Broadband in Antrim and Newtownabbey

There is little drama in these figures, and that is the point. Across 3,278 postcodes and 8 outward codes, 99% can get superfast speeds of at least 30 Mbps, a couple of points clear of the national norm of about 97 per cent. Gigabit-capable coverage reaches 94.8% of postcodes, so nineteen postcodes in twenty can take a connection rated at 1,000 Mbps. The stragglers barely register: 0.3% of postcodes remain below 10 Mbps. Districts covered include BT29, BT36, BT39, BT41 and BT42. For anyone comparing packages, the availability question is nearly settled before it is asked. Attention shifts instead to price, contract length and the speed tier a household will actually use rather than the fastest one on the sheet.

With coverage this complete, the speed mix is more about budgeting than access. Households can treat gigabit as the ceiling and 30 Mbps as the near-guaranteed floor, then decide where on that range their usage genuinely sits. Busy homes with multiple streamers will find the 94.8% gigabit footprint useful. Lighter users lose nothing by taking a cheaper mid-tier and keeping the difference.