Few people expect Wi-Fi speeds to be the same as advertised. Clever wording (up to 20MB for example), clearly leaves plenty of scope below the 20MB for the actual speed to be registered.
The majority of internet providers though are now better than ever before and Wi-Fi speeds are faster and more reliable than they have been in the past and therefore internet connections are often serviceable at worst.
However, did you know that there are certain appliances within your home that may negatively impact the performance of your Wi-Fi connection?
Fairy Lights Can Slow Your Internet Connection!!
As Christmas decorations go up in homes and work places throughout the UK, Wi-Fi speeds could be about to slow due to interference caused by fairy lights!
Sounds crazy doesn’t it but thanks to a new app which has been launched by OFCOM which allows you to check wireless signals to see if data is flowing uninterrupted from routers to phones and tablets, it has been highlighted that interference could be caused by other electronic devices such as baby monitors, microwaves or Christmas fairy lights.
A Newly Published Report
Statistics about home Wi-Fi speeds are in Ofcom’s 2015 Connected Nations report that looks at the state of telecoms and wireless networks in the UK.
The report said there had been “good progress” on the availability and use of telecoms services. About 27% of UK homes now have super-fast 
broadband that runs at speeds in excess of 30 Megabits per second (Mbps). Last year the figure was 21%.
Super-fast broadband is now available to more than 83% of UK homes – up from 75% in the same period in 2014.
The research also found that those with the higher speed connections to the net are doing more with them. People with faster connections were now making significant use of catch-up TV services, online film rental services and video calls, it said.
To view the full report, please click here.
If you would like to download the app for yourself to see how your connection is performing, Android users can download the app by clicking here. Whilst the app is also available via the iTunes app store by searching for Ofcom Wi-Fi Checker.
Further Information
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