Sandwell Broadband Statistics
Sandwell has the third-lowest fibre access out of all major cities in the West Midlands, and is among the top 100 best major cities in terms of fibre access across the UK as a whole. Our analysis of Ofcom coverage data shows that Gigabit fibre is available to 78% of residents. UltraFast 300+ Mbps is available to 88% of residents, while SuperFast 30+ Mbps broadband is available to 100% of Sandwell's households.
Great broadband infrastructure results in high speed test averages in Sandwell postcodes like DY4, B70, B71, B69, and B68. Over the past year, we’ve recorded a 37.45 Mbps median internet speed in Sandwell, which is 1.60% above the United Kingdom national median of 36.86 Mbps.
Sandwell increased access to Gigabit speeds by 72 percentage points in the past year. The buildout rate is also better than neighbouring major cities like Walsall (gained 70 percentate points), Birmingham (gained 66 percentate points), and Coventry (gained 40 percentate points).
Local broadband speeds over time
The median broadband speed in Sandwell has increased by 82% over the last five years.
Local broadband speeds in context
As of 2022, the median broadband speed in Sandwell is 0.77% higher than the West Midlands and 1.58% higher than the UK overall.
| Sandwell | 37 Mbps | |
| West Midlands | 37 Mbps | |
| United Kingdom | 37 Mbps |
Sandwell 2022 Broadband Scorecard
▼ 3rd lowest fibre access
Major Cities, West Midlands
▲ 0.77% above regional broadband speed
West Midlands
▲ 1.58% 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 Sandwell 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 Sandwell 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 Sandwell
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Ofcom Fibre Access Analysis for Sandwell
See the chart below for annual reporting on fibre build rates in the Sandwell 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 | 77.88% | 87.99% | 99.80% |
| 2020 | 6.11% | 83.23% | 99.76% |
| 2019 | 1.51% | 79.46% | 99.85% |
| 2018 | 0.14% | 72.44% | 99.58% |
| 2017 | 0.12% | 58.11% | 98.76% |
| 2016 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 94.50% |
Map of Sandwell's Fibre Broadband Availability by Postcode
Gigabit Availability
77.88%
of people living in Sandwell can obtain to 1,000+ Mbps broadband speeds
Ultrafast Speeds
87.99%
of Sandwell residents can get 300+ Mbps internet service
Superfast 30+ Mbps Broadband
99.80%
availability in Sandwell
Poor Broadband Speeds
None
of Sandwell is limited to broadband speeds under 30 Mbps
Sandwell Broadband Speeds Report
Average Broadband Speeds in Sandwell
| Year | Sandwell Average | United Kingdom Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 22.61 Mbps | 26.27 Mbps | 13.93% Slower |
| 2019 | 26.61 Mbps | 30.63 Mbps | 13.12% Slower |
| 2020 | 44.26 Mbps | 80.31 Mbps | 44.89% Slower |
| 2021 | 65.8 Mbps | 66.05 Mbps | 0.38% Slower |
Sandwell Broadband Speed Distribution
| Percentage of Speed Tests in Speed Range | ||
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Range | Sandwell | United Kingdom |
| Very Slow: under 10 Mbps | 21.00% | 19.92% |
| Slow: 10-30 Mbps | 24.45% | 25.74% |
| Adequate: 30-60 Mbps | 25.11% | 25.20% |
| Good: 60-80 Mbps | 10.58% | 10.20% |
| Fast: 80-300 Mbps | 16.16% | 15.33% |
| Very Fast: over 300 Mbps | 2.69% | 3.60% |
How Sandwell Compares to Major Cities
| City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater London | 5794.21 Mbps | 33.04—95.97 Mbps | 45.56 Mbps | Faster |
| Birmingham | 2786.06 Mbps | 29.31—107.04 Mbps | 38.5 Mbps | Faster |
| Bristol | 943.13 Mbps | 30.38—109.93 Mbps | 42.32 Mbps | Faster |
| Edinburgh | 874.24 Mbps | 29.96—107.51 Mbps | 38.06 Mbps | Faster |
| Sandwell | 934.67 Mbps | 30.22—90.7 Mbps | 37.45 Mbps | - |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Sandwell 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 Sandwell Compares for Internet Speed in Sandwell
| Position | City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandwell | 934.67 Mbps | 30.22—90.7 Mbps | 37.45 Mbps | - |
Sandwell Internet Speed Test Results
We analysed the results of people in Sandwell testing broadband providers multiple times, with each test starting no more than 30 minutes after the previous speed test. On average, people in Sandwell ran 4 internet speed tests per session. Looking at broadband download speeds, if the Sandwell 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 Sandwell's residents, of the internet speed tests we measured, 40.74% were fast, 25.69% slow, and 33.57% broadly the same.
Most Recent Tests
| Provider | Start Time | # Tests | Duration | Start Speed | End Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 23:52:35 | 3 | 2 mins | 325.8 Mbps | 368.88 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 23:04:48 | 2 | 96 secs | 150.41 Mbps | 141.25 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 20 Jan 2022 22:41:03 | 2 | 2 mins | 13.24 Mbps | 14.55 Mbps | |
| TalkTalk | 20 Jan 2022 21:53:55 | 3 | 16 mins | 30.26 Mbps | 33.51 Mbps | Improved |
| Sky Broadband | 20 Jan 2022 21:47:48 | 2 | 4 mins | 12.37 Mbps | 16.1 Mbps | Improved |
| Sky Broadband | 20 Jan 2022 21:01:55 | 2 | 13 mins | 30.59 Mbps | 37.81 Mbps | Improved |
| Vodafone | 20 Jan 2022 21:11:22 | 2 | 30 secs | 1.85 Mbps | 1.1 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| TalkTalk | 20 Jan 2022 20:51:35 | 3 | 3 mins | 12.65 Mbps | 25.08 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 20:46:51 | 5 | 7 mins | 26.02 Mbps | 19.55 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 19:56:07 | 4 | 2 mins | 110.19 Mbps | 92.82 Mbps | Needs help |
| TalkTalk | 20 Jan 2022 19:45:45 | 2 | 87 secs | 3.29 Mbps | 3.15 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 19:16:40 | 6 | 20 mins | 211.68 Mbps | 190.08 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 18:55:20 | 6 | 14 mins | 111.52 Mbps | 108.63 Mbps | |
| TalkTalk | 20 Jan 2022 19:08:51 | 2 | 43 secs | 0.3 Mbps | 0.11 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 18:16:21 | 11 | 24 mins | 158.09 Mbps | 7.05 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 17:44:12 | 3 | 78 secs | 5.97 Mbps | 14.5 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 17:30:26 | 13 | 7 mins | 282.29 Mbps | 346.96 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 17:13:15 | 4 | 16 mins | 216.4 Mbps | 193.33 Mbps | Needs help |
| Virgin Media | 20 Jan 2022 17:20:30 | 2 | 11 secs | 15.69 Mbps | 30.67 Mbps | Improved |
| Sky Broadband | 20 Jan 2022 16:59:47 | 3 | 19 mins | 24.59 Mbps | 22.75 Mbps |
Summary of Internet Service Providers in Sandwell
| # | Provider Name | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIX | 527.02 Mbps | 244.03—452.25 Mbps |
| 2 | iDNET | 404.07 Mbps | 41—293.54 Mbps |
| 3 | Independent Fibre Networks | 363.36 Mbps | 56.92—164.97 Mbps |
| 4 | Virgin Media | 934.67 Mbps | 48.63—205.67 Mbps |
| 5 | BT | 925.41 Mbps | 35.49—83.17 Mbps |
| 6 | Spitfire | 73.98 Mbps | 60.82—72.81 Mbps |
| 7 | Internet Central | 845.76 Mbps | 22.99—62.06 Mbps |
| 8 | uno | 57.52 Mbps | 0—54.61 Mbps |
| 9 | Zen Internet | 784.91 Mbps | 17.16—59 Mbps |
| 10 | Cerberus Networks | 51.94 Mbps | 48.82—51.13 Mbps |
| 11 | TalkTalk | 667.7 Mbps | 27.39—54.62 Mbps |
| 12 | Vodafone | 933.83 Mbps | 27.09—57.6 Mbps |
| 13 | EE | 902.92 Mbps | 23.67—56.52 Mbps |
| 14 | Sky Broadband | 502.62 Mbps | 24.56—59.58 Mbps |
| 15 | The Phone Coop | 293.09 Mbps | 5.77—65 Mbps |
| 16 | Plusnet | 74.77 Mbps | 14.01—47.07 Mbps |
| 17 | O2 Broadband | 51.14 Mbps | 9.65—34.17 Mbps |
| 18 | Shell Energy | 74.68 Mbps | 9.11—32.51 Mbps |
| 19 | Andrews & Arnold | 32.41 Mbps | 0—0.74 Mbps |
Smaller Towns, Villages, and Wards in Sandwell
| Ward | Median Age | Rent Privately | Rent Council | Mortage | Commute via Public Transport | Work From Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cradley Heath | 38.0 | 12.54% | 24.82% | 29.73% | 14.26% | 2.81% |
| Great Barr | 38.0 | 9.66% | 12.89% | 38.00% | 16.99% | 2.81% |
| Smethwick | 29.0 | 19.63% | 25.44% | 20.73% | 31.22% | 1.91% |
| Tipton | 35.0 | 11.91% | 25.24% | 31.16% | 14.99% | 2.05% |
| Wednesbury | 39.0 | 8.38% | 23.42% | 29.08% | 16.06% | 1.94% |
| West Bromwich | 36.0 | 14.66% | 22.42% | 20.72% | 23.34% | 2.27% |
Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Providers in Sandwell
How many broadband providers in Sandwell are there?
Sandwell has 19 ISPs tested by its 327,378 residents.
Who is the fastest broadband provider in Sandwell?
CIX is the fastest broadband provider in Sandwell with 527.02 Mbps, and an average internet speed range of 244.03—452.25 Mbps.
Who is the best internet provider in Sandwell?
The best internet provider in Sandwell is CIX, and their users typically see broadband speeds in the range of 244.03 to 452.25 Mbps.
What is the average internet speed in Sandwell?
Users in Sandwell see an average internet speed of 30.22 up to 665 Mbps, and the fastest speed we've seen is 934.67 Mbps.
Is Sky Broadband available in Sandwell?
Broadband service from Sky Broadband is available in Sandwell, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 502.62 Mbps.
Is Virgin Media available in Sandwell?
Broadband service from Virgin Media is available in Sandwell, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 934.67 Mbps.
Is BT available in Sandwell?
Broadband service from BT is available in Sandwell, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 925.41 Mbps.
Is BT full fibre available in Sandwell?
Yes, BT offers full fibre to the home (also called FTTH or FTTP) to 1554 of Sandwell's postcodes.
Who is the most popular broadband provider in Sandwell?
The broadband provider with the most users in Sandwell is Sky Broadband.
Author: Thomas Buck
Last Reviewed By: Tyler Cooper
Published: 10 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 20 Jan 2022