Gloucester tops UK Broadband Reliability survey, Belfast is bottom

Gloucester has emerged as the UK’s most reliable city for broadband, with only 8% of residents experiencing outages in the past year, according to a survey by Broadband Genie.

In stark contrast, Belfast residents faced the most unreliable service, with 51% reporting outages.

The survey, which polled 3,200 people across the UK, ranked cities based on the frequency of broadband disruptions. Wolverhampton and Worcester followed Gloucester as the top performers, while London and Glasgow ranked poorly.

Broadband Genie’s findings highlight significant regional disparities in internet reliability. The survey also revealed that a substantial number of cities saw a quarter of their broadband customers experiencing outages.

Consumers experiencing prolonged broadband outages may be entitled to compensation. If their provider participates in Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, they can claim £9.76 per day after two working days without service. Providers in the scheme include major companies like BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk.

For those whose providers are not part of the Ofcom scheme, compensation may still be possible through direct claims with the provider. Broadband Genie advises checking provider terms, filing a complaint, and escalating to an ombudsman if necessary. Switching providers is also recommended for frequent outages and inadequate compensation.

Broadband Genie experts emphasized the importance of reliability when choosing a provider, especially for those working from home. They recommend checking independent reviews and ensuring the provider is part of Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme. Consumers are also encouraged to claim compensation when eligible.

Broadband Genie 

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