Nearly 700,000 Homes in the UK Have Broadband Classed as Slow

By: Boris_Dzhingarov

Do you feel like your internet is constantly slow and sluggish, meaning your unable to stream shows from the likes of Netflix or Amazon Prime? Well, you’re not alone, as a recent study from Ofcom has shown that nearly 700,000 homes across the UK have broadbands speeds of less than 10Mbps. That’s nearly 2% of offices and homes in the UK.

This is particularly shocking as 10Mbps is what is considered to be the bare minimum a household needs in order for it to cope with internet needs. This means that simple actions like watching a TV show on demand on Sky, playing video games or using Netflix will be extremely difficult. Even worse, if you have a family who all want to use the internet, there won’t be enough for everyone – which is sure to end in fights!

Of those affected by slow internet, nearly 75% of these homes and offices are based in rural areas. Which means some broadband companies are still failing to get proper connections out to rural communities.

One plus point to Ofcom’s most recent Connected Nations report is that it shows that there has been improvement to the number of homes and offices affected by slow internet. As, in 2015 the number was 2.4M, before dropping to 1.4M in 2016. However, as much as this number is improving, it’s thought that some homes across the country will never get full internet speed due to their location.

Of these homes, and for those currently experiencing slow internet, there are some ways that you can improve your broadband speed. For one, start off by doing a simple broadband speed test, as this will show you how slow your internet is compared to other averages. Then, if you’re thinking about switching suppliers, compare deals to find the best one for you. Providers are now obliged to show what their customer’s average speed is at peak times, so keep this in mind when searching around.

Also, you might not be aware, but sometimes our WI-FI signal can be affected by thick walls that the signal can’t travel through. To combat this, you can try to move your router or invest in a WI-FI signal booster. You can even invest in a better router, as many of us are guilty of having a router that doesn’t suit the internet plan that we’re currently on.

Make sure you’re doing regular virus checks too, as these can slow down your laptop or PC without you realising it’s not just your internet.

If you’re still finding your internet to be slow, you may want to look at other less traditional ways for your internet. For instance, you could consider wire-free options like 4G wireless internet or satellite internet. You may even want to wait for 5G, as already some networks are announcing their plan to launch 5G wireless home broadband.

Thankfully, for those in rural communities stuck with slow internet, the government has promised that their will be a legal right for businesses and homes to have speeds of at least 10Mbps by 2020.

By Boris Dzhingarov

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