Five areas in Scotland have been identified as having the worst internet connection in the UK, a new study has found.
The Orkney Islands was revealed to have the worst internet access, with just 64.3 per cent of residents being hooked up to superfast broadband - compared to 94 per cent across the country.
Just one per cent of homes were found to be using ultrafast broadband, while people on Orkney also faced the slowest download speeds in the UK, at just 34.8 megabits per second - the UK average is 58.2 megabits per second.
Four other areas made up the top 10 worst in the UK for internet connection - with Shetland, Argyll and Bute, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Dumfries and Galloway following Orkney on the list.
West Dunbartonshire was found to have the second best internet connection in the UK, with 98.3 per cent of people able to access superfast broadband, with 89.6 per cent for ultrafast.
Average download speeds in West Dunbartonshire were 127.5 megabits per second.
Kingston Upon Hull boasts the best internet connection in the UK, with an average download speed of 171.4 megabits per second.
Digital literacy experts typing.com were able to make the findings by analysing new Ofcom data on download speeds and access to broadband services in 376 local authorities in the UK.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “This data gives us a compelling insight into just how significant the digital divide is across the UK, particularly in Scotland.
“Everything we do as a society, from education, work and daily living, is so intertwined with the internet, and the importance of fair digital access for all should never be underestimated.
“While some parts of Scotland – for instance, West Dunbartonshire, are faring well in terms of internet access and connection – the fact that 50% of the UK’s least digitally connected places fall in Scotland show that we have a long way to go before every area has adequate internet quality”
Top 10 areas in the UK with the worst internet connection
| Area |
Rank |
Median download speed (Mbit/s) |
SFBB availability (%) |
UFBB availability (%) |
Overall index score |
| ORKNEY ISLANDS |
1 |
37.4 |
64.3 |
1.1 |
8.8 |
| SHETLAND ISLANDS |
2 |
41 |
69.7 |
2.1 |
9.8 |
| ARGYLL AND BUTE |
3 |
42.7 |
78.1 |
1.8 |
10.3 |
| NA H-EILEANAN SIAR |
4 |
44.8 |
75.7 |
4.5 |
10.6 |
| TORRIDGE |
5 |
44.4 |
80.6 |
6.1 |
11 |
| EDEN |
6 |
47.2 |
80.6 |
6.1 |
11.2 |
| MID DEVON |
7 |
43.5 |
78.2 |
10.9 |
11.2 |
| DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY |
8 |
44.8 |
85.4 |
8 |
11.4 |
| SCARBOROUGH |
9 |
45.6 |
93.7 |
3.8 |
11.5 |
| NORTH NORFOLK |
10 |
46.5 |
90.6 |
6.3 |
11.6 |
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