Broadband speeds in the UK are so slow, three quarters of gamers struggle to play online, study finds
One in six households with occupants who regularly game are on broadband packages with speeds of less than 30Mb/sec
Gamers up and down the UK are being let down by shoddy broadband when trying to play online.
Research from uSwitch.com has discovered more than three quarters (77%) of households where occupants play games online often suffer from poor broadband speed and connectivity; the biggest issues being the internet disconnecting intermittently (37%), video buffering (35%) and slow loading pages (34%).
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This is because one in six (16%) are on broadband packages with speeds of less than 30Mb/sec – comfortably above the recommended minimum speeds but likely still lagging because of the number of devices connected to the internet during peak times. The research found that the average gaming household achieves broadband speeds of 58Mb/sec, yet still struggled when playing online.
This study follows research from MoneySuperMarket that found nearly a third of households (31 per cent) have changed their broadband package as a result of the extra bandwidth required to play online video games such as Fortnite.
Ernest Doku, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, said: “Jumping online to help your squad storm a fortified bunker can be taxing on your broadband connection, especially if other people in your household are trying to do other bandwidth-heavy tasks like streaming or video calls at the same time.
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“It’s no surprise that gaming households particularly struggle with speed-related issues like the internet dropping out and video buffering, although it is worth noting that speed isn’t the only factor when it comes to making the shot before you get shot. It is worth checking what your ping rate is, as even gamers with superfast services, offering the regulator’s minimum speeds of 30Mb/sec, might find particularly laggy servers ruining their gaming experience.”
He added that households should look behind headline numbers when choosing the best broadband provider and consider how much bandwidth they’re likely to need. People who game and stream TV at the same time, for example, would likely need an ultrafast service that offers speeds in excess of 100Mb/sec. Not sure where to start? Check out our best broadband providers page for help.
