This article looks at data from Ofcom’s 2022 “UK Home Broadband Performance” report. When we talk about download speeds, we’re referring to how quickly data can be transferred from the internet to a user’s device. This speed is crucial as it determines the time it takes to download large files, stream high-resolution videos, or load webpages. In essence, the faster the download speed, the better the online experience.
According to Ofcom’s Home Broadband Performance Report, In March 2022, the median average download speed for UK residential fixed broadband services clocked in at 59.4 Mbit/s. This represented a significant 18% increase, or an additional 9.0 Mbit/s, compared to the previous year. The main reason for this increase is that more and more people are upgrading to superfast, ultrafast, and gigabit packages.
In fact, as of May 2022, 70% of UK homes had access to ultrafast broadband, offering actual download speeds of 300 Mbit/s or higher. At the same time, 68% of households could access network infrastructure capable of providing gigabit speeds of 1 Gbit/s or higher, which included 37% of homes with access to full fibre services.
The most significant speed increase was recorded by cable connections, which jumped by 88.1 Mbit/s to reach an average download speed of 199.3 Mbit/s in the year leading to March 2022. This jump was mainly due to cable customers migrating to faster packages. Meanwhile, fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connections also saw an increase of 7.6 Mbit/s, raising their average download speed to 50.2 Mbit/s.
However, not everyone in the UK enjoys these high speeds. The average download speed in urban areas was significantly higher at 62.1 Mbit/s compared to 39.4 Mbit/s in rural areas during the peak-time period of 8-10 pm. This difference is primarily because the growth and take-up of superfast, ultrafast, and gigabit services are higher in urban areas than in rural ones.
Despite these disparities, it’s clear that the UK’s digital landscape is rapidly evolving. As more households upgrade to higher-speed broadband services, the average download speeds are set to increase further, offering users an enhanced online experience. However, it’s crucial that this growth is evenly distributed to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.
| Region or nation | Superfast availability | Gigabit availability | Unable to receive 10 Mbps |
| East Midlands | 96.9% | 70.5% | 0.9% |
| East of England | 97.2% | 67.8% | 0.7% |
| London | 97.1% | 83.4% | 0.3% |
| North East | 96.8% | 72.5% | 1.1% |
| North West | 97.0% | 72.9% | 0.7% |
| Northern Ireland | 95.6% | 88.9% | 1.9% |
| Scotland | 94.3% | 66.2% | 2.3% |
| South East | 96.9% | 70.6% | 0.7% |
| South West | 94.2% | 64.4% | 1.7% |
| Wales | 95.3% | 55.1% | 2.0% |
| West Midlands | 96.8% | 76.2% | 0.9% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 96.9% | 74.8% | 0.8% |
| UK | 96.4% | 71.9% | 1.0% |
Source: House of Commons Library
Download speeds can sometimes drop during peak hours when broadband networks face the strain of network congestion. This section explores how this affects download speeds throughout the day.
On average, across all connections, the speed during the peak hours of 8-10 pm was 94% of the maximum speed, with the lowest daily speed coming in at 87% of the maximum. Notably, network slowdown had a more significant effect on slower lines than on faster ones. For instance, fibre and cable lines offering advertised speeds of 30 Mbit/s or higher, the average minimum speeds were 88% of their maximum speed, compared to 83% for lines with advertised download speeds of above 10 Mbit/s and less than 30 Mbit/s, which are mainly ADSL2+ lines.
Two main reasons can cause home broadband connections to deliver less than their maximum or advertised speeds:
For copper-based technologies such as ADSL, VDSL and G.fast, the maximum speed is dependent on the length and quality of the copper line from the end-user’s home to the local exchange (for ADSL) or street cabinet (for VDSL and G.fast). This means that some premises will never support the service’s advertised speed.
The actual speeds of all connection types tend to drop when broadband providers’ networks are busy. This variation is often higher in cable connections due to network congestion occurring nearer to the customer, making it harder to add the additional network capacity required to reduce congestion.
Despite these slowdowns, some internet service providers have managed to maintain impressive performance. BT, for instance, offers the Full Fibre 900 package which consistently delivers high speeds even during peak times. This resilience in the face of network congestion ensures that BT customers continue to enjoy a smooth and uninterrupted online experience.
However, it’s worth noting that cable broadband has shown improvements in reducing slowdowns during busy periods. This suggests that service providers are investing in additional capacity to their networks to mitigate the effects of network congestion, further enhancing the user experience.
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