Several areas in East Lancashire have some of the worst internet connections across the whole county.

According to new research, Wyre and the Ribble Valley have the worst internet connection in Lancashire, followed by Fylde, West Lancashire and then Rossendale.

It's not all doom and gloom though as Burnley and Hyndburn have the best internet connections, followed by Lancaster and Blackburn with Darwen.

According to the research, which comes from Ofcom data, the Ribble Valley has one of the lowest percentages of premises connected to ultrafast broadband (43 per cent compared to the Lancashire average of 54.1 per cent and the UK average of 59 per cent).

And residents in the Ribble Valley also face slow download speeds in comparison to the rest of the region, at just 46.8 Megabits per second – the Lancashire standard is 54.1 Megabits per second and the UK standard is 58.2.

The research, by digital literacy experts Typing.com analysed new Ofcom data on download speeds and access to Superfast and Ultrafast broadband in all of Lancashire’s local authorities, and created an index to discover which areas had the worst internet connection of all.

Lancashire’s internet connection, from worst to best are ranked from left to right as follows: area; median download speed; % of premises with superfast broadband; % of premises with ultrafast broadband; overall index score

  • Wyre; 40.0;     95.4;     46.4;     16.79
  • Ribble Valley; 46.8;     90.5;     43.1;     17.47
    • Fylde; 44.2;     93.8;     51.4;     17.97
    • West Lancashire; 44.1;     95.1;     54.9;     18.25
    • Rossendale; 46.6;     93.5;     52.5;     18.27
    • Chorley; 54.9;     95.8;     64.4;     21.33
    • South Ribble; 60.0;     96.7;     69.5;     22.62
    • Preston; 61.3;     97.4;     71.9;     23.26
    • Blackpool; 64.3;     98.4;     71.0;     23.41
    • Blackburn with Darwen; 68.3;     97.2;     69.3;  23.44
    • Lancaster; 51.7;     97.6;     63.7;     23.44
    • Hyndburn; 63.7;     96.9;     76.7;     23.61
    • Burnley; 72.6;     97.8;     79.0;     25.30
    • Lancashire average; 54.1;     95;     61      

Wyre has the first poorest internet access in Lancashire, with just 46.4 per cent of premises have access to Ultrafast broadband, well below the Lancashire average of 54.1 per cent, and the median download speed is just 40 Megabits per second, compared to the Lancashire average of 54.1 Megabits per second and the UK average of 58.2 Megabits per second.

Fylde comes third for poor internet connection in Lancashire. The median download speed in Fylde is 44.2 Megabits per second, compared to the Lancashire average of 54.1 Megabits per second, while just 51.4 per cent of premises have access to Ultrafast broadband.

At the other end of the scale, Burnley has Lancashire’s best internet, boasting the fastest download speeds (72.6 Megabits per second – well above the Lancashire standard). Burnley also has the largest percentage of premises connected to Ultrafast broadband – 79 per cent, compared to the Lancashire standard 61 per cent.

Hyndburn comes second on the list of Lancashire areas with the best internet, boasting download speeds of 63.7 - well above the Lancashire average. In Hyndburn, 76.7 per cent of premises have access to Superfast broadband.

Blackburn with Darwen also fares well when it comes to internet speed and access and enjoys a download speed of 68.3 Megabits per second, and 69.3 per cent of premises in the area are connected to ultrafast broadband.

A spokesperson for Typing.com said: “This data gives us a compelling insight into just how significant the digital divide is across Lancashire.

"While some areas such as Burnley and Hyndburn are very well connected, it’s clear that other areas including the Ribble Valley, Wyre and Fylde are lagging behind the rest of the region.

"Everything we do as a society, from education, work and daily living, is so intertwined with the internet, and the importance of excellent digital access for all should never be underestimated."