42 per cent of UK households experience slow internet

Vast numbers of UK households experience technical difficulties with their internet and wifi connections, according to a new survey by ISP Zen Internet.

The researchers spoke to some 2,000 householders who were quick to assert that slow internet connection was the top technical problem they experience at home. It was cited by 42 per cent of the homeowners, with problems with devices disconnecting from the wifi coming in second place, with a quarter of the householders citing this as a problem.

The homeowners questioned said there were various factors that annoyed them the most when it came to technical problems. 36 per cent said that they were most angry about staff at their internet provider expecting them to have ‘all the answers’. Meanwhile, 27 per cent were upset with the amount of time it took to sort problems out. In fact, the researchers found that households in the UK are spending an hour a week sorting out these technical issues, which could be very valuable time, especially to those working from home.

When asked about whose fault the IT problems were, almost a quarter said that the technical problems they were facing, such as slow internet, were ‘beyond their control.’ This is despite the fact that businesses are able to use leased lines to help them connect with ultrafast internet and that householders are within their rights to switch providers if they are suffering ongoing problems.

To solve the technical problems that people are having to deal with on a regular basis, many admit to resorting to ‘turning it off and on again', while 31 per cent said they often refer to the internet for advice on how to fix problems.