Broadband speeds increase by 22%

Average broadband download speeds increased by more than one-fifth in 2009, new figures show.

According to statistics produced by broadband comparison website Broadband.co.uk, connection speeds in the UK rose by 22 per cent last year.

Speed test results revealed that the average speed of a connection in the UK was 4.478 mbps in December 2009, up from 3.67 mbps in December 2008.

The highest connection speed was offered by Virgin Media, which allowed users to connect to the web at 7.426 mbps, followed by Be Broadband and O2, at 5.143 mbps.

The lowest connection speed was offered by AOL, with an average of just over two mbps.

Edd Dawson, of Broadband.co.uk, said: "The providers that show stagnation are those who haven't rolled out new higher speed products during the last year, so we'll watch with interest as to how they respond to competition over the course of 2010."

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development recently called on Britain to increase its broadband download speeds, as it is currently lagging behind its counterparts in the Continent.