Wakefield Broadband Statistics
Wakefield is among the 5 worst-off for fibre access out of all major cities in Yorkshire and The Humber, 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 24% of residents. UltraFast 300+ Mbps is available to 76% of residents, while SuperFast 30+ Mbps broadband is available to 98% of Wakefield's households.
Despite poor broadband infrastructure, we see very high speed test averages in Wakefield postcodes like WF2, WF1, WF10, WF8, and WF5. Over the past year, we’ve recorded a 46 Mbps median internet speed in Wakefield, which is 26% above the United Kingdom national median of 37 Mbps.
Wakefield increased access to Gigabit speeds by 2.70 percentage points in the past year. The buildout rate is also better than neighbouring major cities like Barnsley (gained 2.14 percentate points) and Kingston upon Hull (gained 0.04 percentate points). In addition, real-world speed test data shows that Wakefield is marginally outperformed by Crigglestone (14% faster), and is dramatically faster than Walton (101% slower) and Crofton (49% slower).
Local broadband speeds over time
The median broadband speed in Wakefield has increased by 77% over the last five years.
Local broadband speeds in context
As of 2022, the median broadband speed in Wakefield is 23% higher than the Yorkshire and The Humber and 21% higher than the UK overall.
| Wakefield | 46 Mbps | |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 36 Mbps | |
| United Kingdom | 37 Mbps |
Wakefield 2022 Broadband Scorecard
▼ 4th lowest fibre access
Major Cities, Yorkshire and The Humber
▲ 23% above regional broadband speed
Yorkshire and The Humber
▲ 21% 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 Wakefield 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 Wakefield 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 Wakefield
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Ofcom Fibre Access Analysis for Wakefield
See the chart below for annual reporting on fibre build rates in the Wakefield 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 | 24.30% | 75.50% | 98.36% |
| 2020 | 21.60% | 73.55% | 98.02% |
| 2019 | 13.56% | 65.31% | 98.12% |
| 2018 | 1.61% | 43.32% | 95.87% |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 46.47% | 95.22% |
| 2016 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 94.45% |
Map of Wakefield's Fibre Broadband Availability by Postcode
Gigabit Availability
24.30%
of people living in Wakefield can obtain to 1,000+ Mbps broadband speeds
Ultrafast Speeds
75.50%
of Wakefield residents can get 300+ Mbps internet service
Superfast 30+ Mbps Broadband
98.36%
availability in Wakefield
Poor Broadband Speeds
1.57%
of Wakefield is limited to broadband speeds under 30 Mbps
Wakefield Broadband Speeds Report
Average Broadband Speeds in Wakefield
| Year | Wakefield Average | United Kingdom Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 28.91 Mbps | 26.27 Mbps | 10.05% Faster |
| 2019 | 35.7 Mbps | 30.63 Mbps | 16.55% Faster |
| 2020 | 97.76 Mbps | 80.31 Mbps | 21.73% Faster |
| 2021 | 71.85 Mbps | 66.05 Mbps | 8.78% Faster |
Wakefield Broadband Speed Distribution
| Percentage of Speed Tests in Speed Range | ||
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Range | Wakefield | United Kingdom |
| Very Slow: under 10 Mbps | 18.13% | 19.92% |
| Slow: 10-30 Mbps | 22.86% | 25.74% |
| Adequate: 30-60 Mbps | 24.14% | 25.20% |
| Good: 60-80 Mbps | 14.18% | 10.20% |
| Fast: 80-300 Mbps | 16.82% | 15.33% |
| Very Fast: over 300 Mbps | 3.88% | 3.60% |
How Wakefield Compares to Major Cities
| City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 931.44 Mbps | 34.14—93.65 Mbps | 46.41 Mbps | - |
| Greater London | 5794.21 Mbps | 33.02—95.86 Mbps | 45.54 Mbps | Slower |
| Birmingham | 941.32 Mbps | 29.29—107 Mbps | 38.47 Mbps | Slower |
| 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 |
| Bristol | 943.13 Mbps | 30.35—109.9 Mbps | 42.28 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 |
| Edinburgh | 874.24 Mbps | 29.96—107.47 Mbps | 38.02 Mbps | Slower |
Cities and Provider Internet Speeds in Wakefield
| Position | City | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | # Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crigglestone | 929.67 Mbps | 36.91—115.88 Mbps | 52.78 Mbps | 11 |
| 2 | Wakefield | 931.44 Mbps | 34.14—93.65 Mbps | 46.41 Mbps | 17 |
| 3 | Normanton | 907.11 Mbps | 32.76—106.87 Mbps | 45.61 Mbps | 8 |
| 4 | Crofton | 872.54 Mbps | 23.01—55.44 Mbps | 31.17 Mbps | 12 |
| 5 | Featherstone | 910.13 Mbps | 21.23—70.88 Mbps | 30.82 Mbps | 9 |
| 6 | South Elmsall | 914.83 Mbps | 22.97—55.03 Mbps | 28.38 Mbps | 7 |
| 7 | Sitlington | 74.01 Mbps | 24.78—38.92 Mbps | 25.41 Mbps | 4 |
| 8 | Hemsworth | 756.05 Mbps | 18.03—43.1 Mbps | 24.41 Mbps | 9 |
Wakefield 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 Wakefield Compares for Internet Speed in Wakefield
| Position | City / Town | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range | Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crigglestone | 929.67 Mbps | 36.91—115.88 Mbps | 52.78 Mbps | Faster |
| 2 | Wakefield | 931.44 Mbps | 34.14—93.65 Mbps | 46.41 Mbps | - |
| 3 | Normanton | 907.11 Mbps | 32.76—106.87 Mbps | 45.61 Mbps | Slower |
| 4 | Crofton | 872.54 Mbps | 23.01—55.44 Mbps | 31.17 Mbps | Slower |
Wakefield Internet Speed Test Results
We analysed the results of people in Wakefield testing broadband providers multiple times, with each test starting no more than 30 minutes after the previous speed test. On average, people in Wakefield ran 4 internet speed tests per session. Looking at broadband download speeds, if the Wakefield 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 Wakefield's residents, of the internet speed tests we measured, 38.62% were fast, 25.16% slow, and 36.22% broadly the same.
Most Recent Tests
| Provider | Start Time | # Tests | Duration | Start Speed | End Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Broadband | 18 Jan 2022 23:31:57 | 2 | 20 mins | 56.21 Mbps | 57.27 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 23:07:11 | 2 | 2 mins | 35.88 Mbps | 55.42 Mbps | Improved |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 23:01:36 | 5 | 4 mins | 26.34 Mbps | 14.76 Mbps | Needs help |
| BT | 18 Jan 2022 22:59:39 | 2 | 31 secs | 19.16 Mbps | 25.59 Mbps | Improved |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 21:11:38 | 13 | 31 mins | 3.93 Mbps | 112.88 Mbps | Improved |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 20:48:09 | 2 | 95 secs | 275.83 Mbps | 255.3 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 20:20:32 | 2 | 53 secs | 41.39 Mbps | 39.33 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 20:05:04 | 4 | 2 mins | 217.49 Mbps | 205.16 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 19:37:30 | 2 | 33 secs | 7.87 Mbps | 17.63 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 19:02:06 | 5 | 32 mins | 6.97 Mbps | 31.77 Mbps | Improved |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 19:16:02 | 2 | 87 secs | 107.5 Mbps | 107.57 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 18:48:21 | 2 | 27 mins | 94.47 Mbps | 100.65 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 18:45:25 | 2 | 2 mins | 327.83 Mbps | 336.34 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 18:33:24 | 2 | 24 secs | 47.08 Mbps | 57.3 Mbps | Improved |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 18:31:01 | 3 | 80 secs | 16.31 Mbps | 30.03 Mbps | Improved |
| EE | 18 Jan 2022 18:05:21 | 2 | 19 secs | 26.02 Mbps | 28.5 Mbps | |
| Vodafone | 18 Jan 2022 18:00:45 | 2 | 25 secs | 68.29 Mbps | 67.69 Mbps | |
| Virgin Media | 18 Jan 2022 17:31:48 | 2 | 21 secs | 322.25 Mbps | 339.97 Mbps | |
| BT | 18 Jan 2022 17:09:31 | 4 | 3 mins | 28.31 Mbps | 3.33 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
| BT | 18 Jan 2022 17:09:30 | 3 | 98 secs | 5.13 Mbps | 5.98 Mbps | Needs help, very slow |
Summary of Internet Service Providers in Wakefield
| # | Provider Name | Max Speed | Typical Speed Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zen Internet | 671.05 Mbps | 197.97—297.83 Mbps |
| 2 | Virgin Media | 931.44 Mbps | 71.03—201.67 Mbps |
| 3 | Independent Fibre Networks | 371.67 Mbps | 46.88—115.46 Mbps |
| 4 | KCOM | 415.45 Mbps | 24.94—72.19 Mbps |
| 5 | Origin Broadband | 492.43 Mbps | 30.42—125.31 Mbps |
| 6 | Unchained ISP | 204 Mbps | 35.14—85.43 Mbps |
| 7 | BT | 905.24 Mbps | 37.48—72.58 Mbps |
| 8 | TalkTalk | 730.33 Mbps | 19.56—55.22 Mbps |
| 9 | Vodafone | 924.67 Mbps | 26.42—58.72 Mbps |
| 10 | Zone Broadband | 215.9 Mbps | 20.25—41.66 Mbps |
| 11 | EE | 915.09 Mbps | 23.49—64.11 Mbps |
| 12 | Sky Broadband | 458.73 Mbps | 25.29—63.41 Mbps |
| 13 | Plusnet | 74.74 Mbps | 24.44—55.54 Mbps |
| 14 | Spitfire | 92.66 Mbps | 8.93—58.62 Mbps |
| 15 | CIX | 485.32 Mbps | 4.64—13.76 Mbps |
| 16 | Shell Energy | 61.41 Mbps | 9.43—29.48 Mbps |
| 17 | The Phone Coop | 17.29 Mbps | 2.38—3.18 Mbps |
Smaller Towns, Villages, and Wards in Wakefield
| Ward | Median Age | Rent Privately | Rent Council | Mortage | Commute via Public Transport | Work From Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castleford | 41.0 | 15.24% | 8.59% | 38.72% | 9.57% | 2.07% |
| Ossett | 42.0 | 11.42% | 12.01% | 36.74% | 7.82% | 3.79% |
| Pontefract | 39.0 | 9.96% | 15.86% | 37.61% | 8.94% | 2.77% |
Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Providers in Wakefield
How many broadband providers in Wakefield are there?
Wakefield has 17 ISPs tested by its 345,038 residents.
Who is the fastest broadband provider in Wakefield?
Zen Internet is the fastest broadband provider in Wakefield with 671.05 Mbps, and an average internet speed range of 197.97—297.83 Mbps.
Who is the best internet provider in Wakefield?
The best internet provider in Wakefield is Zen Internet, and their users typically see broadband speeds in the range of 197.97 to 297.83 Mbps.
What is the average internet speed in Wakefield?
Users in Wakefield see an average internet speed of 34.14 up to 592 Mbps, and the fastest speed we've seen is 931.44 Mbps.
Is BT available in Wakefield?
Broadband service from BT is available in Wakefield, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 905.24 Mbps.
Is Virgin Media available in Wakefield?
Broadband service from Virgin Media is available in Wakefield, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 931.44 Mbps.
Is Plusnet available in Wakefield?
Broadband service from Plusnet is available in Wakefield, and the fastest speed we've seen from them is 74.74 Mbps.
Is BT full fibre available in Wakefield?
Yes, BT offers full fibre to the home (also called FTTH or FTTP) to 547 of Wakefield's postcodes.
Who is the most popular broadband provider in Wakefield?
The broadband provider with the most users in Wakefield is BT.
Author: Thomas Buck
Last Reviewed By: Tyler Cooper
Published: 10 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 18 Jan 2022