Devon ‘one of UK’s worst areas for internet access’

Digital access in Devon is some of the poorest in the UK, new research can reveal.  

One in six premises in Devon lacks access to superfast broadband (compared to the 98 percent of premises with superfast broadband in the UK’s most connected place – Bexley and Greenwich).  

Ten percent of people in Devon had not used the internet at all in the past three months, if ever - well above the national average for people who had not used the internet in that timeframe (seven percent).  

The study, by marketing experts N.Rich, used  new  ONS and Ofcom data to rank areas based on how many people had been online in the past three months and the number of premises with access to superfast broadband, in order to discover the country’s least and most digitally connected places.   

Devon ranked as the UK’s sixth worst place for digital connectivity and was one of only two areas in England to make the list of top ten least connected areas.  

Fermanagh and Omagh in Northern Ireland ranked as the least digitally connected area in the UK. One in eight people in Fermanagh and Omagh had not used the internet in the past three months, if ever and close to a third had no access to superfast broadband – the highest proportion of people without access in Northern Ireland, as well as the entire UK.   

Powys in Wales was the second worst-off area when it came to online connection, with 90 percent more internet non-users than the UK’s most connected area – Bexley and Greenwich. One in five Powys residents failed to access the internet at all in three months - nearly triple the national average of people who hadn’t used the internet in that timeframe (7 percent).  

Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland was the third worst connected region, with one in six people not going online at all in the last three months. 22 percent of residences in Mid Ulster could not access superfast broadband – four times the UK average.  

Camden and City of London were also among the worst connected areas in the UK. Nearly a quarter of premises in Camden and the City of London lacked access to superfast broadband.   

Several Scottish regions saw some of the worst digital access, with Dumfries and Galloway experiencing the poorest connection in the whole of Scotland, and the fourth poorest in the UK. 15 percent of Dumfries and Galloway residents failed to get coverage for superfast broadband, and 20 percent had not accessed the internet in the past three months.   

At the other end of the scale, Croydon and Brighton were among the towns with the best digital connection. Fewer than one percent of people were offline in Croydon, and 96 percent enjoyed access to superfast broadband, while close to 100 percent of Brighton residents had superfast broadband coverage, and 98 percent had accessed the internet at least in the last three months. 

A spokesperson for N.Rich, which conducted the study, said: “When you compare the internet use of UK residents with their ability to access fast broadband, it paints a clear picture of the digital divide and where it hits hardest. As the internet is now our core means of communication, from educating our children, to accessing work and running businesses, it’s more important than ever to ensure that every part of the UK has  good digital access”.  

The study was conducted by N.Rich, which offers a rich array of intent data and ad inventory that enable marketers to drive awareness and lead generation effectively.    

The UK’s least connected regions 

The UK’s most connected regions