The streets with the slowest broadband in Wales

Jonathon Hill
·3-min read
-Credit: (Image: Google Maps)
-Credit: (Image: Google Maps)


The slowest streets for broadband in Wales have been published following an in-depth investigation by independent comparison service Broadband Genie. The data collected across more than 200,000 broadband speed tests on streets over a 12-month period in Wales found the B4570 in rural Ceredigion which runs from Cwm-cou to Cardigan had the slowest broadband of any in the country and is slowest in Ponthirwaun.

Residents living in the area averaged speeds in 2024 of 2.28mb, which was 323 times slower than Chamberlain Row in Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan which the data suggested was Wales’ fastest street for broadband with speeds of 35.81mb. Broadband Genie recorded and analysed 207,711 fixed line speed tests.

Streets are ordered from slowest to fastest based on a combination of broadband download and upload speed. After the B4570, Wales’ second and third-slowest streets are Precelly Place (7.07mb), Milford Haven and Bryneglwys Gardens, Porthcawl (7.09).

Bryneglwys Gardens had very slow broadband according to the figures -Credit:Google Maps
Bryneglwys Gardens had very slow broadband according to the figures -Credit:Google Maps
Precelly Place, Milford Haven, which was second-slowest on the list -Credit:Google Maps
Precelly Place, Milford Haven, which was second-slowest on the list -Credit:Google Maps
According to the data collected by Broadband Genie Chamberlain Row in Dinas Powys has the fastest broadband in Wales -Credit:Google Maps
According to the data collected by Broadband Genie Chamberlain Row in Dinas Powys has the fastest broadband in Wales -Credit:Google Maps

But a broadband checker showed nine out of 10 of Wales’ slowest streets have access to superfast broadband, capable of speeds exceeding 30mb. Overall, the streets of Wales averaged a broadband speed of 80.82mb. In Wales, full fibre broadband is available to 72% of people according to the research, on par with England (73%), behind Northern Ireland (96%) and ahead of Scotland (65%).

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One per cent of premises in Wales fall short of Ofcom’s universal service obligation (USO) for broadband, which gives anyone the right to request a broadband service of at least 10mb. But the broadband USO has also been criticised for how suitable and fit for purpose it is, as our digital demands grow. In September we visited the village a short drive from Cardiff and Newport where villagers say broadband is terrible, there is no mobile reception and the landline often drops out, which you can read here.

The slowest streets for broadband in Wales

The fastest streets for broadband in Wales

Alex Tofts, strategist at Broadband Genie, said: “Broadband customers should not have to tolerate slow broadband, especially when the majority of providers continue to annually raise prices for customers. However, it’s important to note, these are real speed tests. Poor broadband can be caused by various factors, such as number of devices, number of users and activity, router placement, and Wi-Fi signal strength.

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“No bill payer or internet user should suffer in silence. If you find your broadband is consistently underperforming, and you can’t troubleshoot the issue yourself, contact your internet service provider. The majority of widely available broadband providers are signed up to Ofcom’s broadband speed code of practice. If your provider can’t resolve the issue within 30 days, you're free to leave your contract without charge. If you haven’t renewed your broadband contract in over two years, it’s likely you can get a faster deal at the same or lower cost than what you’re currently paying.”

The Welsh government said businesses and communities across Wales are seeing the benefits from almost £12 million investment in "fast and reliable local broadband". It said: "This significant boost in connectivity is transforming daily life, enhancing public services, and opening up new opportunities for economic growth." For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter

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