BROADBAND connection in Colchester is better than the rest of the UK in almost every metric, Ofcom data shows.

According to figures laid out on the House of Commons Library website, the average download speed in Colchester is 157.7 megabits per second (Mbps).

That figure is better than 151.3 Mbps, which is the average download speed experienced by internet users across the rest of the UK.

Across the east of England, the average download speed is 145.4 Mbps.

Gazette: Skewed – exceptionally fast broadband connections can alter the average figuresSkewed – exceptionally fast broadband connections can alter the average figures (Image: Pexels)

However, a footnote in the dataset reads that the average broadband speed for an area is "skewed upwards" by a small proportion of lines which receive very high speeds of 1,000 Mbps.

This means the typical download speed is in reality 45 per cent lower than the average given for most constituencies – but figures for Colchester still outstrip national and regional averages.

Megabits per second is the unit of measurement which tracks broadband speed; the higher the broadband speed, the faster users can download data for music streaming, or upload data when putting photos on social media, for example.

The figures also show Colchester has better access to superfast broadband than the average UK user.

Gigabit availability, which delivers download speeds of 1,000 Mbps, is available to 79.9 per cent of the Colchester population, compared to 76 per cent for the rest of the UK and 72.2 per cent for the east of England.

The data can also specify which areas of Colchester have the fastest and slowest download speeds.

Gazette: Strong – Prettygate and Westlands has the best internet connection in Colchester, figures showStrong – Prettygate and Westlands has the best internet connection in Colchester, figures show (Image: Pexels)

In Monkwick, for example, the average download speed is faster than any other area in Colchester, with the rate calculated at 192.8 Mbps.

The areas with the slowest download speed are in Mile End; in Mile End South, the speed of 98.8 Mbps places the area in the bottom 30 per cent of the UK.

The same area has lines which provide a download speed of just ten Mbps, whilst in Mile End North, the gigabit availability is in the bottom 30 per cent for the whole of the UK.

By contrast, Prettygate and Westlands is statistically one of the best places to live in Colchester for a good internet connection, with superfast broadband available to the entire area.