Worst broadband coverage in the UK

Q: Which UK area has the worst broadband coverage?

Na h-Eileanan Siar has the lowest gigabit-capable coverage in the UK at 9.6% of premises. Shetland Islands (17.7%) and Argyll and Bute (21.8%) are also near the bottom of the ranking.

Q: Why do rural areas have worse broadband?

Fibre broadband requires laying physical cable to each premises. In a dense city you can serve thousands of homes per mile of trench. In a rural area you might serve one house per mile, which makes the per-premises cost of installation much higher. Rural areas also tend to be connected on older copper infrastructure that maxes out well below gigabit speeds.

Q: What can I do if I live somewhere with poor broadband?

The Universal Service Obligation gives every UK premises the right to request a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbit/s down / 1 Mbit/s up (BT is the default provider). Fixed wireless access, 4G/5G mobile broadband and Starlink are also options in areas where fixed-line broadband is limited. See the best broadband coverage ranking for comparison.

Q: Is coverage the same as speed?

No. Coverage means the connection is available at the premises. A property may be covered by gigabit broadband but the household is on a slower package for cost reasons. Take-up rates are typically well below coverage, especially for full fibre.

The UK area with the lowest gigabit-capable broadband coverage is Na h-Eileanan Siar at just 9.6%. The average across the 367 ranked areas is 84.6%. Low coverage clusters in rural and remote areas where the economics of laying fibre are harder to make work.

Data last updated: 1 September 2026

Found somewhere you like? See the full picture on any home there.

The speeds here are area averages. Enter a postcode to check one home: last sale price, EPC rating, flood risk and crime nearby.

Every UK local authority ranked by gigabit-capable broadband coverage, based on Ofcom's Connected Nations data (July 2025). Na h-Eileanan Siar sits at the bottom at just 9.6%, with Shetland Islands (17.7%) and Argyll and Bute (21.8%) close behind.

Being at the bottom of this table does not necessarily mean broadband is unusable. Superfast (30+ Mbit/s) is far more widely available and covers everyday household needs; the shortfall shown here is in the newest gigabit tier.

Showing 367 of 367 areas.

UK average 84.6%

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1	Na h-Eileanan Siar Scotland	9.6%	9.6%	£739	£28,746
2	Shetland Islands Scotland	17.7%	17.7%	£739	£35,716
3	Argyll and Bute Scotland	21.8%	21.8%	£822	£30,436
4	Orkney Islands Scotland	25.4%	25.4%	£739	£31,737
5	Aberdeenshire Scotland	43.9%	43.9%	£845	£33,799
6	North Norfolk East of England	50.7%	50.7%	£865	£28,421
7	Isles of Scilly South West	50.9%	50.9%	N/A	N/A
8	Ceredigion Wales	51.0%	51.0%	£723	£29,326
9	Dumfries and Galloway Scotland	53.6%	53.6%	£558	£29,649
10	Perth and Kinross Scotland	53.9%	34.1%	£739	£31,851
11	Isle of Anglesey Wales	56.6%	56.6%	£714	£29,944
12	Mid Suffolk East of England	58.2%	58.2%	£1,005	£31,507
13	South Hams South West	58.5%	58.4%	£1,012	£29,721
14	Powys Wales	58.5%	58.5%	£621	£30,275
15	Derbyshire Dales East Midlands	59.2%	59.2%	£819	£33,700
16	Angus Scotland	59.6%	50.7%	£825	£30,681
17	Mid Devon South West	59.9%	59.9%	£878	£31,908
18	Moray Scotland	60.5%	60.5%	£739	£26,943
19	West Devon South West	60.8%	60.8%	£846	£26,556
20	East Lindsey East Midlands	61.4%	55.4%	£704	£26,705
21	King's Lynn and West Norfolk East of England	62.0%	62.0%	£941	£30,581
22	Highland Scotland	62.1%	62.1%	£739	£31,416
23	Torridge South West	63.2%	63.2%	£789	£28,752
24	Gwynedd Wales	63.6%	63.6%	£724	£25,179
25	Cornwall South West	64.3%	62.7%	£1,000	£28,210
26	Winchester South East	64.4%	45.6%	£1,508	£38,352
27	Cotswold South West	65.9%	65.9%	£1,252	£32,927
28	Breckland East of England	66.1%	66.1%	£928	£28,930
29	North Devon South West	66.2%	66.2%	£846	£28,386
30	Pembrokeshire Wales	66.3%	66.3%	£694	£27,243
31	West Lindsey East Midlands	67.2%	63.1%	£741	£30,741
32	Chichester South East	67.3%	67.3%	£1,333	£28,585
33	Wealden South East	68.6%	68.6%	£1,262	£33,376
34	Scottish Borders Scotland	68.6%	68.6%	£708	£28,796
35	South Norfolk East of England	69.0%	68.2%	£981	£32,934
36	Carmarthenshire Wales	69.2%	69.2%	£687	£30,774
37	North Warwickshire West Midlands	70.4%	58.1%	£982	£35,067
38	Waverley South East	70.5%	67.4%	£1,459	£42,326
39	Tandridge South East	70.6%	53.5%	£1,637	£33,316
40	Rother South East	71.0%	71.0%	£1,165	£30,790
41	Blaenau Gwent Wales	71.0%	71.0%	£681	£30,734
42	Lewes South East	71.4%	71.4%	£1,333	£33,088
43	Malvern Hills West Midlands	71.9%	71.9%	£946	£28,167
44	Babergh East of England	72.1%	72.1%	£965	£30,118
45	Dorset South West	72.3%	70.9%	£1,056	£31,444
46	Staffordshire Moorlands West Midlands	72.8%	64.7%	£728	£31,065
47	Canterbury South East	73.4%	73.4%	£1,280	£30,188
48	East Hampshire South East	73.5%	60.6%	£1,262	£39,682
49	Shropshire West Midlands	73.6%	72.7%	£823	£29,603
50	Broadland East of England	74.0%	69.2%	£938	£30,920
51	New Forest South East	74.0%	71.8%	£1,244	£31,344
52	Mendip England	74.5%	73.5%	N/A	N/A
53	Sedgemoor England	74.5%	73.5%	N/A	N/A
54	Somerset South West	74.5%	73.5%	£1,016	£29,908
55	Somerset West and Taunton England	74.5%	73.5%	N/A	N/A
56	South Somerset England	74.5%	73.5%	N/A	N/A
57	Allerdale England	74.7%	73.1%	N/A	N/A
58	Carlisle England	74.7%	73.1%	N/A	N/A
59	Copeland England	74.7%	73.1%	N/A	N/A
60	Cumberland North West	74.7%	73.1%	£681	£33,840
61	Arun South East	75.1%	75.1%	£1,231	£29,809
62	East Devon South West	75.2%	75.1%	£968	£32,154
63	Ashford South East	75.3%	68.5%	£1,248	£32,991
64	South Holland East Midlands	75.7%	75.7%	£775	£30,196
65	Wiltshire South West	75.7%	67.4%	£1,082	£31,873
66	Sevenoaks South East	75.8%	64.8%	£1,809	£34,969
67	Hastings South East	75.9%	75.9%	£1,007	£29,323
68	West Suffolk East of England	76.1%	72.9%	£1,183	£33,437
69	Stirling Scotland	76.2%	76.2%	£892	£33,832
70	Horsham South East	76.4%	76.4%	£1,474	£36,448
71	Teignbridge South West	77.1%	75.8%	£961	£28,911
72	Tendring East of England	77.2%	77.2%	£1,053	£29,545
73	Test Valley South East	77.4%	55.2%	£1,235	£35,314
74	Folkestone and Hythe South East	77.6%	71.8%	£1,178	£33,355
75	Rutland East Midlands	77.6%	77.6%	£961	£39,559
76	Bassetlaw East Midlands	77.9%	74.3%	£727	£28,314
77	Monmouthshire Wales	78.1%	78.1%	£994	£35,020
78	Merthyr Tydfil Wales	78.4%	78.4%	£754	£31,504
79	Barnet London	78.6%	68.2%	£1,949	£39,239
80	Mole Valley South East	78.9%	60.6%	£1,551	£35,341
81	Stroud South West	78.9%	78.0%	£1,041	£33,495
82	Rhondda Cynon Taf Wales	78.9%	75.2%	£754	£29,802
83	Wrexham Wales	79.0%	79.0%	£770	£29,752
84	East Staffordshire West Midlands	79.1%	77.9%	£858	£31,517
85	Wychavon West Midlands	79.1%	79.0%	£954	£29,661
86	Barrow-in-Furness England	79.2%	79.2%	N/A	N/A
87	Boston East Midlands	79.2%	79.2%	£806	£27,729
88	Eden England	79.2%	79.2%	N/A	N/A
89	Forest of Dean South West	79.2%	79.2%	£828	£36,589
90	South Lakeland England	79.2%	79.2%	N/A	N/A
91	Westmorland and Furness North West	79.2%	79.2%	£816	£33,988
92	Bath and North East Somerset South West	79.4%	72.0%	£1,885	£32,481
93	East Ayrshire Scotland	79.5%	76.7%	£643	£33,117
94	Denbighshire Wales	79.8%	79.8%	£718	£26,812
95	Oxford South East	79.9%	40.1%	£1,963	£36,517
96	City of London London	80.0%	79.5%	N/A	N/A
97	Dover South East	80.1%	73.1%	£1,021	£33,704
98	High Peak East Midlands	80.1%	80.1%	£937	£32,258
99	Calderdale Yorkshire and The Humber	80.3%	77.0%	£756	£31,708
100	Melton East Midlands	80.3%	65.1%	£806	£26,633
101	Rochford East of England	80.3%	80.3%	£1,300	£38,107
102	Craven England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
103	Hambleton England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
104	Harborough East Midlands	80.5%	77.0%	£973	£34,321
105	Harrogate England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
106	North Yorkshire Yorkshire and The Humber	80.5%	80.2%	£849	£30,683
107	Richmondshire England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
108	Ryedale England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
109	Scarborough England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
110	Selby England	80.5%	80.2%	N/A	N/A
111	Thanet South East	80.6%	80.6%	£1,118	£28,323
112	Hinckley and Bosworth East Midlands	80.8%	66.1%	£934	£31,591
113	Inverclyde Scotland	80.8%	49.6%	£800	£29,020
114	Buckinghamshire South East	80.9%	72.7%	£1,475	£35,937
115	Maidstone South East	80.9%	72.2%	£1,297	£34,151
116	Tunbridge Wells South East	80.9%	75.5%	£1,533	£35,319
117	Guildford South East	81.0%	64.3%	£1,736	£39,985
118	West Lancashire North West	81.0%	81.0%	£805	£31,884
119	North Ayrshire Scotland	81.1%	73.9%	£643	£34,689
120	Castle Point East of England	81.2%	68.8%	£1,262	£35,975
121	South Ayrshire Scotland	81.2%	68.6%	£643	£33,986
122	Sefton North West	81.4%	75.4%	£938	£29,335
123	Mid Sussex South East	81.5%	81.5%	£1,423	£37,705
124	Rushcliffe East Midlands	81.5%	60.8%	£1,047	£36,705
125	South Oxfordshire South East	81.7%	68.0%	£1,402	£43,026
126	Basingstoke and Deane South East	81.8%	69.0%	£1,309	£39,279
127	Northumberland North East	81.8%	81.6%	£695	£30,456
128	Swale South East	82.1%	76.0%	£1,114	£33,647
129	South Kesteven East Midlands	82.4%	73.4%	£845	£29,071
130	Maldon East of England	82.5%	82.5%	£1,139	£32,599
131	Fife Scotland	83.0%	69.2%	£832	£32,445
132	North Kesteven East Midlands	83.1%	68.7%	£824	£30,585
133	Uttlesford East of England	83.1%	68.3%	£1,289	£41,006
134	Colchester East of England	83.3%	62.6%	£1,197	£31,589
135	East Suffolk East of England	83.3%	82.5%	£842	£30,261
136	Neath Port Talbot Wales	83.3%	74.6%	£690	£30,709
137	Gravesham South East	83.4%	72.8%	£1,336	£35,065
138	Newcastle-under-Lyme West Midlands	83.4%	71.7%	£833	£31,205
139	South Staffordshire West Midlands	83.4%	83.4%	£958	£31,766
140	Lichfield West Midlands	83.5%	71.5%	£1,103	£33,763
141	Newark and Sherwood East Midlands	83.6%	78.8%	£818	£29,806
142	Dartford South East	83.7%	64.8%	£1,575	£36,210
143	Central Bedfordshire East of England	83.8%	68.3%	£1,250	£36,622
144	Cheshire East North West	84.0%	77.7%	£985	£33,221
145	Herefordshire West Midlands	84.0%	84.0%	£821	£29,361
146	South Ribble North West	84.1%	73.8%	£805	£32,740
147	East Hertfordshire East of England	84.2%	67.9%	£1,533	£44,154
148	County Durham North East	84.3%	82.9%	£650	£29,718
149	Warwick West Midlands	84.3%	44.2%	£1,241	£39,797
150	Stafford West Midlands	84.6%	72.2%	£901	£33,872
151	Ribble Valley North West	84.7%	84.6%	£818	£34,077
152	Brentwood East of England	84.8%	84.8%	£1,620	£39,864
153	Charnwood East Midlands	85.1%	75.1%	£960	£33,550
154	East Cambridgeshire East of England	85.1%	78.3%	£1,038	£34,311
155	South Cambridgeshire East of England	85.2%	58.3%	£1,408	£42,690
156	Stratford-on-Avon West Midlands	85.2%	81.7%	£1,149	£34,847
157	Brent London	85.3%	74.3%	£2,014	£34,871
158	Brighton and Hove South East	85.4%	58.9%	£1,808	£33,506
159	Tonbridge and Malling South East	85.4%	76.4%	£1,489	£35,106
160	Great Yarmouth East of England	85.7%	80.2%	£841	£28,808
161	Runnymede South East	85.7%	76.5%	£1,586	£42,203
162	Bromsgrove West Midlands	85.9%	80.2%	£992	£36,409
163	Windsor and Maidenhead South East	85.9%	77.1%	£1,800	£37,653
164	Bedford East of England	86.0%	70.4%	£1,173	£35,987
165	Elmbridge South East	86.1%	66.2%	£1,891	£42,607
166	Torfaen Wales	86.1%	77.1%	£862	£33,201
167	North Hertfordshire East of England	86.2%	69.8%	£1,434	£42,703
168	South Gloucestershire South West	86.2%	59.1%	£1,464	£35,002
169	Tower Hamlets London	86.3%	80.7%	£2,453	£45,183
170	Dacorum East of England	86.4%	63.6%	£1,594	£36,473
171	Conwy Wales	86.4%	86.4%	£796	£28,113
172	Westminster London	86.6%	85.1%	£3,196	£45,172
173	Hart South East	86.7%	73.4%	£1,414	£39,341
174	Chelmsford East of England	86.8%	79.4%	£1,439	£35,791
175	Vale of White Horse South East	86.9%	66.3%	£1,352	£38,859
176	Clackmannanshire Scotland	86.9%	86.9%	£892	£31,992
177	Isle of Wight South East	87.1%	87.1%	£951	£26,740
178	East Lothian Scotland	87.1%	87.1%	£1,415	£33,737
179	Tewkesbury South West	87.3%	68.0%	£1,093	£31,603
180	Eastbourne South East	87.4%	87.4%	£1,169	£31,199
181	West Berkshire South East	87.5%	77.3%	£1,338	£38,513
182	North West Leicestershire East Midlands	87.8%	68.1%	£914	£32,252
183	Preston North West	87.8%	70.3%	£790	£30,038
184	Croydon London	88.2%	56.9%	£1,582	£38,080
185	Telford and Wrekin West Midlands	88.2%	46.7%	£861	£31,459
186	Welwyn Hatfield East of England	88.2%	60.9%	£1,512	£37,805
187	Fenland East of England	88.4%	83.4%	£842	£30,125
188	Reigate and Banstead South East	88.4%	74.6%	£1,640	£40,014
189	Cheshire West and Chester North West	88.5%	87.8%	£991	£32,391
190	Barnsley Yorkshire and The Humber	88.7%	82.7%	£696	£31,359
191	North East Derbyshire East Midlands	88.7%	88.7%	£791	£30,931
192	Cherwell South East	88.8%	78.8%	£1,304	£36,568
193	Caerphilly Wales	88.8%	88.8%	£747	£30,854
194	Greenwich London	88.9%	76.2%	£1,995	£39,984
195	Surrey Heath South East	88.9%	64.7%	£1,503	£37,793
196	North Somerset South West	89.2%	83.8%	£1,209	£32,996
197	Torbay South West	89.3%	84.2%	£920	£28,963
198	Manchester North West	89.4%	84.3%	£1,373	£30,067
199	Wyre Forest West Midlands	89.4%	81.9%	£825	£29,408
200	Epping Forest East of England	89.5%	71.5%	£1,844	£38,171
201	Wandsworth London	89.5%	83.4%	£2,632	£49,310
202	Harrow London	89.6%	76.3%	£1,778	£36,000
203	Eastleigh South East	89.8%	65.9%	£1,214	£34,474
204	Haringey London	89.8%	61.3%	£2,219	£37,563
205	South Lanarkshire Scotland	89.9%	63.4%	£893	£34,293
206	Lewisham London	90.0%	75.4%	£1,829	£39,505
207	South Derbyshire East Midlands	90.0%	89.7%	£882	£35,452
208	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole South West	90.1%	79.4%	£1,398	£31,848
209	Hertsmere East of England	90.1%	73.5%	£1,829	£36,159
210	Amber Valley East Midlands	90.2%	90.2%	£799	£30,823
211	Bridgend Wales	90.2%	90.2%	£763	£31,475
212	Lancaster North West	90.3%	88.0%	£823	£29,651
213	Rochdale North West	90.3%	74.2%	£855	£29,535
214	Richmond upon Thames London	90.4%	65.6%	£2,333	£46,594
215	Swansea Wales	90.4%	81.9%	£852	£32,091
216	Gateshead North East	90.5%	73.3%	£804	£29,494
217	Hammersmith and Fulham London	90.5%	84.5%	£2,825	£42,811
218	Exeter South West	90.6%	78.8%	£1,318	£29,531
219	Southwark London	90.6%	81.4%	£2,474	£43,006
220	York Yorkshire and The Humber	90.7%	85.9%	£1,199	£32,961
221	Ealing London	90.9%	70.4%	£2,109	£35,665
222	Huntingdonshire East of England	90.9%	78.2%	£1,057	£33,375
223	Wyre North West	91.0%	90.9%	£743	£29,814
224	Flintshire Wales	91.0%	91.0%	£811	£32,675
225	Vale of Glamorgan Wales	91.0%	86.3%	£982	£31,410
226	Blackpool North West	91.1%	60.6%	£719	£27,979
227	Enfield London	91.2%	47.4%	£1,827	£34,962
228	Braintree East of England	91.3%	91.3%	£1,213	£34,546
229	Kingston upon Thames London	91.3%	65.5%	£1,811	£41,833
230	Liverpool North West	91.4%	86.2%	£913	£30,947
231	Havering London	91.5%	84.1%	£1,565	£40,726
232	Newham London	91.5%	79.7%	£1,928	£36,080
233	Rugby West Midlands	91.5%	90.8%	£1,049	£41,814
234	Basildon East of England	91.6%	73.7%	£1,424	£34,133
235	Hackney London	91.6%	83.3%	£2,658	£40,237
236	Lincoln East Midlands	91.6%	85.4%	£942	£29,824
237	Medway South East	91.6%	81.3%	£1,232	£33,857
238	Lambeth London	91.7%	81.1%	£2,525	£43,666
239	Blackburn with Darwen North West	91.8%	86.8%	£714	£27,502
240	Hounslow London	91.8%	57.6%	£1,952	£35,301
241	Midlothian Scotland	91.8%	91.8%	£1,415	£31,856
242	Blaby East Midlands	91.9%	90.7%	£998	£31,950
243	Chorley North West	91.9%	86.9%	£798	£33,337
244	East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and The Humber	91.9%	91.9%	£724	£31,881
245	Three Rivers East of England	91.9%	85.1%	£1,826	£39,615
246	Aberdeen Scotland	91.9%	91.9%	£845	£32,399
247	Norwich East of England	92.0%	76.6%	£1,142	£30,421
248	Redcar and Cleveland North East	92.0%	59.5%	£644	£28,630
249	South Tyneside North East	92.0%	33.0%	£743	£28,784
250	Woking South East	92.1%	73.7%	£1,620	£38,172
251	Broxbourne East of England	92.3%	78.2%	£1,685	£37,283
252	Bromley London	92.4%	58.9%	£1,684	£43,981
253	Cheltenham South West	92.5%	83.4%	£1,261	£36,014
254	West Lothian Scotland	92.5%	77.2%	£911	£33,302
255	Bolsover East Midlands	92.6%	87.3%	£706	£29,674
256	Sutton London	92.6%	77.7%	£1,556	£38,359
257	Edinburgh Scotland	92.7%	83.0%	£1,415	£37,380
258	Chesterfield East Midlands	92.8%	90.1%	£758	£30,621
259	Wokingham South East	92.9%	81.9%	£1,466	£43,538
260	Thurrock East of England	93.0%	83.8%	£1,380	£36,407
261	Bexley London	93.1%	83.3%	£1,537	£36,883
262	Spelthorne South East	93.1%	79.8%	£1,696	£37,918
263	Redbridge London	93.2%	84.3%	£1,726	£37,190
264	West Oxfordshire South East	93.2%	83.8%	£1,305	£35,388
265	East Dunbartonshire Scotland	93.2%	76.0%	£1,171	£38,000
266	Hillingdon London	93.3%	76.9%	£1,570	£36,429
267	Fylde North West	93.4%	91.5%	£870	£36,020
268	Newcastle upon Tyne North East	93.4%	88.9%	£1,215	£30,144
269	Sheffield Yorkshire and The Humber	93.4%	91.4%	£931	£31,816
270	Worcester West Midlands	93.5%	93.5%	£977	£32,997
271	North Lincolnshire Yorkshire and The Humber	93.6%	93.0%	£653	£30,012
272	Redditch West Midlands	93.6%	49.4%	£976	£29,113
273	West Dunbartonshire Scotland	93.6%	43.8%	£940	£31,962
274	Darlington North East	93.7%	79.1%	£689	£30,100
275	Gedling East Midlands	93.7%	79.8%	£904	£30,051
276	Pendle North West	93.7%	91.5%	£670	£26,742
277	Trafford North West	93.7%	91.5%	£1,369	£35,593
278	Gloucester South West	93.8%	54.3%	£1,116	£30,455
279	Rossendale North West	93.8%	92.8%	£811	£30,487
280	Harlow East of England	93.9%	16.8%	£1,521	£30,654
281	Kensington and Chelsea London	93.9%	71.3%	£3,690	£46,690
282	Salford North West	94.0%	87.2%	£1,170	£30,495
283	North Lanarkshire Scotland	94.1%	65.0%	£801	£34,105
284	Cardiff Wales	94.1%	85.2%	£1,177	£32,756
285	Walsall West Midlands	94.2%	84.4%	£924	£29,112
286	St Albans East of England	94.3%	80.4%	£1,931	£45,543
287	Swindon South West	94.3%	91.0%	£1,096	£33,135
288	Cambridge East of England	94.4%	88.3%	£1,805	£38,711
289	Watford East of England	94.4%	84.8%	£1,829	£37,172
290	Newport Wales	94.4%	87.4%	£959	£31,495
291	Plymouth South West	94.5%	77.0%	£1,004	£28,992
292	Tamworth West Midlands	94.5%	66.4%	£925	£33,167
293	Bristol South West	94.6%	81.4%	£1,883	£34,051
294	Bury North West	94.6%	93.1%	£969	£31,687
295	Crawley South East	94.6%	67.5%	£1,488	£34,225
296	North Tyneside North East	94.6%	83.6%	£857	£31,106
297	Waltham Forest London	94.6%	86.6%	£1,763	£37,971
298	Bradford Yorkshire and The Humber	94.8%	87.6%	£745	£28,424
299	Hyndburn North West	94.8%	94.1%	£648	£29,647
300	Islington London	94.8%	81.1%	£2,868	£47,411
301	Stevenage East of England	94.8%	63.0%	£1,440	£35,747
302	West Northamptonshire East Midlands	94.8%	93.8%	£1,084	£33,059
303	Glasgow Scotland	94.8%	91.5%	£1,266	£32,121
304	Camden London	95.0%	84.5%	£2,819	£44,088
305	Havant South East	95.0%	61.0%	£1,151	£30,819
306	Merton London	95.0%	84.0%	£2,172	£43,507
307	Nuneaton and Bedworth West Midlands	95.0%	69.8%	£925	£32,402
308	Stockton-on-Tees North East	95.0%	59.2%	£735	£29,877
309	Sunderland North East	95.0%	71.6%	£707	£27,989
310	Falkirk Scotland	95.1%	66.2%	£892	£32,330
311	Kirklees Yorkshire and The Humber	95.2%	92.4%	£782	£30,238
312	East Renfrewshire Scotland	95.2%	88.2%	£1,266	£39,965
313	Ashfield East Midlands	95.4%	67.6%	£795	£27,797
314	Birmingham West Midlands	95.4%	83.7%	£1,099	£30,180
315	Barking and Dagenham London	95.5%	89.8%	£1,698	£32,911
316	North Northamptonshire East Midlands	95.6%	88.1%	£992	£32,882
317	Peterborough East of England	95.6%	94.4%	£1,012	£29,828
318	Stockport North West	95.6%	85.3%	£1,119	£33,565
319	Tameside North West	95.6%	91.0%	£931	£29,877
320	Dundee Scotland	95.6%	85.7%	£825	£30,523
321	Epsom and Ewell South East	95.7%	88.9%	£1,690	£43,006
322	North East Lincolnshire Yorkshire and The Humber	95.7%	76.5%	£643	£28,898
323	Adur South East	95.8%	77.7%	£1,410	£30,217
324	Broxtowe East Midlands	95.8%	85.7%	£942	£30,966
325	Leeds Yorkshire and The Humber	95.8%	92.5%	£1,145	£31,679
326	Erewash East Midlands	95.9%	92.4%	£834	£31,673
327	Reading South East	95.9%	94.9%	£1,574	£35,454
328	Wakefield Yorkshire and The Humber	95.9%	94.7%	£806	£29,954
329	Burnley North West	96.0%	89.3%	£631	£29,680
330	Doncaster Yorkshire and The Humber	96.2%	94.3%	£694	£31,119
331	Milton Keynes South East	96.2%	96.2%	£1,344	£36,061
332	Rushmoor South East	96.2%	88.9%	£1,385	£33,734
333	Mansfield East Midlands	96.3%	85.3%	£790	£28,170
334	Sandwell West Midlands	96.3%	88.9%	£953	£27,652
335	Solihull West Midlands	96.3%	80.1%	£1,279	£36,672
336	Stoke-on-Trent West Midlands	96.3%	90.2%	£715	£29,041
337	Wirral North West	96.3%	93.4%	£859	£32,959
338	Renfrewshire Scotland	96.4%	91.0%	£800	£32,832
339	Halton North West	96.5%	88.7%	£749	£29,819
340	Southampton South East	96.5%	93.9%	£1,257	£32,907
341	Warrington North West	96.5%	92.1%	£899	£34,144
342	Nottingham East Midlands	96.6%	84.9%	£1,014	£26,512
343	Bolton North West	96.7%	88.1%	£894	£29,409
344	Wigan North West	96.7%	85.1%	£746	£31,615
345	St. Helens North West	96.8%	92.4%	£807	£31,443
346	Rotherham Yorkshire and The Humber	96.9%	93.2%	£686	£29,664
347	Slough South East	96.9%	90.9%	£1,565	£35,521
348	Ipswich East of England	97.0%	95.6%	£995	£30,928
349	Portsmouth South East	97.0%	82.1%	£1,368	£30,962
350	Dudley West Midlands	97.1%	87.7%	£858	£30,822
351	Hartlepool North East	97.1%	95.2%	£558	£28,830
352	Bracknell Forest South East	97.3%	96.7%	£1,462	£36,067
353	Coventry West Midlands	97.4%	96.3%	£1,020	£33,063
354	Leicester East Midlands	97.4%	93.8%	£1,023	£27,858
355	Cannock Chase West Midlands	97.5%	96.8%	£867	£30,178
356	Oldham North West	97.6%	93.8%	£942	£29,124
357	Worthing South East	97.6%	93.0%	£1,297	£32,823
358	Derby East Midlands	97.7%	87.3%	£860	£30,467
359	Fareham South East	97.7%	87.0%	£1,176	£38,851
360	Middlesbrough North East	97.7%	61.7%	£698	£30,253
361	Knowsley North West	97.9%	93.3%	£858	£32,542
362	Gosport South East	98.0%	92.0%	£1,169	£34,256
363	Wolverhampton West Midlands	98.2%	95.6%	£945	£31,308
364	Southend-on-Sea East of England	98.3%	97.6%	£1,306	£33,594
365	Luton East of England	98.5%	91.4%	£1,222	£28,741
366	Oadby and Wigston East Midlands	98.7%	95.1%	£1,024	£28,368
367	Hull Yorkshire and The Humber	99.8%	99.8%	£694	£27,309

Scottish rents are published for 18 rental market areas, not for each council, so neighbouring councils can share a rent figure.

A closer look at the top 10

Which UK areas have the worst broadband?

Na h-Eileanan Siar in the Outer Hebrides has the lowest gigabit-capable coverage in the UK at 9.6%. In practical terms that means roughly 90 out of every 100 homes on the islands cannot order a gigabit connection today.

The bottom five are all Scottish and all island or Highland authorities: Na h-Eileanan Siar (9.6%), Shetland Islands (17.7%), Argyll and Bute (21.8%), Orkney Islands (25.4%) and Aberdeenshire (43.9%). 7 of the 10 lowest-ranked authorities in the UK sit in Scotland.

The picture is not exclusively Scottish. Ceredigion in Wales sits inside the bottom 10 at just above 50% gigabit coverage, and both North Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly on the English side sit at a similar level. What these authorities have in common is not their nation but their geography: dispersed housing, difficult terrain, and small populations spread across large areas.

Why is rural broadband still so far behind?

Fibre rollout is a per-premises economics problem. In an urban street a single trench serves dozens of homes; in a Highland glen the same trench might serve one property. The commercial operators (Openreach, Virgin Media, altnets) prioritise areas where they can recover the build cost quickly, which pushes rural areas to the back of the queue.

Government intervention exists to close the gap. Project Gigabit is the main UK-wide programme, contracting suppliers to reach hard-to-connect premises with public subsidy. It is working, but it takes time; regional contracts are being awarded and delivered in phases, and the very hardest premises will be the last connected.

The urban-rural divide is stark in the numbers. Across this ranking, the top 20 authorities average 97.8% gigabit coverage while the bottom 20 average 48.6%: a gap of roughly 49.2 percentage points. That is not a small tail. It is a national split that any move away from the biggest cities is likely to run into.

Are things getting better?

Yes, quickly. Full fibre coverage in the UK has climbed from around 10% of premises in 2019 to roughly 78% in mid-2025, one of the fastest fibre rollouts in Europe. Gigabit-capable coverage (which includes cable) sat at 87% in this July 2025 release and reached 89% in Ofcom's Spring 2026 update, so the national total is still moving up by a couple of points a year.

The catch is the shape of the curve. The easy premises (dense terraced streets, new-build estates, small towns near existing fibre) get connected first. The last-mile problem is real: the final few percentage points to reach every UK home take disproportionately longer, which is why the bottom of this ranking will move up more slowly than the top.

What to consider if you're moving to an area with poor broadband

Broadband coverage is worth checking before you move rather than after. Every LiveWhere area profile shows the current Ofcom figures, and Ofcom's own address-level checker gives a more precise answer for a specific postcode. Real-world speeds also depend on the package you buy and the in-home wiring, so a speed test at the property (or asking the seller/agent to run one) is a sensible extra step.

Fixed-line fibre is not the only option in poorly-covered areas. Fixed wireless access from providers like Three, EE and Vodafone can deliver 100 Mbit/s+ over 4G or 5G where the mast coverage is good. Starlink and other low-earth-orbit satellite services now cover the whole UK and deliver 100 to 250 Mbit/s at a premium price point. In some rural areas, these alternatives are already faster than the fixed-line options on offer.

If broadband speed is a hard constraint on where you live, the flip side of this table is the best broadband coverage ranking. For a fuller view of any area, follow through to the individual profile: Cornwall and Highland are good starting points for what "rural with mixed coverage" looks like in the data.

Data and methodology

All figures come from Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, based on the July 2025 data return from UK broadband providers. Areas are ranked by residential gigabit-capable coverage (the percentage of homes where an active 1 Gbit/s connection can be ordered), lowest first. Coverage shows what is available at the premises, not the speed households actually receive. The ranking includes 367 UK local authorities where Ofcom publishes coverage data at authority level.

Key findings

Na h-Eileanan Siar has the lowest gigabit-capable coverage at 9.6% of premises.
7 of the 10 lowest-ranked areas are in Scotland.
The average gigabit-capable coverage across all 367 ranked areas is 84.6%.
Several bottom-ranked areas still have 1%+ of premises unable to receive the 10 Mbit/s down / 1 Mbit/s up Universal Service Obligation.

Methodology

Coverage figures come from Ofcom Connected Nations, July 2025 release. Areas are ranked by gigabit-capable coverage (residential premises), lowest first. Rural authorities with dispersed premises tend to sit at the bottom because the cost of running fibre to widely-spaced homes is much higher than in dense urban areas. The ranking covers 367 UK local authorities where Ofcom publishes coverage data.

Read more about our data sources and approach on the About page.

Frequently asked questions about broadband coverage

Which UK area has the worst broadband coverage?

Why do rural areas have worse broadband?

What can I do if I live somewhere with poor broadband?

Is coverage the same as speed?

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