Canterbury has the slowest broadband speeds of any UK city, according to new research.

Kent’s only city experiences average speeds of 34.4Mbps – a little more than half of the median speed UK-wide.

By contrast, Belfast in Northern Ireland was found to be the top dog in the UK with average speeds of 152.2Mbps, while England’s best performer was Portsmouth – which sees residents enjoy average speeds of 122Mbps.

Comparison site Broadband Genie analysed more than 265,000 consumer speed tests across the UK for the research.

Scottish village Halkirk has the UK’s overall slowest broadband speeds, with an average of 2.8Mpbs.

Canterbury City Council’s cabinet member for tourism, movement and rural development, Liberal Democrat Cllr Alex Ricketts, said:

"Unfortunately I'm not surprised by these findings, both as a councillor and someone trying to run a business from home.

“It's something that comes up a lot in conversation with residents, and there's a real sense we're lagging behind on broadband speeds, which this report confirms.

"We've been promised full fibre broadband, but it seems we're always last in line. Sometimes we're told our unique historic infrastructure means it's hard to put the cables in, but that doesn't seem to have held back York.

“Similarly plenty of rural and coastal areas in that list seem to have decent service.

"Residents all over the district are desperate for better broadband provision, and are prepared to pay for it. I'd like to know why service providers don't seem to want to provide a service."

The leader of the council, Labour’s Alan Baldock, added: "It is difficult to believe that broadband infrastructure providers have failed to deliver for too many years a high speed broadband to our city centre and a world heritage tourist location.

“We continue to seek an explanation we can share with visitors, residents and our businesses."

Canterbury’s technological infrastructure has often come under fire, with poor phone signal often frustrating residents and visitors alike who have branded the city centre as a “blackout zone”.

Speaking in September last year Frankie Fernando, owner of the Gourmet Sausage & Burger Company which runs out of a wagon in the city centre, said his firm has given up taking card payments after finding the signal “too slow or it doesn’t even connect - in the meantime you’re holding up the queue”.

Despite the long-voiced concerns over coverage, historically residents have protested against plans to install 5G masts in the historic heart of Canterbury.

One particular bid for a site in New Dover Road was rejected in December 2021 following a public outcry and claims it would block views of the Cathedral.

Phone companies such as EE and Vodafone have long said coverage of the city is adequate, with the latter blaming trees and buildings for the lack of signal.

Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, said: “No broadband customer should accept a sub-par service, least of all in a year when we have seen record price increases in the industry.

“Most of Britain’s biggest providers sign up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice. This means they have to be clear about the speeds you should expect at your address, including a guaranteed minimum they must keep above.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that poor broadband speeds can also be influenced by factors outside your provider’s control, so make sure you check these first. Poor home wiring or a poorly positioned or faulty router could be dragging your wifi down.

“Residents in the slowest towns and cities may also be suffering unnecessarily, with faster speeds available in their area if they switch.”