Superfast broadband coverage in Ceredigion and Powys is leaving rural homes and businesses behind, figures show.

In urban areas, 97 per cent of premises enjoy access to superfast download speeds of more than 30Mbps – needed for multiple internet users and some streaming services.

But for rural homes and businesses it’s 74 per cent, according to independent broadband guide Think Broadband.

Many broadband users also find their experience doesn’t live up to the advertised speed.

Think Broadband collects user-generated data from home speed tests, which shows the median download speed in Ceredigion is 17Mbps.

Households with the fastest connections enjoy a download speed of at least 40Mbps.

But households with the worst broadband can only manage a download speed of up to 3Mbps – well under the minimum speed required for a decent connection.

Editor of Think Broadband, Andrew Ferguson said that the overall dramatic increase in the availability of superfast broadband across the UK is hiding wide variations between rural and urban areas.

He said: “In terms of the digital divide rural areas have caught up a lot.

“But even though the number not able to get a superfast broadband service is shrinking, the volume of the complaints is not diminishing. Those left behind are shouting louder.”

The Office of National Statistics defines areas as rural if they are outside settlements with a population of more than 10,000. Small ‘hub’ towns with a population between 10,000 and 30,000 people are also treated as rural.

In Ceredigion an estimated 28,480 premises are classified as rural. In Powys an estimated 57,140 premises are classified as rural.

Research by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport found that access to superfast broadband improves the local economy, reduces unemployment and increases productivity for businesses.

DCMS said that people with faster broadband also reported improved wellbeing, compared to those without.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday