Summer holiday hotspots put UK connectivity in the shade

The UK’s returning holiday makers may be surprised to find that uploading their favourite holiday snaps may take longer at home in the UK than it did at their summer holiday destination. The UK now ranks behind many of the most popular holiday destinations following the latest global broadband speed survey from cable.co.uk which placed it in 35th place. So, if your holiday plans included a digital detox, a staycation would actually have been a better option than going overseas. With the UK falling so far behind, full fibre infrastructure provider CityFibre recently commissioned a new survey of over 3,500 broadband users to find out more about their broadband experience, and to explore how the UK’s digital connectivity compared with some of the most popular holiday destinations. The research calculated that around 31 million Brits plan to travel abroad this year, and shockingly, when looking at their top 10 destinations, only those planning to holiday in Italy and Greece would have a tougher time uploading photos than they would if they were in the UK, according to global broadband speed rankings. This isn’t surprising when you look at the other findings uncovered in the survey. It found that over three quarters (78%) of UK consumers feel slowed down and frustrated by their internet connection, with the figure rising among homeworkers (82%) and young people (87%). With the rise of remote working and working from home, it seems ironic to have faster internet on the beach in your favourite holiday resort than when you are trying to connect in the UK. Part of the reason we are lagging when it comes to poor broadband is the confusion between part fibre and full fibre created by misleading advertising, which has left many customers confused about their own connectivity. CityFibre’s CEO, Greg Mesch, sums it up: "We shouldn’t have to lag behind our European neighbours when it comes to our poor Broadband connection. People expect their internet speeds to be just as fast at home, so in an increasingly fast-paced and digitally oriented society, we need broadband that is up to the task at home, not just on holiday. “For too long the UK has been held back by underinvestment and deliberately misleading jargon. While companies like CityFibre are building networks to give millions of homes and businesses access to full fibre broadband, most providers continue to advertise copper-based connections as "fibre", leaving people confused about what they are buying. “We think this is not only fundamentally wrong, but that it is stifling investment and holding us all back.” Notes: Methodology: The research on people’s attitudes to connectivity was conducted by Censuswide, with 3,554 consumers in GB between 9 July 2018 and 13 July 2018. The survey was conducted from a random sample. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. “31 million Brits”: 57.5% of respondents from a nationally representative sample of 2016 UK respondents aged 16+ said they would be going abroad in the next 12 months. This research was conducted from 9 July 2018 to 10th July 2018. 57.5% (percentage of people in our survey) of 53,257,957 (number of people aged 16+ in the UK) = 30,623,325. Speed data is drawn from research published at: www.cable.co.uk/broadband/research/worldwide-broadband-speed-league-2018/#map