- 9.4 million Brits are set to experience slower broadband during the school holidays[1], with kids expected to spend 76 extra hours online[2]
- New map reveals pressure points across the nation, with Edinburgh, London, and Plymouth experiencing the greatest slowdowns[3]
- British households are juggling on average five internet connected devices at once[5]
- Uswitch is urging households to check their broadband speed and take simple steps to stay connected over the summer
9.4 million Brits are set to experience slower broadband as kids finish school for the summer[1], with school-aged children expected to spend an additional 76 hours online over the holidays.[2]
British households are juggling on average five internet connected devices at once according to new research by Uswitch.com, and the summertime spike in broadband usage is only intensifying this pressure.[5]
Parents with under 18s are more impacted by summer internet slowdown, with more than a quarter (27%) reporting slower broadband speeds during the summer months[6].
The increased broadband use is causing noticeable slowdowns. A third (32%) report more frequent issues during the summer holidays, such as websites taking longer to load (15%), streamed videos buffering and pausing (13%) and longer download times (11%)[7].
Edinburgh has emerged as the UK city experiencing the greatest slowdown in broadband speed (26%), followed by London (23%) and Plymouth (23%)[3].
While younger users often drive the trend of multi-screen usage, over half (56%) of British adults admitted they were actually the biggest bandwidth hogs in their homes[4].
Understandably, Brits are becoming frustrated, with nearly a third (31%) of those who have experienced broadband issues during the summer holidays resorting to using their mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, and many parents of under 18s (30%) reporting their children are becoming impatient with slow internet speeds[8]. Almost a fifth (18%) have been left unable to watch their favourite show, with broadband issues leading to arguments among family members (17%)[8].
Broadband lags go beyond entertainment, also impacting productivity. One in seven (15%) of those who have experienced broadband issues during the summer holiday report glitches during work calls and more than one in ten (11%) have even reported missing work deadlines[8].
Despite this, only a fifth (20%) have decided to take control to limit who uses their home broadband at peak times to avoid these disruptions[9]. In a cheeky bid to stay connected, some Brits (4%) have even confessed to changing their Wi-Fi password without telling anyone else in their house.[9]
Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “With more devices online than ever, households need to make sure that their broadband is up to the task this summer.
“When kids are home from school, the sheer volume of simultaneous streaming, gaming, and video calls puts immense pressure on shared networks, leading to noticeable slowdowns and buffering at all times of the day.
“Simple fixes like limiting the number of connected devices, disconnecting any you’re not using, turning off HD streaming or scheduling online gaming to off-peak hours can also make a real difference.
“If you’re still facing slow speeds, it’s a good idea to run a speed test and make sure you’re getting the speeds you pay for within your package.
“Your provider should always give you a minimum guaranteed speed for your broadband service. For superfast broadband products, this is now based on the capability of the line going directly into your home or office.
“If you think your broadband is slower than it should be, contact your provider to identify the problem. If the issue lies within their network, and they can’t fix it within 30 days, they must offer you the right to exit your contract without being penalised.”
Visit Uswitch.com to check your broadband speed and for tips on managing bandwidth this summer.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 22nd July - 25th July 2025. Results were weighted to be nationally representative
- Those with home broadband were asked “How far do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I notice my broadband is slower over the summer. 18% net agree with this statement (346 respondents). The UK’s estimated adult population is 54,196,443. On a nat rep survey of 2000 UK adults, 346 notice they have slower broadband over the summer. 346 / 2000 * 54196443 (UK adult population) = 9375985 (shorthand 9.4 million)
- Parents of children aged 5 – 18 who have home broadband were asked “How much more time a day does your child/children spend on their internet-connected devices over the school summer holidays compared to term time?”. The average answer was 1.8. This figure was multiplied by 7 to estimate a weekly total, and then by 6 to reflect the typical length of school summer holidays.
- Those with home broadband were asked “How far do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I notice my broadband is slower over the summer”. 26% of respondents from Edinburgh agreed with this statement, 23% of respondents from London agreed with this statement and 23% of respondents from Plymouth agreed.
- Those with home broadband were asked “Who in your household do you believe uses the most internet bandwidth during the school summer holidays?” 56% of respondents selected me
- Those with home broadband were asked “How many devices are regularly connected to broadband in your house? Please consider all devices such as smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, laptops, smart speakers, gaming consoles, smart home devices etc”. The average answer was 4.9
- Those with home broadband were asked whether they agree or disagree with the following statement “ I notice my broadband is slower over the summer”. 27% of respondents with children under 18 agreed to this statement.
- Those with home broadband were asked “Schools across the UK finish for the summer holidays throughout July. Do you experience any of the following broadband issues more frequently during school summer holidays?” Select all that apply. 32% of respondents selected at least one of: websites loading slowly, video buffering/pausing, downloads taking a longer time, multiple devices struggling to connect at once, online games lagging/freezing, video calls freezing/dropping, internet outages of more than 15 minutes, other (please specify). 15% of respondents selected websites loading slowly, 13% of respondents selected video buffering/pausing (e.g Netflix, Youtube) and 11% of respondents selected downloading taking a longer time.
- Those who have faced issues with their broadband in the summer holidays were asked “Have broadband issues caused any of the following in your household during the school summer holidays”. 31% of respondents selected having to use mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, 21% of respondents selected children complaining about slow internet (rising to 30% amongst parents of under 18’s),18% of respondents selected increased stress or tension in the household, 18% of respondents selected not being able to watch your favourite show, 17% of respondents selected arguments or frustration among family members, 15% of respondents selected missed or glitching work calls and 11% of respondents selected missing work deadlines
- Those with home broadband were asked “Have you ever taken steps to limit or control who uses your broadband during peak times (e.g. summer school holidays) to avoid lags or slower speed”. 20% of respondents selected at least one of: used mobile data instead, ask household members to avoid streaming/playing games at certain times, scheduled screentime, set time limits on certain apps, limit device usage in the household and changed the Wi-Fi password and didn’t tell everyone. 4% of respondents changed the Wi-Fi password and didn’t tell everyone
- Respondents were asked “Which of the following best describes the advertised download speed of your current home broadband package?” 37% said I don’t know
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to find their energy, broadband and mobile deals than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.