Three million homes in the UK have access to broadband speeds
of less than two megabits per second, research released today
shows.
The findings follow the government's promise that all homes in
the UK will have access to broadband with speeds of at least 2Mbps
by 2012.
Research commissioned by the BBC and Samknows shows that slow
broadband speeds are not limited to rural areas, with many streets
in towns and suburban areas affected.
Samknows has created a
map of broadband speeds available in the UK by mapping a sample
of postcodes in areas known to have poor broadband access.
The government
announced plans to back the introduction universal broadband
network service running at 2Mbps by 2012 in the Budget.
Communications minister Stephen Carter, who is conducting the
Digital Britain review into the future of broadband, has
defended the 2Mbps target as achievable, despite criticism that
it lacks ambition.