Unreliable broadband significantly harms remote work productivity, research finds

Research from Broadband Genie suggested that unreliable broadband is significantly harming UK productivity, with millions of remote workers experiencing frequent disruptions.

The issue was found to be particularly strong in major cities like London, Belfast, and Manchester, costing the economy billions in lost working hours.

The research highlighted that poor broadband reliability is a major issue for remote and hybrid workers across the UK.

Despite widespread adoption of home working, many employees struggle with unstable connections that affect their ability to work efficiently.

London, Belfast, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow were among the worst-affected cities, with more than a third of remote workers in these areas reporting frequent outages.

In London, where home working is most common, only 55% of remote workers said they had a completely stable broadband connection.

In Belfast, just 49% reported uninterrupted service.

Cities like Gloucester, Wolverhampton, and Oxford reported high levels of broadband reliability, with more than 80% of remote workers in these areas saying they had no major issues.

In contrast, many of the UK’s most populated cities struggle with poor service, despite high levels of home working.

Hybrid and remote work are now widely established across the country, with 68% of Londoners working from home at least one day a week.

In Belfast, the figure stands at 61%, while Coventry and Brighton report similar numbers, at 55% and 54%, respectively.

Many of these workers face unreliable broadband, causing disruptions such as dropped video calls, slow access to cloud-based systems, and delays in daily tasks.

Rather than questioning remote work itself, the research stated that broadband reliability is a growing issue.

It highlighted that some areas continue to face connectivity issues, despite the increased demand for home working.

Peter Ames, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, said: “The UK has proven remote and hybrid work can succeed, but only with the right infrastructure.

“Right now, too many workers are being let down by unreliable broadband.

“If Britain wants to stay competitive, providers must step up, invest in underperforming areas, and ensure no worker is left struggling with poor connectivity.

“Fast, stable broadband isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for the UK’s economic future.”