22.4 million hit by broadband outages in last year and Edinburgh is worst
Over 238.7 million hours have been lost to broadband outages in the past 12 months, with almost half of Brits (41%) experiencing a loss of connectivity. Internet outages have cost the economy an estimated 1.4 billion in lost work hours, with almost a fifth unable to work as a result of outages (18%).
Against a backdrop of repeated major provider outages this year, Uswitch’s latest broadband outage report reveals the scale of the UK’s connection challenge, with 22.4 million (41%) users across the UK left disconnected at least once in the last 12 months.
Internet outages totalled a huge 238.7 million hours in the past year, costing the UK economy an estimated 1.4 billion in lost work hours.
For many this disconnection is long-lasting, with 15 million Brits (67%) experiencing outages lasting for three hours or more. One in five (21%) of those affected are even having to suffer through three hour or longer outages more than once a week. For those who experienced an outage, the most common causes include a broadband provider having an outage (37%), a power cut (33%), or a router not working (27%).
The financial and personal fallout is significant - 49% of adults rely on their home Wi-Fi for work, and for those work who have been affected by outages it has cost them an average of £46.40, with over one in 10 (12%) losing over £100 annually. Nearly a fifth (18%) were unable to work, and more than a quarter of those who use a home internet connection for work purposes (28%) had to increase their working hours to offset the downtime.
Edinburgh and London take the spot as the UK's outage capital, with 48% of residents suffering disconnection. This reveals a stark contrast against the most resilient city, Belfast (18%), followed by Cardiff (30%), Brighton (31%), and Sheffield (32%).
The UK’s top 5 outage capitals (highest % of residents experiencing an outage):
- Edinburgh (48%)
- London (48%)
- Bristol (45%)
- Norwich (43%)
- Liverpool (43%)
Despite the prevalence and impact of outages, nearly eight in 10 (78%) of those who experienced one did not receive compensation and almost one in 10 (9%) had their compensation request denied.
Those who experience a total loss of service, caused by their network provider, of two working days or more are automatically entitled to compensation once they have notified their provider of the outage, as long as the provider is a member of Ofcom’s Voluntary Compensation Scheme.
Max Beckett, Uswitch broadband expert comments: “At a time when providers are increasing price rises, the expectation for reliable, uninterrupted service has never been higher. Providers must recognise that reliability is a non-negotiable part of the package.
“There are a number of different reasons internet outages can happen, including faulty connection lines, high internet traffic, weather events, overlooked software errors, widespread infrastructure failures and even occasionally malicious cyberattacks.
“The good news is that compensation is available if you suffer a significant outage. If your connection has completely stopped working and isn’t fixed after two working days, you could be entitled to compensation of £9.76 per day.
“With the majority of the UK’s big broadband providers signed up to Ofcom’s auto-compensation scheme, we would hope to see customers quickly reimbursed if they suffer outages and are eligible. If you’re not satisfied with how your internet supplier handles outages, it may be time to vote with your feet and look for other, more reliable options elsewhere.”
Max Beckett advises three steps to take if you can’t connect to the internet at home:
- Check your router: First things first, check it’s a genuine broadband outage and not a problem with your home broadband equipment. Make sure your router is clear of obstacles, as this could block its Wi-Fi signal. If it already is, try resetting it to see if the connection comes back. It may sound simple, but switching your equipment and devices off and on again will often solve the problem.
- Contact your provider when your broadband is down: If everything is working properly at home, it’s time to reach out to your broadband provider to find out if the problem is just your connection or a wider network issue.
- Have a backup plan: It's good to have a contingency plan in place if your broadband cuts out for more than a few hours. If you have good mobile signal and enough data allowance, you could tether another device to your smartphone. Many providers also offer Wi-Fi backups for a small extra monthly fee.