Southend-on-Sea Broadband Statistics
Southend-on-Sea has the third-best fibre access out of all major cities in the East of England, and is among the 50 worst-off 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 38% of residents. UltraFast 300+ Mbps is available to 79% of residents, while SuperFast 30+ Mbps broadband is available to 99% of Southend-on-Sea's households.
Poor broadband infrastructure results in low speed test averages in Southend-on-Sea postcodes like SS0, SS2, SS1, SS9, and SS3. Over the past year, we’ve recorded a 36.83 Mbps median internet speed in Southend-on-Sea, which is 0.14% below the United Kingdom national median of 36.88 Mbps.
Southend-on-Sea increased access to Gigabit speeds by 28 percentage points in the past year. The buildout rate is also better than neighbouring major cities like Basildon (gained 11 percentate points), Colchester (gained 0.85 percentate points), and Luton (lost 0.32 percentage points). In addition, real-world speed test data shows that Southend-on-Sea is dramatically faster than Leigh-on-Sea (82% slower).
Local broadband speeds over time
The median broadband speed in Southend-on-Sea has increased by 74% over the last five years.
Local broadband speeds in context
As of 2022, the median broadband speed in Southend-on-Sea is 1.33% lower than the East of England and 0.14% lower than the UK overall.
| Southend-on-Sea | 37 Mbps | |
| East of England | 37 Mbps | |
| United Kingdom | 37 Mbps |
Southend-on-Sea 2022 Broadband Scorecard
▼ 4th lowest fibre access
Major Cities, East of England
▼ 1.33% below regional broadband speed
East of England
▼ 0.14% below national broadband speed
UK Overall
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 Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea
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Ofcom Fibre Access Analysis for Southend-on-Sea
See the chart below for annual reporting on fibre build rates in the Southend-on-Sea 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 | 37.73% | 78.54% | 98.64% |
| 2020 | 10.22% | 69.42% | 97.83% |
| 2019 | 0.42% | 68.36% | 95.99% |
| 2018 | 0.05% | 65.95% | 95.95% |
| 2017 | 0.00% | 63.06% | 95.52% |
| 2016 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 95.60% |
Map of Southend-on-Sea's Fibre Broadband Availability by Postcode
Gigabit Availability
37.73%
of people living in Southend-on-Sea can obtain to 1,000+ Mbps broadband speeds
Ultrafast Speeds
78.54%
of Southend-on-Sea residents can get 300+ Mbps internet service
Superfast 30+ Mbps Broadband
98.64%
availability in Southend-on-Sea
Poor Broadband Speeds
1.18%
of Southend-on-Sea is limited to broadband speeds under 30 Mbps
Southend-on-Sea Broadband Speeds Report
Average Broadband Speeds in Southend-on-Sea
| Year | Southend-on-Sea Average | United Kingdom Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 25.19 Mbps | 26.27 Mbps | 4.11% Slower |
| 2019 | 38.45 Mbps | 30.63 Mbps | 25.53% Faster |
| 2020 | 91.16 Mbps | 80.31 Mbps | 13.51% Faster |
| 2021 | 76.92 Mbps | 66.05 Mbps | 16.46% Faster |
Southend-on-Sea Broadband Speed Distribution
| Percentage of Speed Tests in Speed Range | ||
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Range | Southend-on-Sea | United Kingdom |
| Very Slow: under 10 Mbps | 20.03% | 19.92% |
| Slow: 10-30 Mbps | 23.83% | 25.74% |
| Adequate: 30-60 Mbps | 22.09% | 25.20% |
| Good: 60-80 Mbps | 9.73% | 10.20% |
| Fast: 80-300 Mbps | 17.66% | 15.33% |
| Very Fast: over 300 Mbps | 6.66% | 3.60% |
How Southend-on-Sea Compares to Major Cities
| City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater London | 5794.21 Mbps | 33.1—96.06 Mbps | 45.61 Mbps | Faster |
| Birmingham | 2786.06 Mbps | 29.35—107.11 Mbps | 38.56 Mbps | Faster |
| Bristol | 943.13 Mbps | 30.46—109.99 Mbps | 42.42 Mbps | Faster |
| Leicester | 935.89 Mbps | 27.49—99.53 Mbps | 37.05 Mbps | Faster |
| Edinburgh | 874.24 Mbps | 29.98—107.56 Mbps | 38.13 Mbps | Faster |
| Southend-on-Sea | 3158.97 Mbps | 26.55—106.52 Mbps | 36.83 Mbps | - |
| Liverpool | 1134.53 Mbps | 25.63—89.99 Mbps | 34.68 Mbps | Slower |
| Nottingham | 2371.49 Mbps | 15.99—39.85 Mbps | 18.81 Mbps | Slower |
| Sheffield | 936.79 Mbps | 23.81—68.97 Mbps | 32.12 Mbps | Slower |
| Glasgow | 913.93 Mbps | 20.72—71.44 Mbps | 32.11 Mbps | Slower |
Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea Compares for Internet Speed in Southend-on-Sea
| Position | City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southend-on-Sea | 3158.97 Mbps | 26.55—106.52 Mbps | 36.83 Mbps | - |
| 2 | Leigh-on-Sea | 935.43 Mbps | 14.03—46.35 Mbps | 20.29 Mbps | Slower |
Southend-on-Sea Internet Speed Test Results
We analysed the results of people in Southend-on-Sea testing broadband providers multiple times, with each test starting no more than 30 minutes after the previous speed test. On average, people in Southend-on-Sea ran 4 internet speed tests per session. Looking at broadband download speeds, if the Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea's residents, of the internet speed tests we measured, 41.1% were fast, 23.9% slow, and 35% broadly the same.
Most Recent Tests
| Provider | Start Time | # Tests | Duration | Start Speed | End Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 23:45:32 | 2 | 26 secs | 44.76 Mbps | 63.03 Mbps | Improved |
| BT | 24 Jan 2022 22:44:37 | 2 | 36 secs | 9.3 Mbps | 88.01 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 22:17:20 | 3 | 10 mins | 0.33 Mbps | 6.82 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 21:43:22 | 6 | 14 mins | 319.45 Mbps | 380.4 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 21:38:19 | 2 | 23 secs | 328.02 Mbps | 288.27 Mbps | Needs help |
| BT | 24 Jan 2022 21:22:09 | 2 | 25 secs | 94.7 Mbps | 104.5 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 21:14:19 | 2 | 23 secs | 110.65 Mbps | 110.47 Mbps | |
| Plusnet | 24 Jan 2022 21:08:04 | 2 | 42 secs | 49.19 Mbps | 65.41 Mbps | Improved |
| Plusnet | 24 Jan 2022 19:23:25 | 2 | 20 mins | 1.45 Mbps | 2.58 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 19:05:33 | 4 | 37 mins | 93.64 Mbps | 209.82 Mbps | Improved |
| EE | 24 Jan 2022 19:03:32 | 13 | 34 mins | 32.9 Mbps | 31.47 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 17:56:11 | 10 | 97 mins | 299.32 Mbps | 270.12 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 19:14:15 | 3 | 6 mins | 8.18 Mbps | 50.74 Mbps | Improved |
| Sky Broadband | 24 Jan 2022 18:46:53 | 2 | 2 mins | 95.97 Mbps | 88.56 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 18:21:28 | 2 | 41 secs | 81.49 Mbps | 71.46 Mbps | Needs help |
| EE | 24 Jan 2022 18:18:50 | 2 | 2 mins | 1.78 Mbps | 26.6 Mbps | Improved |
| TalkTalk | 24 Jan 2022 18:20:26 | 2 | 27 secs | 46.51 Mbps | 48.13 Mbps | |
| BT | 24 Jan 2022 17:58:15 | 2 | 25 secs | 32.94 Mbps | 32.93 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 17:48:31 | 2 | 5 mins | 538.39 Mbps | 535.99 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 24 Jan 2022 17:15:07 | 5 | 4 mins | 6.57 Mbps | 56.39 Mbps | Improved |
Summary of Internet Service Providers in Southend-on-Sea
| # | Provider Name | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community Fibre | 792.65 Mbps | 211.69—296.19 Mbps |
| 2 | Virgin Media | 3158.97 Mbps | 62.54—234.47 Mbps |
| 3 | Hyperoptic | 564.11 Mbps | 47.55—165.79 Mbps |
| 4 | Vodafone | 538.36 Mbps | 41.45—74.06 Mbps |
| 5 | Independent Fibre Networks | 163.66 Mbps | 4.24—117.51 Mbps |
| 6 | CIX | 86.2 Mbps | 73.01—76.81 Mbps |
| 7 | Zen Internet | 464.14 Mbps | 19.99—64.71 Mbps |
| 8 | uno | 70.57 Mbps | 4.7—67.96 Mbps |
| 9 | BT | 913.02 Mbps | 20.31—60.21 Mbps |
| 10 | TalkTalk | 468.38 Mbps | 27.65—48.31 Mbps |
| 11 | EE | 879.59 Mbps | 15.72—45.68 Mbps |
| 12 | Sky Broadband | 461.03 Mbps | 15.93—53.89 Mbps |
| 13 | Plusnet | 74.81 Mbps | 12.64—36.72 Mbps |
| 14 | Glide | 149.82 Mbps | 9.16—22.14 Mbps |
| 15 | Shell Energy | 72.27 Mbps | 5.32—22.2 Mbps |
Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Providers in Southend-on-Sea
How many broadband providers in Southend-on-Sea are there?
Southend-on-Sea has 15 ISPs tested by its 182,463 residents.
Who is the fastest broadband provider in Southend-on-Sea?
Community Fibre is the fastest broadband provider in Southend-on-Sea with 792.65 Mbps, and an average internet speed range of 211.69—296.19 Mbps.
Who is the best internet provider in Southend-on-Sea?
The best internet provider in Southend-on-Sea is Community Fibre, and their users typically see broadband speeds in the range of 211.69 to 296.19 Mbps.
What is the average internet speed in Southend-on-Sea?
Users in Southend-on-Sea see an average internet speed of 26.55 up to 475 Mbps, and the fastest speed we've seen is 3158.97 Mbps.
Is Virgin Media available in Southend-on-Sea?
Broadband service from Virgin Media is available in Southend-on-Sea, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 3158.97 Mbps.
Is BT available in Southend-on-Sea?
Broadband service from BT is available in Southend-on-Sea, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 913.02 Mbps.
Is Sky Broadband available in Southend-on-Sea?
Broadband service from Sky Broadband is available in Southend-on-Sea, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 461.03 Mbps.
Is BT full fibre available in Southend-on-Sea?
Yes, BT offers full fibre to the home (also called FTTH or FTTP) to 32 of Southend-on-Sea's postcodes.
Who is the most popular broadband provider in Southend-on-Sea?
The broadband provider with the most users in Southend-on-Sea is Virgin Media.
Author: Thomas Buck
Last Reviewed By: Tyler Cooper
Published: 10 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 24 Jan 2022
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