UDP - Access to high speed broadband

The indicator measures the access to broadband and the quality of the connection in each municipality. The broadband speed has been classified into three different categories according to the quality of connection: below 30 Mbps (minimum required), between 30 and 100 Mbps (optimal speed for average user), and higher than 100 Mbps (high-speed). UNIT OF MEASURE: Megabits per second (Mbps). RESOLUTION: Original data are provided at grid level, with tiles of approximately 610.8 metres by 610.8 metres at the Equator (18 arcsecond blocks). Data have been aggregated at LAU level for calculating this indicator. COMPLETENESS: 70%. POLICY CONTEXT: High-speed broadband represents a fundamental asset for driving the economic and social development of territories. Unveiling spatial patterns of access to the broadband network is important for improving the infrastructure in areas where it is most needed ( Perpiña Castillo et al., 2021; Sulis and Perpiña Castillo, 2022). Significant differences exist in network speed across the EU-27 countries, highlighting a well-known digital divide between urban and rural areas. This means that urban areas enjoy high-speed connection (> 30 Mbps) and very high-speed connection (> 100 Mbps) compared to rural and remote areas even though the improvement on broadband infrastructures during the last decades. The deployment of better-quality access to broadband should go hand in hand with initiatives aimed at fostering the acquisition of digital skills, especially for some population groups. METHODOLOGY: This indicator was calculated based on data provided by Ookla® (Speedtest® by Ookla®, 2020) and contains spatial information about the access to broadband network and the quality of the connection. Information used to calculate the indicator is the average download speed (measured in Megabits per second) for both the fixed and mobile networks in each municipality. For the municipalities, the LAUs boundaries are those defined in 2018. LEVEL OF AGGREGATION: LAU. UNCERTAINTY AND LIMITATIONS: Due to the specific way in which the data are produced (measurement through mobile application), the indicator might present some limitations with regard to representativeness and location. In the case of Q4 2020, data are not available for some areas in the inner regions of Spain, France, Italy. Therefore, no indicator can be produced for those areas and the production of time series is not yet possible. It is preferable to calculate the average speed per municipality in relation to the number of tests performed in the same area, in order to obtain an indicator that is more accurate than the simple average also in regard to the population of the area. The spatial and temporal granularity of the data allow for further development of the indicator. In particular the possibility to analyse access to broadband up to the local scale of cities, to understand disparities within urban areas.