- Over 238.7 million hours have been lost to broadband outages in the past 12 months[1], with almost half of Brits (41%) experiencing a loss of connectivity[2]
- Internet outages have cost the economy an estimated 1.4 billion in lost work hours[3], with almost a fifth unable to work as a result of outages (18%)[4]
- Edinburgh (48%), London (48%) and Bristol (45%) are the worst hit cities with the highest number of people experiencing an outage[2]
- 49% of adults use their home Wi-Fi for work[5], for those who have experienced effects of outages on their work it has cost them an average of £46.40[6]
- Uswitch broadband expert explains what customers are entitled to during an outage, and what to do if you’re unhappy with your current service
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[2].
Internet outages totalled a huge 238.7 million hours in the past year[1], costing the UK economy an estimated 1.4 billion in lost work hours[3].
For many this disconnection is long-lasting, with 15 million Brits (67%) experiencing outages lasting for three hours or more[7]. One in five (21%) of those affected are even having to suffer through three hour or longer outages more than once a week[7]. 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%)[2].
The financial and personal fallout is significant - 49% of adults rely on their home Wi-Fi for work[5], and for those work who have been affected by outages it has cost them an average of £46.40[6], with over one in 10 (12%) losing over £100 annually[6]. Nearly a fifth (18%) were unable to work[4], 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[8].
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%)[2].
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[9].
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.
Find out how to find the best broadband deals for your needs at Uswitch.com.
ENDS
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from the 31st of October to 4th of November. Results were weighted to be nationally representative:
1) Adults who experienced specific causes of broadband outage were asked, ‘How many hours or days in total has your broadband been out for the following reasons in the last 12 months?’ The total hours of outages was 238,716,941 hours per household, assuming the average UK household has 1.9 people. The average outage length for each reason for those who experienced that type of outage was 14.2 hours for a power cut, 11.2 hours for a broadband provider having an outage, 33.4 hours for damage to cables external to my property, 7.5 hours for routine maintenance to cables external to my property, 24.6 hours for router was not working, 2.7 hours for electrical devices interfering with the WiFi signal, 6.3 hours for communication problem between broadband providers after switching, 10.7 hours for disconnected by the provider
2) Adults were asked ‘Have you lost your broadband connection, or had it dropped out for any of the following reasons in the past 12 months? If you’ve had multiple outages for multiple reasons, please select all that apply.’ 41% responded that they had experienced an outage in the past 12 months. On a nat rep survey of 2000 UK adults, 814 experienced broadband outages in the last 12 months. 814 / 2000 * 55022253 (UK adult population) = 22394057 (shorthand 22.4 million).
Amongst those who experienced an outage 37% was caused by a broadband provider having an outage, 33% by a power cut, 27% by a router not working, 14% by routine maintenance to cables external to my property, 12% by damages to cables external to my property, 9% by electrical devices interfering with the WiFi signal, 8% by being disconnected by the provider, 8% by a communication problem between broadband providers after switching and 4% other. Looking at respondents nearest city, 48% of respondents in Edinburgh reported an outage in the past 12 months, 48% of respondents in London reported an outage in the past 12 months, 45% of respondents in Bristol reported an outage in the past 12 months, 43% of respondents in Norwich reported an outage in the past 12 months, 43% of respondents in Liverpool reported an outage in the past 12 months, 18% of respondents in Belfast reported an outage in the past 12 months, 30% of respondents in Cardiff reported an outage in the past 12 months, 31% of respondents in Brighton reported an outage in the past 12 months, 32% of respondents in Sheffield reported an outage in the past 12 months
3) Respondents who had a network outage were asked if they agreed with the statement: “It prevented me from working.” 18% agreed (146 respondents) (Q12)
On a nat rep survey of 2000 UK adults, 146 were prevented from working because of outages. 146 / 2000 * 55022253 (UK adult population) = 4,016,624 (shorthand 4 million)
multiplied by the average number of hours left offline per person who experienced an outage (20.25) (Q7) = 81,336,636 hours lost
According to the ONS in 2024, the average full-time working week consisted of 36.7 hours (Average actual weekly hours of work for full-time workers (seasonally adjusted) - Office for National Statistics)
36.7 divided by 5 = 7.34 hours worked a day or 31% of a full day (7.34/24), 31% of 81,336,636 (81,336,636 x 0.31) = 25,214,357.16 working hours lost a year
According to the OECD (OECD Data Explorer • Productivity levels) the UK's hourly GDP adjusted to current prices and national currency is £56.11 - 25,214,357 x £56.11 = £1,414,777,571.27 cost to the economy by outages that stopped people working over the last year
4) Adults who experienced an outage were asked ‘Which, if any, of the following are true to you about your broadband outages?’ 18% responded that the outage(s) prevented me from working, 11% responded that I’ve had to reschedule plans
5) Adults who experienced an outage were asked ‘Do you use a home internet connection for work purposes?’ 49% responded yes
6) Adults who experienced the effects of outages on their work were asked ‘If you were to estimate the cost of outages on your work, how much would you estimate this to be? Please include hours not able to work, additional travel and additional costs e.g. increased data allowance’ The average price was £46.40, 12% responded over £100
7) Adults who experienced an outage were asked ‘How often have you lost your broadband connection for a continuous period of three hours or more in the last 12 months?’ 67% responded that they experienced outages of more than three hours, 21% responded that their outages occurred once a week or more. The total number UK adults who have experienced an outage was 22,394,057, so to calculate the number of outages lasting over three hours, 67% of this figure is 15,004,018.19
8) Adults who use a home internet connection for work purposes were asked ‘How, if at all, has an outage affected your work?’ 28% responded that I’ve had to increase my working hours to offset for the outage
9) Adults who experienced an outage were asked ‘Did you receive any compensation from your provider as a result of your broadband outages?’ 78% responded no, 9% responded that their compensation request was denied