The UK’s best (and worst) cities for broadband reliability – and how to claim compensation if you experience outages

A quick summary from Broadband Genie:

• Gloucester is the best city in the UK for reliable broadband – only 8% of people experienced outages last year.

• Belfast is the worst – over half of people (51%) experienced outages in 2024.

• People who experience outages may be entitled to £9.76 for every day of the outage if your provider is a part of Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme.

After surveying 3,200 people across the UK, the team at Broadband Genie has discovered the best and worst places in the UK for broadband reliability.

Survey participants were asked how many outages they’ve experienced in the last year, where they live and who their broadband provider is. Using this, a reliability score out of 100 was calculated.

What UK cities have the most (and least) reliable broadband?

Broadband reliability can vary significantly depending on where you live, and our latest survey reveals which UK regions are best – and worst – for staying connected.

Can I claim compensation for a broadband outage?

If your provider is part of Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme then you can claim £9.76 a day, but only if you still have no service two working days after reporting the fault.

Here are the providers who currently take part in the scheme:

• BT

• EE

• Hyperoptic

• Plusnet

• Sky (including NOW Broadband)

• TalkTalk

• Utility Warehouse

• Virgin Media

• Vodafone

• Zen Internet

If your provider isn’t part of Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, you won’t be entitled to the £9.76 daily compensation. However, you may still be able to claim compensation directly from your provider.

Here’s what to do:

• Check your provider’s terms and conditions – Some companies offer their own compensation for service outages.

• Complain to your provider – Contact their customer service and explain how the outage has affected you. They may offer a goodwill gesture.

• Escalate the complaint – If your provider refuses compensation and you’re unhappy with their response, you can escalate your complaint to an independent ombudsman like CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman, depending on who your provider is registered with.

• Consider switching – If outages are frequent and your provider isn’t offering fair compensation, it might be worth moving to a provider that’s part of Ofcom’s scheme.

If you’re not sure what your provider offers, check their website or contact them directly.

Commentary from the experts at Broadband Genie:

“It’s pretty shocking that more 15 cities in the UK saw a quarter of broadband customers experiencing broadband outages last year. If this level of service was delivered by other essential utilities, serious questions would be asked.

“At Broadband Genie, we want to see broadband treated as any other utility, with greater scrutiny therefore placed on essentials such as uptime.

“For customers, when choosing a broadband provider, reliability is just as important to consider as price, especially if you work from home. If your connection goes down, you could end up losing work or paying through the nose to hotspot from your mobile data, none of which is ideal.

“We always recommend that consumers check independent reviews, especially in their area as provider reliability can vary by location, and at the very least ensure their provider is signed up to Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme.

“And,  if you do lose connectivity, make sure you put that claim in, it’s your money, and you’re entitled to it!”

Peter Ames, Broadband Expert at Broadband Genie.