Now that we live in a digital age, pretty much everything we do relies on the internet. Whether we’re communicating with others, streaming our favourite shows, or typing away at the office, we need a steady internet connection to get the job done.
When it comes to how much we use the internet, though, few other countries come close to the UK. It boasts one of the largest online populations in the world, ranking fourth in Europe and 17th across the globe. That’s no surprise given that 98% of Brits have internet access, giving the UK the additional title of sixth in the world when it comes to internet penetration rate.
However, this is just one fact about internet use in the UK, and it definitely doesn’t tell the entire story. Here are some other eye-opening facts about the challenges Brits face when it comes to online access—as well as the innovations and steps being introduced to tackle them.
1. The UK has the 35th fastest internet speed in Europe
Yes, you read that right—35th. The average download speed in the UK currently stands at 110.99 Mbps. Though that’s a significant improvement from 2023’s average of 93.63 Mbps, the UK significantly lags behind a number of its European neighbours. That includes Iceland, which tops the list with an average download speed of 279.55 Mbps.
2. Scotland experiences the slowest internet in the UK
Of course, actual internet speeds vary depending on where you’re based in the UK. Unfortunately, residents of the Scottish Borders only get an average combined upload and download speed of 9.3 Mbps. Conversely, those from Broxbourne in Hertfordshire have some of the best internet connectivity in the country with an average speed of 32.5 Mbps.
3. Slow internet costs Brits two full working days a year
Think of all the times you wait for a page or video to load, and this particular statistic may start to make more sense. With a poor internet connection, those aged 16-24 lose nearly six hours of work annually. That figure doubles by the time you hit 55. However, Brits who work at home are affected the most. Those who live in England lose eight hours a year—and those who don’t waste even more time. In particular, Welsh and Scottish workers lose two full working days annually due to slow speeds and service disruptions.
4. Unreliable broadband hits London SMEs the hardest
Because slow internet speeds make us less productive, the companies we work for lose out on potential profit. However, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) arguably feel the impact of poor connections the most, with some estimates finding that they miss opportunities to earn an additional £28 billion a year. London’s SMEs are particularly affected: many may not have the resources needed to update their internet infrastructure alongside the other costs required to operate in this bustling business district.
5. Full fibre internet is experiencing the fastest growth in the UK
The root cause behind the UK’s slow internet connections is the country’s reliance on an outdated copper wire network. These wires lose data while transferring it, creating lags. Copper also degrades easily, making these connections more prone to damage and service disruptions. As a result, more Brits are switching to newer infrastructure. Our facts on fibre optics explain why full fibre broadband connections in particular are becoming more popular: its cables use durable glass or plastic to transmit data through light pulses. That results in faster, more reliable internet connections.
Fibre optic or full fibre internet is also becoming more accessible, as they come in multiple plan options aimed to suit the needs of various types of consumers. Those for home broadband, for example, come in speeds ranging from 200 to 2000 Mbps depending on how many people live in a household and how heavily they use the internet. Meanwhile, the packages for full fibre business broadband come in a similar array of speed options—along with other business-friendly features. That includes the installation of the latest Wi-Fi 6 hubs for wider office coverage, as well as a dedicated business broadband connection for even better speeds. Because users have the option to only pay for the bandwidth they consume, making the switch can be even more cost-efficient.
All these factors mean full fibre broadband is growing faster compared to other broadband types, such as cable and mobile broadband. As such, though more than 14 million UK households still use copper connections, full fibre penetration is catching up—the number of households that transitioned to it skyrocketed from 1.9 million to 5.6 million between 2022 and 2023 alone.
6. Over 7% of the UK’s households lack internet access
The UK still experiences a digital divide in terms of internet access: the percentage of households without any connections at all declined from 11% to 7% between 2011 and 2023. That includes 18% of households in the socio-economic band DE and 18% of elderly Brits aged 65 and older. A report from the House of Lords cites this divide as barring access to education, employment, public services, and socialisation.
7. Rural areas need better internet infrastructure
The aforementioned digital divide becomes especially apparent if you look at the differences in internet penetration and access between the UK’s urban and rural areas. Over 81% of the country’s cities, for example, have access to superfast broadband compared to 44% of its rural premises. A similar disparity can be found with regard to internet speed: only 4% of urban residents experience speeds under 10 Mbps compared to 8% of those who live in rural areas.
8. The UK government upholds the right to broadband
Given the increasingly digitised nature of our daily lives, the British government now upholds internet access as a legal right for UK citizens and businesses. Under the broadband universal service, you can request a decent internet connection from BT or KCOM. You’re considered an eligible candidate for an infrastructure upgrade if you experience download speeds of less than 10 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1 Mbps. In these cases, you don’t need to be an existing customer of the aforementioned providers to file your request. If approved, you’ll receive decent and affordable service. If BT or KCOM determine you’re ineligible for an upgrade, you can still plead your case—these providers will tell you how exactly to challenge their decision and file a complaint.
The UK is also implementing a number of public initiatives to uphold that right in more rural areas of the country. Among the most notable is Project Gigabit, which is designed to install infrastructure for gigabit-capable broadband coverage in more far-flung locales, especially as the country continues to phase out BT’s traditional copper wire networks for fibre optics connections. It particularly targets the 10% to 20% of hardest-to-reach premises in the country with the goal of covering 85% of the UK by 2025. Currently, Project Gigabit is ahead of schedule. As of early October 2024, it’s covered 85.06% of the country’s premises, an increase of 80% from the end of 2023. That includes 75.72% of Wales, 78.85% of Scotland, 85.89% of England, and 96.38% of Northern Ireland.
Of course, there’s still a ways to go when it comes to equalising internet access across the UK. In particular, debates on whether to divert Project Gigabit’s funds to urban centres may slow the installation of gigafast internet in more rural areas. Undoubtedly, however, the progress made thus far has helped even more people across the country benefit from better internet connectivit