If your broadband was fast enough when you chose it a few years ago, it’s reasonable to think it should still be fast enough today.
And before you think we’re inevitably going to tell you it isn’t, here’s the truth. It might be.
But there’s a good chance that while your broadband package may not have changed, what you ask it to do has. From 4K streaming and video calls to large game downloads and cloud backups, our connections now support more of everyday life than ever.
So, does your current speed still give you everything you need? Or have you gradually started working around its limits without really noticing?
We’re asking more from our broadband
Think about how you used the internet at home a few years ago.
You might have streamed one programme at a time, browsed the web and occasionally downloaded a film or game. Today, you could have two people watching different 4K streams while someone else joins a video call and a games console installs a chunky update.
Phones upload photos, laptops sync files and connected devices download updates in the background. And because this usually happens automatically, you might not even realise how much your broadband is doing at any given time.
When it comes to broadband use, the numbers show how much more we’re using our connections. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 report, the average UK broadband connection used 583 GB of data in July 2025 – 10% more than a year earlier.
We’ve seen demand continue to reach new heights on our own network too. During this summer’s World Cup, we recorded a new all-time traffic peak – 21% higher than our previous record.
And that’s a record that continues to go up year after year. With more people trying to stream, work, play and download at once, the more our home connections need to handle too.
‘Fast enough’ means different things in different homes
But what does that mean for you?
Well, there’s no single broadband speed that suits everyone.
If you live alone, mainly browse the web and watch one stream at a time, a more modest package may still do everything you need.
A couple who regularly watch different programmes in separate rooms may need more. So might a busy family combining streaming, gaming, homeworking and video calls, or someone who regularly downloads large games and doesn’t want to wait hours for them to finish.
It isn’t only about how many people live in your home. It’s about what they do online, whether they tend to do it at the same time, and how much waiting or compromise feels acceptable.
Ask yourself:
- Does streaming quality drop when other people go online?
- Do video calls struggle during busy periods?
- Does one large download noticeably affect everything else?
- Do you wait until later to install games or updates?
- Do you avoid doing certain things online at the same time?
None of these things necessarily mean that there’s something wrong with your broadband. They may simply suggest that your household is beginning to outgrow its current speed – something that can happen gradually without you noticing.
Faster broadband isn’t only about fixing problems
As we rely on our connections to do more and more, they can start to creak under the strain. But you don’t have to wait until your connection feels painfully slow before considering something faster.
The right speed can give your home more breathing room. Downloads finish sooner, different people can get online at once, and you’re less likely to think about whether one activity will affect another.
That could mean downloading a new game while someone streams a film, joining a work call without asking someone else to pause what they’re doing, or enjoying the best available picture quality without worrying about buffering.
You may not need those things. But they could make your broadband feel less like something you have to manage.
Full fibre isn’t only about top speeds
Full fibre uses fibre optic cable all the way into your home, rather than relying partly on the older copper phone network.
It can support much faster speeds and gives you more flexibility to do even more as your online habits change.
And it’s quickly becoming the UK’s standard broadband technology. As of January 2026, full fibre was available to 82% of UK homes.
That doesn’t mean everyone needs the fastest package available though. In fact, Ofcom found that more than half of full-fibre connections were on speeds of 300 Mbps or less in July 2025.
Full fibre is available at a range of speeds, so you can choose a package that reflects how your home actually uses the internet. For some people, that might mean a modest step up. For a busy household or power user, it could mean choosing one of the fastest options available.
And there’s another advantage to full fibre: it can support a wide range of speeds as your needs change. In some areas, the fastest package we now offer is more than twice as fast as our top-tier 900 Mbps package from just a couple of years ago. So you can choose a speed that suits you today, knowing that faster options may be available if you need them later.
So, has your broadband kept up?
Perhaps it has.
If it still lets everyone at home do what they want without frustrating slowdowns or compromises, your current speed may remain perfectly suitable.
But it’s worth reassessing rather than assuming that a package chosen years ago must still be the right one today. Your household and online habits may have moved on, and full fibre could have arrived in your area since you last checked.
