Broadband in Manchester

Broadband in Manchester

Manchester has become one of the country’s most vibrant, exciting and forward-thinking cities, renowned for its role in both revolutionising industry and igniting a new era of music.  Businesses calling Manchester home expect broadband technology to be keeping pace with major cities around the world, while the residents expect the same.

It might be best known as the city that gave us Oasis, Joy Division and The Stone Roses, but Manchester is also a thriving city in terms of technology.  The New Technology Institute cost £20 million to build, and is a statement about where the city wants to go.  The city centre is changing and evolving, and with that so is the broadband infrastructure.

As a result, fast reliable broadband is becoming increasingly available, with fibre-optic networks set-up in many of the streets, allowing for superfast download and upload speeds, but this can be affected by local traffic.

Put simply, speeds are not what they could be, but the major providers are looking to improve and ensure that Manchester sees better averages in the near future.

Speeds and availability

There are areas which see slow broadband, particularly surrounding locations like Salford.  Somewhat surprisingly, there are central parts of Manchester also struggling to get fast speeds throughout the day.

The M14 post code, south of the city, seems to get some of the best results, with averages reported of over 30Mb, while the M2 post code, right in the heart of the city, has fared well with over 25Mb possible on a fibre connection.

There is also 4G connectivity widely available in the city, for using the internet on your smartphone or tablet, or with a mobile broadband dongle for your laptop.

Broadband providers

A wide range of providers offer their service across the city, but getting fibre will depend on your street.  For example, those living in M2 may find it difficult to get Virgin Media, but fibre-optic is still available, with Sky and Plusnet offering a faster package for some post codes in this area.  The neighbouring M4 post code does, however, have more Virgin Media availability.

For ADSL broadband you will find broad availability, with providers offering their slower services across the city.  Tesco, Be, EE and TalkTalk all have standard packages offered in a number of areas, along with John Lewis, Fuel Broadband and Post Office Broadband.

Summary

Manchester has some central areas that could be better connected, and fibre availability is still a work in progress.  However, the providers are clearly working to expand their services and offer something faster to more residents and businesses.