Millions of broadband users in the UK are familiar with the issue of online congestion, especially during the evening hours when internet usage peaks. As more people engage in activities like streaming, downloading, and video calling after work, local networks can become overloaded, causing a noticeable slowdown in internet speeds.
Comparing broadband to a motorway, the more users accessing it simultaneously, the slower the overall speed. This phenomenon is particularly evident between 7pm and 11pm when many households experience a significant decline in performance.
A recent study by Broadband Genie has revealed the UK areas most impacted by peak-time slowdowns, with Wigan (WN1) ranking at the top. Users in this area witness a drop in average download speeds from 167Mbps during off-peak times to just 75Mbps in the evening, marking a 55% decrease.
Other regions heavily affected by evening congestion include Galashiels (TD1), Harrogate (HG1), Exeter (EX1), and Rochester (ME1).
Not all parts of the UK face evening slowdowns, as some areas actually see an improvement. Newport emerged as the best-performing location in the study, followed by Oxford, Glasgow, Blackburn, and Cambridge.
Broadband Genie pointed out the similarity between internet congestion and road traffic, highlighting that network congestion can lead to slower speeds during peak hours. The study, based on 144,509 broadband speed tests, identified locations where broadband performance fluctuates the most during busy times.
Wigan experienced the most significant speed drop, with speeds decreasing by 55% during peak hours. The report also noted regional variations across the UK, with Scotland showing overall improved broadband performance in the evenings, while Wales and the East of England also performed well.
Conversely, the South West region experienced a decrease of around 15% in average speeds during peak periods compared to daytime performance. Broadband experts suggest strategies to enhance home connections, such as placing routers in open, central locations for better signal quality and rebooting routers regularly to resolve temporary network issues.
