Researchers at UK broadband comparison service, Broadband Genie, have analysed 144,509 broadband speed tests to find the best and worst locations where broadband speed drops at peak times.

Broadband providers in the UK must advertise an estimated speed at the point of sale available to at least half of the customer base at peak times. The study examines the worst towns, regions and providers affected the most at peak times (between 7pm and 11pm).

Broadband customers in Wigan experience the biggest drop off at peak times. On average, users see their broadband speed drop by 55 per cent.

5 worst towns for broadband congestion

5 best towns for broadband congestion

Perhaps surprisingly, not all areas were affected as badly at peak times. Broadband customers in Newport typically see a speed boost at peak times.

Broadband congestion by region

Scotland broadband users experienced a speed boost at peak times, whereas customers in the South West and Northern Ireland see broadband speed drops by 15 per cent and 8 per cent.

Broadband congestion by provider

Customers of Airband see the biggest drop at peak times, slowing by 45 per cent. Cuckoo and its full fibre broadband provided customers with more than stable connectivity. Out of the biggest providers, Sky broadband customers experienced the biggest speed drop at peak times.

Alex Tofts, Strategist at Broadband Genie, commented: “No customer should have to put up with sluggish broadband during their only opportunity to enjoy entertainment. Whether that’s streaming, gaming, online shopping, or catching up with loved ones. Many factors can influence broadband speed, some of which are outside of your provider’s control. However, if you find your connection is consistently below what you were promised, report it to your provider.”

“Place your router away from walls or large furniture that could block the signal. Log in to your router settings to ensure you are using the 5Ghz frequency band. If you have Wi-Fi dead spots, you can purchase boosters from £20 to extend the signal into those hard-to-reach areas. While logged into your router, check for any unrecognised devices that may be clogging your bandwidth that may belong to an unwanted user. You can disconnect these and change your password to prevent them from reconnecting.”

“Greater demand and congestion often causes slowdowns, some users have seen a speed boost during peak hours. This can be caused by providers over-provisioning their networks to handle the evening rush or using advanced routing to prioritise traffic. This extra capacity, shows fibre infrastructure performing at its best when demand is highest,” he concluded.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, ISP, Research

Tags: broadband genie, scotland, sky, UK, wales, wigan