This is how Mansfield and Ashfield's broadband speed compares to the rest of the UK

Even as lockdown measures begin to ease, those reluctant to resume long commutes may choose to shun their office for good.

And it seems people in Mansfield, and particularly Ashfield, are better placed than most to do that with both areas performing well for broadband speeds.

The House of Commons Library has produced estimates of average download speeds for individual areas within each parliamentary constituency across the UK.

The average speed for the Mansfield area overall was 74.9 megabits per second (mbps), while for Ashfield it was 76.9 – both well above the UK national average of 60.9.

The fastest areas in Ashfield were Jacksdale and Underwoood at 87.7 mbps, while even it’s two slowest areas, Kirkby Larwood and Kingsway, were both still faster than the UK average at 68.3 mbps

Mansfield’s top areas were Abbott Road and Pleasley Hill, where the average download speed was 89.7 mbps, while at the other end of the scale, Church Warsop and Meden Vale fared worse with an average speed of 36.2 mbps.

However, this was still above Ofcom’s definition of what constitutes ‘superfast’ downloads, which it defines as at least 30 mpbs.

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 added: “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.”

The House of Commons Library analysis looked at other measures, including internet availability.

In Mansfield’s top broadband areas, every premises was capable of receiving superfast download speeds in January, whether or not they were using such a service, while in Ashfield’s top areas, 99 per cent of premises were able to receive it.

Meanwhile, virtually all premises in both districts were able to receive 10 mbps download speeds or one mbps for uploads, which Ofcom deems the minimum requirement for ‘decent broadband’.

The Government recently wrote into law the right to request this level of service, with Ofcom estimating in December that roughly 155,000 premises across the UK could be in line to claim.

An Ofcom spokesman said: “More than nine in 10 UK households can now get superfast broadband, but some areas still struggle for a decent connection.

“Since March, anyone who is unable to get a decent broadband service has the legal right to request one.

“We’re also supporting investment in faster, full-fibre broadband for the UK – including making sure rural areas get better connections.”

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.

He added: “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.”