Millions of broadband users in the UK are familiar with the challenge of dealing with online congestion, especially during peak hours in the evening. This surge in internet activity, as everyone tries to stream content, download files, and engage in video calls, often leads to a noticeable slowdown in connection speeds within residential networks.
Analogous to a motorway, broadband performance is affected by the volume of traffic it carries simultaneously. Consequently, households typically experience a decline in download speeds between 7 pm and 11 pm when network usage peaks after the workday ends.
A recent study by Broadband Genie has revealed the areas in the UK most impacted by these peak-time slowdowns. Wigan (WN1) emerged at the top of the list, where average download speeds plummet from 167Mbps during off-peak hours to a mere 75Mbps in the evenings, marking a significant 55% decrease.
Other regions significantly affected by evening congestion include Galashiels (TD1), Harrogate (HG1), Exeter (EX1), and Rochester (ME1).
In contrast, some areas in the UK experience improved broadband performance in the evenings. Newport ranked the highest in the study, followed by Oxford, Glasgow, Blackburn, and Cambridge.
Broadband Genie emphasized that internet networks can suffer congestion similar to roads, causing fluctuations in performance. Analyzing 144,509 broadband speed tests, the study identified locations where broadband performance is most affected during peak times, with Wigan residents experiencing the largest speed drop of 55%.
The report also highlighted regional disparities across the UK, with Scotland standing out for generally improved broadband performance in the evenings. Conversely, the South West experienced a decline of approximately 15% in average speeds during peak periods compared to daytime performance.
Experts suggest various measures households can take to enhance their home internet connection, such as placing routers in open, central locations free of obstructions and rebooting routers regularly to resolve temporary network issues.