LLYS TRIPP IN GWAELOD-Y-GARTH, CARDIFF, HAS THE SLOWEST BROADBAND IN WALES

• Llys Tripp in Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff, is crowned Wales’s slowest street for broadband — with average download speeds of 0.34Mbps^[1] 
• This is 2,594 times slower than Haul Fryn in Birchgrove, Swansea, which boasts average speeds of 882Mbps^[2]
• Last year Wales’s fastest street only reached 271Mbps, highlighting the growth in ultrafast broadband^[3], with average speeds up 10% in a year^[4] 
• Residents in nine of the ten slowest streets in the UK could upgrade their service to get superfast broadband of at least 30Mbps^[5]
• It would take the residents of Llys Tripp more than 33 hours to download a two-hour HD film, compared to 47 seconds for the people living in Haul Fryn^[6]
• Uswitch.com urges frustrated consumers to check what speeds they are getting and see whether faster broadband is available.

The slowest street for broadband in Wales, with an average download speed of 0.34Mbps, is Llys Tripp in Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff^[1], according to analysis of 276,083 consumer speed tests collated by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. 

Sluggish broadband in Llys Tripp is a staggering 2,594 times slower than Wales’s fastest street, Haul Fryn in Birchgrove, Swansea, where average download speeds reached 882Mbps over the past year^[2]. 

Haul Fryn is 611Mbps quicker than last year’s fastest street^[3], showing the improvements in ultrafast broadband infrastructure across Wales with the rollout of full fibre broadband^[7].

Image: Wales’s fastest and slowest streets 

Source: Uswitch.com

For the unfortunate residents of Llys Tripp suffering slow speeds, it would take more than 33 hours to download a two-hour HD film. By contrast, the people of Haul Fryn could download the same film in just 47 seconds^[6].

The good news is that the number of broadband users enjoying faster speeds is growing. Two fifths of UK users (43%) now get superfast speeds of more than 30Mbps, which is almost double than those (22%) six years ago^[8]. But despite the fact that superfast broadband is available to 96% of the country, and ultrafast to 62%^[4], a recent Uswitch survey found that four in ten (40%) are unaware they can access it in their local area^[9].

Residents in nine of the ten slowest UK streets^[5] could actually have access to a quicker service, suggesting that consumers who are willing to pay for faster speeds are being deprived of better broadband because they aren’t aware they could change to a faster alternative. 

The slowest and fastest UK streets have been revealed through the analysis of 276,083 speed tests run by broadband users over the last year. The number of speed tests is up 124% on 2019’s tally of 122,845, with the dramatic rise suggesting that consumers have been paying closer attention to the performance of their home broadband since the start of the pandemic^[3].

Table – Wales’s ten slowest streets for broadband

Street name	Average Speed (Mbps)
Llys Tripp, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff	0.34
Heol Parc Glas, Merthyr Tydfil	0.67
Rhyd Ddu, Caernarfon	0.90
South Cliff Street, Tenby	1.42
Tycroes Road, Tycroes, Ammanford	1.65
Hyssington, Montgomery	1.65
Llanmaes Road, Llantwit Major	2.31
Cwm Cou, Newcastle Emlyn	2.58
Craig-y-Darren, Aberdare	2.75
Sir Stafford Close, Caerphilly	3.16

Source: Uswitch.com

Table – Wales’s ten fastest streets for broadband

Street name	Average Speed (Mbps)
Haul Fryn, Birchgrove, Swansea	882
Clos Henblas, Bridgend	471
Camrose Drive, Waunarlwydd, Swansea	373
Falcon Drive, Cardiff	236
Maes Lletroed, Penysarn	233
Cowbridge Road, Bridgend	224
Parc Bevin, Croespenmaen, Crumlin, Newport	191
Woolpitch Wood, Chepstow	190
Mary Street, Trethomas, Caerphilly	180
Clydesmuir Road, Cardiff	171

Source: Uswitch.com

Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Wales’s broadband keeps getting quicker every year, but parts of the country continue to be left behind. 

“Residents of this year’s fastest street, Haul Fryn, could download a film in 47 seconds – where it would take those living in Llys Tripp more than 33 hours to do the same thing.

“At a time when so many of us rely on our broadband for work, streaming films and TV, and gaming, it’s not hard to imagine how frustrating such a slow connection must be.

“It’s great to witness the increased uptake of ultrafast broadband, but we don’t want to see large swathes of the country left behind on shoddy connections that aren’t cutting it for modern life.

“Initiatives like the Universal Service Obligation and Project Gigabit are helping improve connections at both ends of the spectrum, but there is a lot more to be done so consumers don’t get left behind.

“Of the UK’s ten slowest streets, nine could have access to faster broadband, so we urge residents there — and anyone else unhappy with their broadband speeds — to do a quick search online to see what speeds they could be getting with another provider.”

Anyone frustrated with their broadband service can test what speed they’re getting at www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest