The UK has fallen 25 places in Cable.co.uk’s global broadband costs ranking, from being the 67th cheapest country for ISP packages in 2020 to 92nd in 2022.
The broadband comparison website’s survey found that the average monthly package prices had increased by over 14% in less than two years – from £25.97 to £29.70.
Previously the fourth most affordable Western European country for broadband, the UK has dropped six places and now sits behind countries including Greece, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Malta, and Portugal.
Italy, Germany, and France took the Western European podium this year, with monthly package costs ranging between £20.80 and £21.72.
The three countries were far behind Syria, Sudan, and Belarus, which topped this year’s global ranking, with monthly packages priced at £1.64, £3.65, and £5.62. It has to be noted, however, that the world’s cheapest broadband providers also delivered exceptionally slow connectivity, with Syria’s fixed network speeds estimated at a median 2.90 Mbps.
Cable.co.uk's telecoms expert Dan Howdle told IT Pro that while many countries saw broadband deals become cheaper, “prices in the UK have stagnated by comparison”.
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“If you look at the historic data, it's evident that the price of broadband in the UK has been, on average, pretty much unchanged in the last five years,” he said, adding that “broadband in the UK has gotten faster, it just hasn't gotten cheaper”.
Cable.co.uk’s latest survey of global broadband speeds found that the UK managed to climb four places in the 2021 ranking, reaching an average broadband speed of 51.48Mbps – a 36% increase in just one year.
However, the progress was considered minimal in comparison to other states in its region, with the average speed for Western Europe being 90.56Mbps – almost twice as fast as the UK’s.
Cable.co.uk’s latest broadband cost findings come days after Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries urged UK network providers, including BT, Virgin O2, and KCom, to raise awareness of their low-cost social tariff offerings for people on benefits. This comes amid an 8% inflation which has been deemed a ‘cost of living crisis’.
