Akamai says average UK broadband speed rose to 5Mbps in Q2

Fibre optic broadband rollouts may have played a part in the UK increasing its average internet connection speed in the second quarter of 2011.

Akamai's latest State of the Internet report showed the country's average download speed stood at 5Mbps, up from 4.6Mbps during the first three months of the year.

Over the same period, the global average figure climbed from 2.1Mbps to 2.6Mbps.

The result means the UK has the 25th fastest broadband in the world, in a table that is topped by south-east Asian nations South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Europe's top performers were the Netherlands, Latvia and the Czech Republic, which ranked in fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively.

The UK's average speed could be set to climb further in the near future, after BT announced it is set to roll out up to 110Mbps download capabilities this month.

Six exchange areas - Ashford in Middlesex, Bradwell Abbey in Milton Keynes, Highams Park in north London, Chester South, St Austell and York - will be the first to gain access to the service.