Northern Ireland's Best Areas For Broadband Revealed

West Belfast has been named the Northern Ireland area with the best broadband, according to a new study.

The experts at Getac – Rugged Computing Solutions analysed data from Ofcom Connected Nations 2023 to reveal the spots with the best broadband. Each UK parliamentary constituency was ranked based on four metrics: average download speed, superfast availability, percentage of premises receiving under 10 Mbps, and the percentage of premises receiving over 30 Mbps. The areas were each given a score out of 40 and ranked accordingly.

Belfast West topped the study as the Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency with the best broadband. Approximately 99.3% of premises in the constituency have superfast availability, one of the highest percentages in the entire region. The area's average download speed of 223.2 Mbps was higher than any other spot in Northern Ireland, propelling it to the very summit of the ranking.

East Belfast took second place on the ranking. The area placed high thanks to its impressive average download speed of 222.4 Mbps and low percentage of premises receiving speeds of under 10 Mbps, below Ofcom's threshold for 'decent broadband'.

People living in North Belfast have access to the third-best broadband in Northern Ireland. Residents can enjoy average download speeds of 217.7 Mbps, while 92.78% of premises in the area receive superfast speeds over 30 Mbps.

South Belfast is the worst place for broadband in the city but still ranks above every other area in Northern Ireland. Locals have access to the fourth-best broadband in Northern Ireland, with the average download speed reaching 214.2 Mbps and 91.77% of premises taking advantage of superfast speeds over 30 Mbps.

North Down is the best area for broadband in Northern Ireland outside of Belfast. Residents of this constituency have the greatest access to superfast broadband in Northern Ireland, with 99.8%. The uptake of superfast broadband, speeds over 30 Mbps, is also common in the area, with 92.46% of all homes and businesses receiving over 30 Mbps.

Foyle is the sixth-best constituency for broadband across Northern Ireland. Exactly 98.3% of premises have access to superfast availability, meaning they are capable of receiving download speeds of at least 30 Mbps. The average download speed for homes and businesses in the region also reached 197 Mbps.

East Antrim ranks seventh among the best spots in Northern Ireland for broadband. Approximately 97.4% of premises have access to superfast broadband, while the average download speed for the area is 188.6 Mbps.

Lagan Valley, Upper Bann and Strangford claimed eighth, ninth and tenth spot among the top 10 areas with the best broadband. The average download speed found in these areas was 186.5 Mbps, 173.7 Mbps and 165.5 Mbps, respectively.

Christin Wang, Senior Director for Global Marketing at Getac – Rugged Computing Solutions commented on the study: "It is exciting to see which areas of the UK have the best access and adoption of high-quality, superfast broadband. With remote working becoming a staple of everyday life for many across the UK, it has never been more vital to access the best broadband connections possible.

"As useful as superfast broadband can be for homes, businesses can take proper advantage of these exceptional speeds and high-quality infrastructure to drive profitability and promote further growth. With many industries and companies undergoing digital transformation, it will be worth monitoring if the exceptional network infrastructure of these top broadband spots results in a rise of new business operations and bases.

"As well as playing such a vital role in modern, efficient business operations, data-driven digital transformation allows for greater visibility into bottlenecks to create a much more streamlined process in all departments. By taking the journey from beginning automation to autonomous operations, businesses can make more informed strategic decisions regarding worker deployment, access more opportunities for even greater customer service, and maximise the use of rugged mobile devices for better communication and quick troubleshooting."



Getac – Rugged Computing Solutions