible unwanted users could be using your Wi-Fi. You can check all connected devices in your router settings. Remove anything you don’t recognise.”
- Updates:
“Update your device, browser, and router software to optimise performance.”
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie: “No one should have to put up with sluggish broadband. It is a utility we rely on for work, education, essential services, social interaction, and more.
“Our analysis found many people on the slowest streets can upgrade their broadband. We encourage anyone who is frustrated with their broadband to check what other options are available in their area with a quick search on our comparison service.
“If you’re one of the 8.8 million people in the UK out of contract, it’s likely you can get a faster deal and still reduce your monthly bill.
“Wales’ full fibre landscape is looking stronger and catching up with European rivals. Currently, Wales has 78% full fibre coverage.
“However, Wales has similar challenges to the rest of the UK, where demand and adoption of faster technologies is struggling to keep up with deployment. This could be due to a lack of awareness and an area where the market can do better.
“It’s important not to forget the 44,000 homes in the UK, 6,000 of which are located in Wales, which can’t get a download speed of at least 10Mb. Or what the Government calls a ‘decent’ broadband connection.
“We encourage anyone who can’t access decent broadband through a fixed-line connection to consider 4G or 5G home broadband or alternatives such as satellite broadband.”
