Back in November 2008 the average speed of the country’s broadband was a sluggish 3.6Mbit/s, now five years on this has rocketed to 12Mbit/s.
Research carried out by Ofcom revealed the rise, which is equivalent to an increase of 234%, today 14 March.
There are still many parts of the UK not covered by broadband Ofcom finds the speeds are up as some consumers actively choose to upgrade to superfast broadband packages.
But also many are benefitting from improved speeds as a result of internet service providers’ (ISPs’) network upgrades.
Ofcom points out now more than three quarters, or 77%, of UK fixed-line residential broadband users were on packages with advertised speeds above ‘up to’ 10Mbit/s, up from 58% a year earlier.
The proportion of broadband connections classed as ‘superfast’, with an advertised speed of ‘up to’ 30Mbit/s or above, is also on the increase.
By November 2012, 13% of residential broadband connections were superfast, more than doubling from 5% in November 2011.
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Ed Richards Ofcom chief executive said: "Our research shows UK consumers are adopting faster broadband packages to cater for their increasing use of bandwidth-heavy services such as video streaming.
"The increase in the average number of connected devices in UK homes is also driving the need for speed.
"Internet providers are working to meet consumer demand through network upgrades and the launch of superfast packages, giving consumers faster speeds and greater choice."
