More than 20 percent of people in the region had not used the internet at all in the past three months, if ever – nearly triple the national average of seven per cent.
One in six premises in Dumfries and Galloway also lack access to superfast broadband, compared to the 98 per cent of premises with superfast broadband in the UK’s most connected place – Bexley and Greenwich.
The study, by marketing experts N.Rich, used new ONS and Ofcom data to rank areas based on how many people had been online in the past three months and the number of premises with access to superfast broadband, in order to discover the country’s least and most digitally connected places.
Fermanagh and Omagh in Northern Ireland ranked as the least digitally connected area in the UK.
One in eight people in this area had not used the internet in the past three months, if ever and close to a third had no access to superfast broadband.
A spokesperson for N.Rich said: “When you compare the internet use of UK residents with their ability to access fast broadband, it paints a clear picture of the digital divide and where it hits hardest.
"As the internet is now our core means of communication, from educating our children, to accessing work and running businesses, it’s more important than ever to ensure that every part of the UK has good digital access. ”
The study was conducted by https://n.rich which offers a rich array of intent data and ad inventory that enable marketers to drive awareness and lead generation effectively.