BROADBAND speeds for residents living in and around Knutsford vary from some of the best speeds in the UK to some of the worst, new figures show.

The Government has published data showing broadband speeds following analysis carried out in a time in which many people are relying more than ever on their internet connection.

As Covid-19 means many of us are working and socialising from home, we depend more than ever on a reliable internet connection.

And for people working in the Knutsford area, there may be some contrasting opinions on how well it has been working.

Figures show a huge difference between the more urban, town centre areas and the more rural surrounding villages.

The areas known in the Government’s ‘Lower Super Output Areas’ list as Knutsford North and South Knutsford and Bexton are among the top 10 per cent in the UK for average broadband speeds.

Those areas see average speeds of 73 Mbps and 73.4 Mbps respectively.

That is above the national average of 60.9 Mbps and the average north west speed of 62.1 Mbps Handforth and Dean Row is also in the UK’s top 10 per cent with average speeds of 71.6 Mbps.

But when it comes to the surrounding villages, residents are experiencing broadband speeds at the other end of the scale.

In Mobberley, Plumley and High Legh, the average speed of 31.8 Mbps is among the bottom 10 per cent in the UK, as is the average speed of 34 Mbps experienced by residents in Lostock and Wincham.

The figures reflect speeds received rather than those available, as some people may have access to faster connections than the ones they pay for.

Earlier this year, the Government announced a £5 billion investment to roll out faster broadband to the hardest-to-reach areas across the nation.

But Andrew Ferguson, editor of Think Broadband, said some people could wait until 2025 to see the improvements.

He said: “With the pandemic highlighting how key broadband is for a functioning society, the need to address those worst off broadband-wise has never been clearer.”

A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said the Government is committed to bringing faster, gigabit-speed internet to the whole country – one gigabit is equal to 1,000 megabits.

The spokesman said: “We are determined to deliver on our gigabit commitment and are removing the barriers to industry accelerating broadband roll-out as well as investing £5 billion so the hardest-to-reach areas aren’t left behind.”