Is your home ready?
Are you wrapping gadgets this year? From a smartwatch to a smartphone, a Ring doorbell to an Alexa or a tablet this Christmas? A Whopping 83% of us are giving digital device gifts this year. But that could put more strain on already stretched FTTC or copper broadband infrastructure connecting your home, which the majority of UK home tap into (read more about this here). When was the last time you upgraded your broadband service to work with your abundance of hi-tech smart connected devices at home?
How often do you upgrade your smartphone or your laptop and TV? Is it time for your home broadband to get the upgrade everyone (and every device) in your house needs? Check our postcode checker below and get Zzoomm Full Fibre for the New Year.
Call 033 33 11 99 09 to order or check your postcode below and order online
What do smarter devices mean for your homes broadband struggle?
Research by British telecommunications firm BT has uncovered that the typical British family has 28 devices connected to the internet already. Have you counted yours? You may have; 4 smartphones, 4 smart TVs, 3 tablets and 2 of each of laptops, PCs, smart speakers and games consoles, as well as many more devices connecting and taking slices of the bandwidth you have access to.
But don’t forget the smart toothbrush, intuitive fridge, baby monitors live feeding to your phone or the heating warming your cockles controlled by smart thermostats. All using their own share of your upload and download bandwidth, some more than others.
On average our homes are getting more hi-tech year on year. One in five of us are excited to unwrap a 4K TV under the tree on December 25th. However, will that new ultra-high–definition TV stop the actions of 70% of us who admit to ‘double screening’ (That is the name for watching TV whilst on our smartphone, tablet or another device)? Let‘s not forget trying to work while other devices are connected. Ever had the kids on the PS4 while you were Zoom calling? Imagine that with the souped–up PS5 and the cold sweat really starts to run.
So, what does this mean for Christmas?
It means many traditional UK ISP networks (such as those provided by BT, TalkTalk, Sky etc.) will be under added pressure as the number of devices, people and homes all battle it out for data domination. It means smarter devices who are programmed to demand more data, push out the iPhone 7’s, after all, when you need more slices of the pie each slice gets smaller. Your connection is divided amongst data–hungry devices and will be stretched even further when you add in many more this Christmas. You can Find out more about broadband speed here and how bandwidth works.
If you can, the best advice is to switch to Full Fibre broadband. The Zzoomm Full Fibre broadband network is newly built in Henley-on-Thames, it’s made with futureproof materials and designed for the smart home of today and many more Christmases (and digital devices) to come.
What has this year meant for struggling connections?
The amount of time families spend on their smartphones, browsing social media, has reached new heights, increasing 150% since March 2020 and 75% of those asked said they had spent more time than ever on the internet as a family during the pandemic. This includes video calls and more for working from home, home-schooling or some downtime watching movies and boxsets during both lockdowns. Alongside social media, these have been key ways we’ve stayed connected to loved ones, colleagues, friends and family. With all this activity, and the increase in the number of devices connecting, it’s no wonder that old copper networks are feeling the strain. How many households along your street are still working from home?
What can you really do for scenarios like these in the future?
Your home and devices are getting smarter and smart devices require more broadband. We as consumers, as users and buyers of gadgets and technology to improve our lives, are fueling this need for speed.
Call 033 33 11 99 09 to order or check your postcode below and order online