Broadband in Aberdeenshire

Start with the gap. Superfast speeds of 30 Mbps or more reach 77.1% of Aberdeenshire postcodes. Nationally that figure is close to 97 per cent, so around 23% of local postcodes miss a threshold most of the country takes for granted. The slow tail is the real story here: 13.3% of postcodes record speeds below 10 Mbps, the level Ofcom treats as the minimum for a usable connection.

Gigabit-capable networks tell a different tale. They reach 36.9% of postcodes, so a sizeable minority of locations can already order speeds far beyond the superfast baseline. Outcomes across the 26 outward codes range from below 10 Mbps to gigabit within one council area, which is why the individual postcode check matters more here than in most of the country. Two neighbouring villages can sit on opposite sides of the divide.

For households weighing a move, these numbers argue for caution rather than assumption. A 13.3% below-10 Mbps share means slow lines are common enough that any rural address needs verifying before contracts are signed. Equally, with gigabit already at 36.9%, plenty of Aberdeenshire postcodes can take connections that would satisfy the heaviest user. The spread between the well served and the poorly served is wide, so the district average tells you little about a specific house.