Brits don’t understand the broadband speeds in their home despite relying on more connected devices than ever.
New research from home broadband provider Trooli has shown Brits have a blind spot when it comes to their home broadband. As smart homes become mainstream, most families are still choosing broadband packages without considering how many devices they use or how much bandwidth they need.
91% don’t confidently know the average broadband speeds in their home. 90% did not consider how many connected devices were in their home when they chose their broadband package, and 32% don’t know how much broadband their devices use.
Only 5% of those surveyed consider bandwidth when connecting a new device, and nearly half admitted they didn’t know how much bandwidth the total devices in their home need to operate smoothly. Most answered incorrectly when asked how much bandwidth their device used – only 12% of those who own broadband enabled exercise equipment, such as a smart treadmill, selected the correct range of 10-20mpbs. The same amount thought it didn’t use broadband at all.
Despite this, smart-device adoption continues to rise but broadband isn’t keeping pace. 28% of households now have more connected devices (five on average) than they did five years ago, yet 68% say they don’t have faster internet speeds.
What’s more, many rely on “hidden” always-on products that quietly drain bandwidth. Smart watches, security cameras and video doorbells are used daily by more than 80% of owners. Smart light switches are connected 5.5 times a week on average, with households typically installing three of them.
Given broadband isn’t typically upgraded to meet the extra demand, it’s perhaps not surprising that 64% say they have been interrupted, affected or impacted by poor broadband.
This poor broadband is affecting core parts of daily life. Working from home has been affected for 21%, while 22% has seen streaming films, TV shows or videos interrupted. 13% said video calls with friends or family are impacted by poor broadband.
Lee Probert, Managing Director at Trooli, said: “Consumers are using broadband in their homes in a very different way to just five years ago. They are being significantly impacted as their broadband struggles to keep up with the number of devices a modern family connects on a day-to-day basis. And people have a clear lack of understanding of what they actually need from their broadband – particularly as more of us look to install smart devices that integrate into our home.
“With Trooli’s full fibre reliable and fast broadband, we can help keep connected devices operating smoothly at speeds that a contemporary household needs and expects.”
Check out Trooli’s guide on how to understand your household tech capacity and how to address connectivity issues in your home.
