Figures from the House of Commons Library revealed areas of the city had a significantly higher broadband speed in May 2019, compared to the average for the rest of the country of 60.9 megabits per second (Mbps).
The fastest area in Portsmouth was Paulsgrove East, where the average download speed was 95.3Mbps.
And the slowest was Fratton West and Portsea where the average speed of 68Mbps was still above the average and much higher than Ofcom’s definition of ‘superfast’ downloads – 30Mbps.
Stef Nienaltowski, the chief executive officer of Shaping Portsmouth, which aims to boost business and education in the city, explained how the internet had been a lifeline to many during the pandemic.
‘About 80 per cent of businesses I have spoken to in the last weeks have relied massively on their online presence and using the internet,’ he said.
‘We ran a Shaping Portsmouth conference recently and 93 people were able to join us individually on a video call and it was almost flawless. Imagine trying to do that without fast broadband.
‘I don’t think we are going to see a return to the “old normal” desk-based way of working. Therefore we have got to change our infrastructure to support this.’
It comes as internet network company CityFibre is currently working in Portsmouth to roll out fibre optic broadband across the whole city.
Mr Nienaltowski added: ‘The fact that we already have faster internet than the UK average and that we’re having fibre optic internet rolled out soon reinforces the idea that Portsmouth is in a good position to lead the way for technology based businesses.’
Councillor Suzy Horton, the council’s education cabinet member, said work needed to continue to ensure there is no ‘digital inequality’ among students. She said: ‘It’s good to hear we’re in a better position than other places.
‘The impact could not be starker at the moment when we know that so far during the pandemic the majority of children have been doing some form of learning at home with digital means. But moving forward for both the short and long term there’s going to be some level of digital engagement from home.
‘We need to make sure there’s digital equality in our city, which means access to devices for all children as well as decent speed internet. We should use this time to make sure there is equality in that way.’
In the area covered by The News the slowest download speed recorded was 59Mbps in Hayling West and North, in the borough of Havant. The fastest in Havant was in West Leigh, which was an average of 88.8Mbps.
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 £5bn investment to roll out faster broadband to the hardest to reach areas across the nation.
Some of the highest and lowest download speeds recorded in May 2019
Southsea Fawcett Road – 93.2Mbps
Fratton West and Portsea – 68Mbps
Paulsgrove East – 95.3Mbps
Hayling West and North – 58Mbps
Bridgemary South – 88.8Mbps
Lee-on-the-Solent – 67.5Mbps
Portchester South East – 93.4Mbps
Titchfield and Titchfield Common – 62.8Mbps
