Internet users in Shepton Mallet may be in for a shock as recent data suggests they lag behind the rest of Somerset when it comes to the digital realm.

A comprehensive review of the county's Internet service providers (ISPs) carried out this July revealed that the average broadband speed in Somerset is 76 Mbps, with speeds typically ranging from 31 to 81 Mbps.

This puts Shepton Mallet and the surrounding towns at a distinct disadvantage, with some residents enduring painfully slow speeds of as low as 16 Mbps. Bridgwater, Wells, and Shipham emerged as digital hotspots with their blistering speeds of 77 Mbps, 117 Mbps, and 117 Mbps, respectively.

Despite being a modest 34th in the overall ranking, even Somerton boasts an average speed of 60 Mbps.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pitminster and Ditcheat fall behind with average speeds of 40 Mbps and 74 Mbps, respectively.

The average internet speed in Somerset is 76 Mbps - 51% lower than the UK average (114 Mbps). Broadband users in Somerset typically see speeds in the range of 31 Mbps to 81 Mbps, and the median download speed here is 39 Mbps, 48% lower than the UK median (58 Mbps).

The average upload speed in Somerset is 11 Mbps, which is 54% lower than the UK's average upload speed (17 Mbps).

Internet providers play a significant role in these disparities. Community Fibre topped the charts with the highest median download speed of 88 Mbps and an average speed of 246 Mbps.

Shepton Mallet has witnessed slight improvements in Internet speeds over the past year, but with only a 5% year-on-year decrease in residents receiving speeds of 30-60 Mbps and an increase of 42% in those enjoying speeds over 300 Mbps, the town still has a long way to go.

Slow or very slow Internet connections continue to plague 36% of Somerset's population. Despite a 14% drop in this statistic compared to July 2022, the digital divide still exists.

Frequent connection dropouts were the most common broadband issue – with one in five (19%) of respondents affected. The second most common issue customers experienced was connection speed. Around one in six (17%) overall said they had suffered slow speeds.

Slow uploads and downloads were also a common complaint – affecting one in seven (15%) overall. One in seven (14%) suffered router problems and another one in seven (14%) said they had been left without a connection for at least an hour.

One in 10 (12%) has experienced slow or disrupted streaming when listening to music or watching videos and 8 per cent said they were left without connection for more than a day.

Which?'s survey also asked about customer service. Overall, around four in 10 (44%) said they had experienced some kind of customer service issue – with one in 10 (11%) saying they either found it difficult to get in touch with their provider or struggled to get their issue resolved.

The Internet speed data paints a stark picture of the digital disparities within Somerset and as ISPs continue to roll out improvements, towns like Shepton Mallet anxiously wait for their turn.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: "A reliable connection is essential to modern life. Earlier this year, many broadband consumers were hit with mid-contract price hikes of more than 14 per cent – meaning that it's more important than ever that their provider offers a reliable connection and good customer service.

"It's completely unacceptable that customers who have faced these eye-watering increases are also experiencing so many problems with their connection. Broadband firms need to work harder to resolve these issues and offer a better service.

"While some customers are able to switch away to better service and prices, many are trapped in contracts where they either have to accept above-inflation price hikes in the spring or pay exorbitant exit fees to leave the contract early. It's absolutely critical that Ofcom's review of inflation-linked mid-contract hikes results in changes that ensure customers are never trapped in this situation again."