How internet speed can make or break local quality of life. With Bournemouth and Poole surging ahead, Exmouth and Taunton are left in the digital slow lane. From job opportunities to healthcare, slow broadband isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to essential services.

Bournemouth and Poole, boasting typical broadband speeds of 72 Mbps and 67 Mbps respectively, are leading the pack in the South West. This digital advantage has had a ripple effect on their local economies. Bournemouth's vibrant digital sector, often dubbed the 'Silicon Beach,' is no coincidence. Reliable and fast internet has attracted tech start-ups and digital agencies, bringing with them skilled jobs and economic prosperity. Poole, with its maritime history, is not just about boats and ports anymore. The availability of high-speed broadband is helping diversify the economy, opening doors for e-commerce and other online businesses.

Salisbury, Gloucester, and Cheltenham are not far behind, with speeds ranging from 61 to 63 Mbps. In Salisbury, the presence of good broadband has mitigated issues like an ageing population by improving access to online healthcare services. Meanwhile, Gloucester, a city grappling with educational underachievement, has seen broadband facilitate better e-learning opportunities for its youth. Cheltenham, known for its cultural festivals, has also leveraged its broadband capacity to make events like the Literature Festival more interactive and globally accessible.

Turning our attention to the less fortunate towns, Exmouth and Taunton are languishing with average speeds of just 35 and 36 Mbps. In Exmouth, where the population tends towards the older side, poor broadband significantly hinders the use of telemedicine services, making healthcare access difficult. Taunton, despite being a retail and distribution hub, faces an economic bottleneck due to its inadequate digital infrastructure, impacting local businesses that could otherwise thrive online.

Yeovil, Weymouth, and Weston-super-Mare, each with broadband speeds under 42 Mbps, also face challenges. Yeovil, which has areas of low educational attainment, sees its young people further disadvantaged by poor access to online educational resources. Weymouth's tourism industry, vital for the town, misses out on the full potential of digital marketing due to slower internet speeds. Weston-super-Mare, a town already grappling with social inequality, finds this divide exacerbated by its sub-par broadband, as those on lower incomes are cut off from crucial online services, including job searches.


Comments from Thomas Buck, Head of Broadband at Fair Internet Report:

"The divide between towns with good and poor broadband doesn't just affect download speeds; it shapes futures. Picture a schoolkid, eager to excel, struggling to submit homework on time or unable to access valuable resources like BBC Bitesize. They're not failing because they lack ambition; they're being held back by inadequate broadband.

Parents who could be enjoying a better work-life balance are chained to office commutes because their home broadband can't handle remote work. Even catching up with family over a video call becomes a test of patience, and watching a film without buffering interruptions is a luxury. A dodgy broadband connection affects more than just your online activity; it constrains every aspect of your daily life.”


The full list of analysed towns by broadband download speed is:

South West overall: 48 Mbps

1. Bournemouth - 71.75 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Bournemouth

2. Poole - 66.74 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Poole

3. Salisbury - 63.22 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Wiltshire/Salisbury

4. Gloucester - 62.46 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Gloucestershire/Gloucester

5. Cheltenham - 60.8 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Gloucestershire/Cheltenham

6. Christchurch - 60.12 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Dorset/Christchurch

7. Trowbridge - 59.49 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Wiltshire/Trowbridge

8. Frome - 57.18 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Somerset/Frome

9. Torquay - 56.56 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Torbay/Torquay

10. Newton Abbot - 53.76 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Devon/Newton-Abbot

11. Chippenham - 48.9 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Wiltshire/Chippenham

12. Exeter - 48.43 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Devon/Exeter

13. Bridgwater - 43.64 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Somerset/Bridgwater

14. Weston-super-Mare - 42.34 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/North-Somerset/Weston-super-Mare

15. Weymouth - 37.02 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Dorset/Weymouth

16. Yeovil - 36.43 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Somerset/Yeovil

17. Taunton - 35.77 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Somerset/Taunton

18. Exmouth - 35.09 Mbps
https://fairinternetreport.com/United-Kingdom/Devon/Exmouth

The speeds listed represent the median download speed in megabits per second (Mbps). Fair Internet Report uses medians (the middle number in a list of numbers sorted from smallest to largest) as it is less affected by extreme values, giving a more balanced snapshot of a dataset. Averages can be skewed by very high or low numbers, making them less reliable for capturing the 'typical' value.