Blackburn Broadband Statistics
Blackburn is among the top 10 for fibre access out of all major towns in the North West, and is among the 100 worst-off major towns in terms of fibre access across the UK as a whole. Our analysis of Ofcom coverage data shows that Gigabit fibre is available to 8.98% of residents. UltraFast 300+ Mbps is available to 77% of residents, while SuperFast 30+ Mbps broadband is available to 100% of Blackburn's households.
Despite poor broadband infrastructure, we see high speed test averages in Blackburn postcodes like BB2, BB1, and BB3. Over the past year, we’ve recorded a 37.75 Mbps median internet speed in Blackburn, which is 2.47% above the United Kingdom national median of 37 Mbps.
Blackburn increased access to Gigabit speeds by 3.03 percentage points in the past year. The buildout rate is also better than neighbouring major towns like Lancaster (gained 2.07 percentate points), Preston (gained 1.81 percentate points), and Chorley (gained 1.07 percentate points).
Local broadband speeds over time
The median broadband speed in Blackburn has increased by 81% over the last five years.
Local broadband speeds in context
As of 2022, the median broadband speed in Blackburn is 2.28% higher than the North West and 2.41% higher than the UK overall.
| Blackburn | 38 Mbps | |
| North West | 37 Mbps | |
| United Kingdom | 37 Mbps |
Blackburn 2022 Broadband Scorecard
▼ 10th lowest fibre access
Major Towns, North West
▲ 2.28% above regional broadband speed
North West
▲ 2.41% 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 Blackburn 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 Blackburn 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 Blackburn
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Ofcom Fibre Access Analysis for Blackburn
See the chart below for annual reporting on fibre build rates in the Blackburn 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 | 8.98% | 76.93% | 99.59% |
| 2020 | 5.95% | 74.06% | 99.38% |
| 2019 | 0.50% | 70.66% | 99.45% |
| 2018 | 0.43% | 67.65% | 99.25% |
| 2017 | 0.21% | 66.86% | 98.26% |
| 2016 | 0.00% | 0.18% | 95.06% |
Map of Blackburn's Fibre Broadband Availability by Postcode
Gigabit Availability
8.98%
of people living in Blackburn can obtain to 1,000+ Mbps broadband speeds
Ultrafast Speeds
76.93%
of Blackburn residents can get 300+ Mbps internet service
Superfast 30+ Mbps Broadband
99.59%
availability in Blackburn
Poor Broadband Speeds
None
of Blackburn is limited to broadband speeds under 30 Mbps
Blackburn Broadband Speeds Report
Average Broadband Speeds in Blackburn
| Year | Blackburn Average | United Kingdom Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15.77 Mbps | 26.27 Mbps | 39.97% Slower |
| 2019 | 25.39 Mbps | 30.63 Mbps | 17.11% Slower |
| 2020 | 50.5 Mbps | 80.31 Mbps | 37.12% Slower |
| 2021 | 66.51 Mbps | 66.05 Mbps | 0.70% Faster |
Blackburn Broadband Speed Distribution
| Percentage of Speed Tests in Speed Range | ||
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Range | Blackburn | United Kingdom |
| Very Slow: under 10 Mbps | 22.67% | 19.92% |
| Slow: 10-30 Mbps | 26.30% | 25.74% |
| Adequate: 30-60 Mbps | 21.92% | 25.20% |
| Good: 60-80 Mbps | 7.80% | 10.20% |
| Fast: 80-300 Mbps | 18.80% | 15.33% |
| Very Fast: over 300 Mbps | 2.52% | 3.60% |
How Blackburn Compares to Major Cities
| City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater London | 5794.21 Mbps | 33.02—95.86 Mbps | 45.54 Mbps | Faster |
| Birmingham | 941.32 Mbps | 29.29—107 Mbps | 38.47 Mbps | Faster |
| Bristol | 943.13 Mbps | 30.35—109.9 Mbps | 42.28 Mbps | Faster |
| Edinburgh | 874.24 Mbps | 29.96—107.47 Mbps | 38.02 Mbps | Faster |
| Blackburn | 926.9 Mbps | 27.81—103.96 Mbps | 37.75 Mbps | - |
| Liverpool | 1134.53 Mbps | 25.52—89.6 Mbps | 34.58 Mbps | Slower |
| Nottingham | 2371.49 Mbps | 16.2—40.46 Mbps | 19.1 Mbps | Slower |
| Sheffield | 932.42 Mbps | 23.73—68.81 Mbps | 32.06 Mbps | Slower |
| Glasgow | 913.93 Mbps | 20.58—71.34 Mbps | 32 Mbps | Slower |
| Leicester | 935.89 Mbps | 27.45—99.24 Mbps | 37 Mbps | Slower |
Blackburn 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 Blackburn Compares for Internet Speed in Blackburn with Darwen
| Position | City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackburn | 926.9 Mbps | 27.81—103.96 Mbps | 37.75 Mbps | - |
Blackburn Internet Speed Test Results
We analysed the results of people in Blackburn testing broadband providers multiple times, with each test starting no more than 30 minutes after the previous speed test. On average, people in Blackburn ran 4 internet speed tests per session. Looking at broadband download speeds, if the Blackburn 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 Blackburn's residents, of the internet speed tests we measured, 45.16% were fast, 22.98% slow, and 31.85% broadly the same.
Most Recent Tests
| Provider | Start Time | # Tests | Duration | Start Speed | End Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 23:21:38 | 4 | 71 secs | 31.53 Mbps | 27.71 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 19:40:06 | 4 | 4 mins | 54.51 Mbps | 108.39 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 19:00:07 | 2 | 80 secs | 103.33 Mbps | 84.86 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 18:57:08 | 2 | 27 secs | 209.54 Mbps | 209.68 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 17:45:27 | 2 | 115 secs | 51.3 Mbps | 109.73 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 16:09:14 | 3 | 14 mins | 492.13 Mbps | 509.1 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 13:46:44 | 2 | 92 secs | 354.25 Mbps | 354.02 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 12:02:35 | 3 | 31 mins | 211.77 Mbps | 232.73 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 12:21:29 | 2 | 7 mins | 376.85 Mbps | 372.81 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 11:56:53 | 2 | 4 mins | 78.66 Mbps | 126.3 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 10:38:00 | 3 | 45 mins | 221.09 Mbps | 198.17 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 11:00:54 | 4 | 3 mins | 16.72 Mbps | 13.79 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 09:02:25 | 12 | 60 mins | 331.85 Mbps | 197.75 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 00:36:32 | 2 | 83 secs | 24.92 Mbps | 26.2 Mbps | |
| Sky Broadband | 17 Jan 2022 16:15:34 | 2 | 61 secs | 23.73 Mbps | 47.56 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 15:29:28 | 4 | 2 mins | 109.22 Mbps | 109.07 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 15:16:30 | 2 | 7 mins | 395.04 Mbps | 381.13 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 17 Jan 2022 09:14:57 | 2 | 95 secs | 41.37 Mbps | 209.52 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 16 Jan 2022 16:33:01 | 2 | 25 secs | 27.16 Mbps | 8.06 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Sky Broadband | 16 Jan 2022 14:46:46 | 2 | 35 secs | 4.23 Mbps | 5.97 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
Summary of Internet Service Providers in Blackburn
| # | Provider Name | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zone Broadband | 836.67 Mbps | 38.75—296.18 Mbps |
| 2 | Virgin Media | 926.9 Mbps | 42.05—132.18 Mbps |
| 3 | Zen Internet | 555.16 Mbps | 32.83—103.44 Mbps |
| 4 | BT | 797.98 Mbps | 28.72—69.46 Mbps |
| 5 | EE | 328.65 Mbps | 26.43—58.51 Mbps |
| 6 | TalkTalk | 497.21 Mbps | 16.65—50.77 Mbps |
| 7 | Vodafone | 450.64 Mbps | 25.39—54.26 Mbps |
| 8 | Sky Broadband | 360.03 Mbps | 11—46.78 Mbps |
| 9 | Plusnet | 74.08 Mbps | 18.55—42.71 Mbps |
| 10 | Shell Energy | 63.44 Mbps | 13.27—36.49 Mbps |
| 11 | Boundless Networks | 11.13 Mbps | 1.11—11.09 Mbps |
Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Providers in Blackburn
How many broadband providers in Blackburn are there?
Blackburn has 11 ISPs tested by its 148,942 residents.
Who is the fastest broadband provider in Blackburn?
Virgin Media is the fastest broadband provider in Blackburn with 926.9 Mbps, and an average internet speed range of 42.05—132.18 Mbps.
Who is the best internet provider in Blackburn?
The best internet provider in Blackburn is Zone Broadband, and their users typically see broadband speeds in the range of 38.75 to 296.18 Mbps.
What is the average internet speed in Blackburn?
Users in Blackburn see an average internet speed of 27.81 up to 489 Mbps, and the fastest speed we've seen is 926.9 Mbps.
Is Virgin Media available in Blackburn?
Broadband service from Virgin Media is available in Blackburn, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 926.9 Mbps.
Is Sky Broadband available in Blackburn?
Broadband service from Sky Broadband is available in Blackburn, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 360.03 Mbps.
Is BT available in Blackburn?
Broadband service from BT is available in Blackburn, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 797.98 Mbps.
Is BT full fibre available in Blackburn?
Yes, BT offers full fibre to the home (also called FTTH or FTTP) to 146 of Blackburn's postcodes.
Who is the most popular broadband provider in Blackburn?
The broadband provider with the most users in Blackburn is Virgin Media.
Author: Thomas Buck
Last Reviewed By: Tyler Cooper
Published: 10 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 18 Jan 2022