WIREDGOV

We recently (17 March 2023) published our latest Home Broadband Performance Report, which outlines how different broadband services perform and how they vary by factors including provider, technology, location and package.

We compile this research based on data from volunteers who connect a monitoring unit to their broadband router; and data provided to us by broadband providers.

The findings help to highlight developments in the broadband services available to homes in the UK, and can help people to identify the right package for them.

This latest report highlights a number of trends.

Home broadband speeds have continued to increase

By September 2022, the average download speed for home broadband connections in the UK was 65.3 Mbit/s, an increase of 10% compared to March 2022. This was largely due to people upgrading to faster services.

Less than 3% of households had average download speeds of less than 10 Mbit/s, with cable connections offering the highest average download speed.

More than nine in ten homes with broadband have superfast packages

The proportion of homes in our research with broadband connections that use a superfast package (with an advertised     download speed of 30 Mbit/s or higher) was 93%. And 10% use ultrafast packages with advertised speeds of 300 Mbit/s or higher.

Upload speeds are also increasing

Upload speeds – which are particularly important for people who use video communication services like Zoom or Teams, or who play video games online – are also increasing. Average upload speeds increased by 46% between March and September 2022, to 15.5 Mbit/s. This was largely driven by more people taking up ultrafast broadband packages.

Speeds are slower during peak times

On average, download speeds during the peak hours of 8pm to 10pm were 5% slower than average maximum speeds.

We also found that average speeds were at their lowest across all the different types of broadband technology between 9pm and 9.59pm, while they were at their highest between midnight and 5.59am.

Cable and full fibre offer the highest speeds

Of the home broadband packages we surveyed, Virgin Media’s 1.1 Gbit/s service had the fastest average download speed at 1,139 Mbit/s, and it also had the joint-fastest average upload speed, with BT’s 300 Mbit/s service, at around 51Mbit/s.

Services using the Openreach network are broadly similar

We found that while customers can get better performance by switching technology or to a package with higher speeds, there were few differences between services provided by the likes of BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky and TalkTalk, which all use the same Openreach network.

More information

Did you know you’re entitled to a guaranteed speed when you sign up to a new broadband deal? Our Broadband Speeds Code of Practice means you should get clear information about speeds when you buy a broadband service – and if your provider doesn’t deliver the speeds you were promised, you’re entitled to leave the contract without being penalised if they can’t fix it with 30 days.

Also, our automatic compensation scheme means broadband and landline customers will get money back from their provider when things go wrong, without having to ask for it.

If you’re having problems with your broadband package – maybe you’re not getting the speeds you were promised, or you’ve found a better deal through a price comparison website – it’s never been simpler to switch provider.

To get the best out of your home broadband, you can manage your data use and help everyone get the bandwidth they need – for video streaming, gaming or virtual meetings from home. Find out more.