Belfast Broadband Statistics
Belfast has the lowest fibre access out of all major cities in Northern Ireland, and is the second-best major city in terms of fibre access across the UK as a whole. Our analysis of Ofcom coverage data shows that Gigabit fibre is available to 96% of residents. UltraFast 300+ Mbps is also available to 96% of residents, while SuperFast 30+ Mbps broadband is available to 99% of Belfast's households.
Over the past year, we’ve recorded a 79 Mbps median internet speed in Belfast, which is 114% above the United Kingdom national median of 37 Mbps.
Belfast increased access to Gigabit speeds by 20 percentage points in the past year. In addition, real-world speed test data shows that Belfast is dramatically faster than Springfield (152% slower) and Belfast City Centre (138% slower).
Local broadband speeds over time
The median broadband speed in Belfast has increased by 97% over the last five years.
Local broadband speeds in context
As of 2022, the median broadband speed in Belfast is 58% higher than the Northern Ireland and 53% higher than the UK overall.
| Belfast | 79 Mbps | |
| Northern Ireland | 33 Mbps | |
| United Kingdom | 37 Mbps |
Belfast 2022 Broadband Scorecard
▲ First place fibre access
Major Cities, Northern Ireland
▲ 58% above regional broadband speed
Northern Ireland
▲ 53% above national broadband speed
UK Overall
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Broadband Providers
Overall Performance
We rank each provider relative to all providers in The United Kingdom based on their median download and upload speeds, measured round trip time latencies, and the percentage of speeds tests that exceed 50 Mbps.
Customer Ratings
Customer ratings are based on local reviews matched to Belfast IP addresses. Providers can be scored on a range of 1 to 10, and ranked relative to all providers in The United Kingdom.
Median Speed Test Result
The median is the middle result in the range of tests we measured for each provider in Belfast in the past year. Median speeds provide a better comparison than raw averages because they control for the longtail of tests related to Wi-Fi issues. The charts below represent the distribution of tests associated with each provider from low to high.
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Broadband Network Infrastructure in Belfast
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Ofcom Fibre Access Analysis for Belfast
See the chart below for annual reporting on fibre build rates in the Belfast area. Availability is based on population in postcodes marked as served by Ofcom Connected Nations reports, according to the most recent census.
| 1,000+ Mbps | 300+ Mbps | 30+ Mbps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 96.09% | 96.09% | 99.38% |
| 2020 | 76.33% | 95.56% | 99.30% |
| 2019 | 31.76% | 96.30% | 99.40% |
| 2018 | 0.00% | 93.74% | 99.31% |
| 2017 | 0.01% | 88.26% | 98.88% |
| 2016 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 98.64% |
Map of Belfast's Fibre Broadband Availability by Postcode
Gigabit Availability
96.09%
of people living in Belfast can obtain to 1,000+ Mbps broadband speeds
Ultrafast Speeds
96.09%
of Belfast residents can get 300+ Mbps internet service
Superfast 30+ Mbps Broadband
99.38%
availability in Belfast
Poor Broadband Speeds
None
of Belfast is limited to broadband speeds under 30 Mbps
Belfast Broadband Speeds Report
Average Broadband Speeds in Belfast
| Year | Belfast Average | United Kingdom Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 13.79 Mbps | 26.27 Mbps | 47.51% Slower |
| 2019 | 17.93 Mbps | 30.63 Mbps | 41.46% Slower |
| 2020 | 80.1 Mbps | 80.31 Mbps | 0.26% Slower |
| 2021 | 125.35 Mbps | 66.05 Mbps | 89.78% Faster |
Belfast Broadband Speed Distribution
| Percentage of Speed Tests in Speed Range | ||
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Range | Belfast | United Kingdom |
| Very Slow: under 10 Mbps | 24.03% | 19.92% |
| Slow: 10-30 Mbps | 26.02% | 25.74% |
| Adequate: 30-60 Mbps | 13.93% | 25.20% |
| Good: 60-80 Mbps | 5.33% | 10.20% |
| Fast: 80-300 Mbps | 23.20% | 15.33% |
| Very Fast: over 300 Mbps | 7.50% | 3.60% |
How Belfast Compares to Major Cities
| City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 905.55 Mbps | 51.05—234.99 Mbps | 78.88 Mbps | - |
| Greater London | 5794.21 Mbps | 33.04—95.97 Mbps | 45.56 Mbps | Slower |
| Birmingham | 2786.06 Mbps | 29.31—107.04 Mbps | 38.5 Mbps | Slower |
| Liverpool | 1134.53 Mbps | 25.56—89.74 Mbps | 34.61 Mbps | Slower |
| Nottingham | 2371.49 Mbps | 16.11—40.25 Mbps | 18.99 Mbps | Slower |
| Sheffield | 934.82 Mbps | 23.76—68.87 Mbps | 32.08 Mbps | Slower |
| Bristol | 943.13 Mbps | 30.38—109.93 Mbps | 42.32 Mbps | Slower |
| Glasgow | 913.93 Mbps | 20.63—71.33 Mbps | 32 Mbps | Slower |
| Leicester | 935.89 Mbps | 27.47—99.31 Mbps | 37.03 Mbps | Slower |
| Edinburgh | 874.24 Mbps | 29.96—107.51 Mbps | 38.06 Mbps | Slower |
Cities and Provider Internet Speeds in Belfast
| Position | City | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | # Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast | 905.55 Mbps | 51.05—234.99 Mbps | 78.88 Mbps | 11 |
| 2 | Andersonstown | 642.49 Mbps | 41.61—96.98 Mbps | 50.68 Mbps | 6 |
| 3 | Dunmurry | 779.15 Mbps | 27.89—67.93 Mbps | 34.59 Mbps | 8 |
| 4 | Belfast City Centre | 935.49 Mbps | 24.06—92.6 Mbps | 33.16 Mbps | 11 |
| 5 | Springfield | 794.66 Mbps | 23.78—62.88 Mbps | 31.31 Mbps | 8 |
| 6 | Ardoyne | 882.26 Mbps | 17.65—56.64 Mbps | 24.16 Mbps | 9 |
Belfast Broadband Speeds Over Time
We class broadband speed distributions as follows: very slow under 10 Mbps; slow 10-30 Mbps; adequate 30-60 Mbps; good 60-80 Mbps; fast 80-300 Mbps; very fast over 300 Mbps.
How Belfast Compares for Internet Speed in Belfast
| Position | City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast | 905.55 Mbps | 51.05—234.99 Mbps | 78.88 Mbps | - |
| 2 | Whitehouse Upper | 98.82 Mbps | 52.85—75.96 Mbps | 52.85 Mbps | Slower |
| 3 | Andersonstown | 642.49 Mbps | 41.61—96.98 Mbps | 50.68 Mbps | Slower |
Belfast Internet Speed Test Results
We analysed the results of people in Belfast testing broadband providers multiple times, with each test starting no more than 30 minutes after the previous speed test. On average, people in Belfast ran 4 internet speed tests per session. Looking at broadband download speeds, if the Belfast resident's final test is 10% faster than their starting download speed, we count that as a succesful and faster speed test result. We count an unsuccessful, slower result if the final result is 10% slower than the starting result; we'd hope their ISP contacts them ASAP! For broadband speed tests that don't vary by that much, we consider the final result to be the same. For Belfast's residents, of the internet speed tests we measured, 41.24% were fast, 28.57% slow, and 30.19% broadly the same.
Most Recent Tests
| Provider | Start Time | # Tests | Duration | Start Speed | End Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 22:41:42 | 2 | 37 secs | 5.39 Mbps | 23.46 Mbps | Improved |
| TalkTalk | 20 Jan 2022 22:14:37 | 3 | 82 secs | 73.83 Mbps | 66.75 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 19:23:57 | 2 | 41 secs | 168.91 Mbps | 20.64 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 18:23:00 | 4 | 6 mins | 104.05 Mbps | 102.68 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 14:52:07 | 2 | 2 mins | 234.1 Mbps | 317.08 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 14:03:55 | 2 | 61 secs | 105.28 Mbps | 104.07 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 19 Jan 2022 15:01:18 | 2 | 4 mins | 54.14 Mbps | 53.65 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 22:51:56 | 3 | 100 secs | 208.78 Mbps | 23.24 Mbps | Needs help |
| Sky Broadband | 18 Jan 2022 20:49:55 | 3 | 2 mins | 69.44 Mbps | 71.04 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 21:52:57 | 3 | 5 mins | 92.3 Mbps | 91.84 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 17:04:52 | 12 | 21 mins | 8.56 Mbps | 88.73 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 10:32:20 | 2 | 41 secs | 329.53 Mbps | 322.12 Mbps | |
| Plusnet | 16 Jan 2022 23:46:05 | 2 | 29 secs | 15 Mbps | 17.79 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 16 Jan 2022 03:23:05 | 2 | 31 secs | 10.36 Mbps | 14.83 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 15 Jan 2022 15:02:14 | 2 | 49 secs | 53.45 Mbps | 51.59 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 15 Jan 2022 14:52:30 | 6 | 7 mins | 61.35 Mbps | 91.51 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 14 Jan 2022 18:32:28 | 4 | 6 mins | 28.8 Mbps | 45.21 Mbps | Improved |
| BT | 14 Jan 2022 15:03:02 | 2 | 10 mins | 55.3 Mbps | 53.03 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 14 Jan 2022 13:27:55 | 2 | 30 secs | 34.3 Mbps | 36.36 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 13 Jan 2022 19:53:18 | 2 | 54 secs | 211.33 Mbps | 238.55 Mbps | Improved |
Summary of Internet Service Providers in Belfast
| # | Provider Name | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIX | 338.29 Mbps | 2.08—325.96 Mbps |
| 2 | BT | 697.89 Mbps | 72.7—237.08 Mbps |
| 3 | Virgin Media | 905.55 Mbps | 59.07—252.73 Mbps |
| 4 | Vodafone | 517.19 Mbps | 27.25—66.41 Mbps |
| 5 | Zen Internet | 234.33 Mbps | 23.63—50.97 Mbps |
| 6 | TalkTalk | 253.67 Mbps | 35.21—57.52 Mbps |
| 7 | Sky Broadband | 247.55 Mbps | 19.64—33.07 Mbps |
| 8 | Shell Energy | 61.75 Mbps | 6.05—42.14 Mbps |
| 9 | KCOM | 49.04 Mbps | 10.7—34.72 Mbps |
| 10 | EE | 73.18 Mbps | 2.06—31.39 Mbps |
| 11 | Plusnet | 57.9 Mbps | 6.67—18.91 Mbps |
Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Providers in Belfast
How many broadband providers in Belfast are there?
Belfast has 11 ISPs tested by its 274,770 residents.
Who is the fastest broadband provider in Belfast?
BT is the fastest broadband provider in Belfast with 697.89 Mbps, and an average internet speed range of 72.7—237.08 Mbps.
Who is the best internet provider in Belfast?
The best internet provider in Belfast is BT, and their users typically see broadband speeds in the range of 72.7 to 237.08 Mbps.
What is the average internet speed in Belfast?
Users in Belfast see an average internet speed of 51.05 up to 71 Mbps, and the fastest speed we've seen is 905.55 Mbps.
Is Virgin Media available in Belfast?
Broadband service from Virgin Media is available in Belfast, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 905.55 Mbps.
Is BT available in Belfast?
Broadband service from BT is available in Belfast, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 697.89 Mbps.
Is TalkTalk available in Belfast?
Broadband service from TalkTalk is available in Belfast, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 253.67 Mbps.
Is BT full fibre available in Belfast?
No, BT does not have full fibre to the home (also called FTTH or FTTP) in Belfast.
Who is the most popular broadband provider in Belfast?
The broadband provider with the most users in Belfast is Virgin Media.
Author: Thomas Buck
Last Reviewed By: Tyler Cooper
Published: 10 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 20 Jan 2022