David Farnor | On 13, Aug 2015

How fast your broadband may sound like a first world problem, but it’s also a widespread one. People don’t just answer emails online these days. They read news, communicate through social media, listen to music and – of course – watch TV and films.

It’s become not just a concern, but a barometer by which people make major life decisions; now, property sites such as Rightmove even list Internet connection speeds for those planning to move home. After all, who would move to an area where you can’t binge on Breaking Bad?

As one of the most popular VOD services – over 62 million members in over 50 countries streaming more than 100 million hours of video per day – Netflix is also concerned with Internet speeds, as a bad connection can impact a customer’s viewing – faster Netflix performance generally means better picture quality, quicker start times and fewer interruptions. Speed is particularly an issue during busy times, when lots of users are accessing the web. (For more on the row about some sites being prioritised over others, search for “net neutrality” and “Netflix” on Google.)

And so the streaming giant began monitoring prime time Netflix performance around the world, which over time has become a publicly released index of ISPs – a handy consumer tool, a useful business indicator and a nifty way of establishing is position as an influential market leader.

Which is the best web company for streaming on Netflix? In the UK, Virgin Media takes the top spot, with an average speed of 3.96 Mbps. Virgin Media is followed by BT (3.63 Mbps), TalkTalk (3.34 Mbps), Sky (3.22 Mbps) and EE (3.18 Mbps). In Ireland, UPC is the best, with an average speed of 3.43 Mbps, while Imagine is the slowest, at 1.87 Mbps.

How do you tackle a first world problem? With a first world solution.

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