6 Best Broadband Providers With Low Latency In The UK
In today’s fast-paced world, having a reliable internet connection is more important than ever. Whether you’re working from home or streaming your favourite shows, you need a broadband connection that is fast and consistent. However, there’s one factor that often gets overlooked: broadband latency.
Broadband latency is the delay when you click links or send messages. It may seem small, but it can impact your online experience. In this article, you’ll explore everything about broadband latency, along with broadband providers with low latency.
What Is Broadband Latency?
Broadband latency is the delay or lag experienced during data transmission over a broadband connection. It denotes the time required for a data packet to travel from origin to destination.
Typically, broadband latency is measured in milliseconds. Latency represents the round-trip time for data to complete the journey between the sender & receiver.
Low latency holds immense significance in internet usage as it is essential for real-time applications that demand instant and responsive interactions.
The presence of low latency significantly enhances the user experience across a wide range of online activities. It becomes a critical element for cloud-based services and applications as it empowers swift access to cloud-stored data, facilitating efficient collaboration, file sharing, and remote accessibility.
Moreover, low latency is vital in ensuring seamless communication between interconnected devices and the cloud.
Comparison Of Top Broadband Providers With Low Latency
Virgin Media
Factors Affecting Broadband Latency
Here are the factors that affect broadband latency:
Network Congestion
If you have a subpar fixed-line broadband connection, it wouldn’t directly impact your latency. However, if you depend on outdated network infrastructure, you’ll experience inconsistent connectivity, leading to potential ping spikes.
Physical Distance
The geographical location of your server influences your latency, regardless of having a high-speed broadband connection.
Accessing Of Broadband Simultaneously
When multiple household members access the internet simultaneously, latency will likely increase, mainly if a slower broadband connection is used.
Broadband Provider’s Network Error
High latency can occur due to a network fault within your broadband provider’s infrastructure.
Conducting a ping test on various websites allows you to assess the performance. If you consistently experience slow ping times across multiple sites, it likely indicates an issue with your internet service provider.
Suppose you encounter slow ping times for only one or two specific sites. In that case, it may suggest a broader network issue rather than a problem attributable to your internet service provider, and it may not be within their purview to resolve it.
Satellite Broadband Connection
When encountering high latency, satellite broadband is often among the most problematic. This is primarily due to the signal’s need to traverse into space and return to Earth.
VPN
By employing a VPN, the requests made by your device are required to pass through the VPN provider, which has the potential to amplify latency.
How To Measure Broadband Latency
You can measure broadband latency by using various tools on the internet:
- NetScanTools
- Angry IP Scanner
- PingPlotter
- Pinkie
- Paessler Router Traffic Grapher
- NirSoft NetworkLatencyView Tool
- NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
- Engineer’s Toolset
- Network Pinger
- Network Performance Monitor
- Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack
- VoIP & Network Quality Manager
Latency is typically quantified in milliseconds, where lower values indicate superior performance, reflecting faster response times. It is crucial to compare the measured latency with your specific connection type’s anticipated or desired values.
Analyse latency trends over time. These patterns can be indicative of network congestion or other underlying issues. Comparing the current results with past measurements is valuable when you have previously conducted latency tests.
Top UK Broadband Providers With Low Latency
Here are the top UK broadband providers with low latency:
1. Virgin Media
- Amazing internet speeds
- Great bundled package
- Reliable broadband
- Easy to setup
- Expensive
- 54 Mbps to 1.1 Gbps download speed
- 5 Mbps to 52 Mbps upload speed
- Cable broadband
- 18-months contract length
Virgin Media is a prominent broadband provider in the UK market known for its high-speed internet offerings.
Virgin Media provides ultrafast internet speeds ranging from 100 to 900 Mbps. However, it is essential to determine if Virgin Media connectivity is accessible in your specific location.
Virgin Media is an ideal choice if you engage in activities such as streaming 4K video, online gaming, and large file downloads.
With Virgin Media, you can expect abundant bandwidth that easily accommodates multiple devices in even the busiest households, ensuring consistent speed without noticeable drops.
2. Hyperoptic
- Fastest internet speed
- Reliable broadband+
- Inexpensive
- Limited availability
- 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps download speed
- 5 Mbps to 1 Gbps upload speed
- Fibre broadband
Hyperoptic is a highly regarded broadband provider recognized for its exceptional fibre network speeds. They provide incredible speed options ranging from 33 Mbps up to 1,000 Mbps.
Hyperoptic offers deals that are particularly suitable for individuals who heavily rely on the internet for activities such as streaming, gaming, and downloading large files. Additionally, Hyperoptic does not impose any upfront costs for its services.
As a relatively new and innovative broadband provider, Hyperoptic strives to expand Gigabit’s internet capabilities to more households, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing internet access.
3. BT
- Great & reliable broadband
- Fast broadband speed
- Excellent router
- Limited availability
- 6 Mbps to 900 Mbps download speed
- 1 Mbps to 110 Mbps upload speed
- ADSL, Fibre, Full Fibre broadband
- BT Home Hub, BT Smart Hub2 router
- 24-months contract length
BT is a widely recognized broadband provider renowned for its broadband services offering exceptional features.
BT offers a range of standard and fibre broadband packages with impressive speeds. They provide packages with average speeds of 36 Mbps, 50 Mbps, and 67 Mbps, while their full fibre packages deliver average speeds of 150 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 900 Mbps.
Furthermore, BT excels in latency and packet loss, consistently ranking among the top performers according to the latest reports from Ofcom.
4. EE
- Decent internet speed
- Excellent router
- Reliable service
- It is not the fastest provider
- 10 Mbps to 900 Mbps download speed
- 1 Mbps to 110 Mbps upload speed
- ADSL, Fibre, Full Fibre broadband
- 24-months contract
EE has established itself as the leading mobile network in the UK, earning recognition for its expansive 4G coverage and ongoing 5G network coverage expansion.
Regarding broadband services, customers can choose between a standard connection boasting an average speed of 10 Mbps or a fibre connection offering average speeds of 36 or 67 Mbps.
EE Fibre Max, with average speeds of either 145 Mbps, 300 Mbps, or 900 Mbps, is available to approximately two-thirds of households.
If you are still looking for success with other providers, EE offers an additional option for achieving superfast speeds.
5. Vodafone
- Great value for money
- Fast internet speed
- Zero upfront fees
- No TV bundle
- 36 Mbps to 910 Mbps download speed
- 9 Mbps to 910 Mbps upload speed
- Fibre, Full fibre broadband
- WiFi Hub router
- 24-months contract length
Vodafone, a renowned broadband provider in the UK market, offers excellent value for money and has received accolades for its home broadband services.
Vodafone provides fibre packages with average speeds of 35 Mbps and 63 Mbps, ensuring a good balance between performance and affordability. It’s important to note that Vodafone’s broadband speeds may vary based on your location.
If you reside in one of the fortunate cities where Gigafast is available, you can sign up and receive a fast broadband supply without delay.
6. Plusnet
- Cheapest broadband provider
- Comes with gifts
- Fast to install
- Basic hardware
- 10 Mbps to 500 Mbps download speed
- 1 Mbps to 20 Mbps upload speed
- ADSL, Fibre, FTTP broadband
- Hub Two router
- 18-month or 24-month contract length
Plusnet is a well-regarded broadband provider in the United Kingdom known for its affordable packages.
Plusnet offers both standard broadband and fibre broadband deals, providing a range of average speeds from 10 Mbps to 500 Mbps. The actual speed you can obtain will depend on your specific location.
While you may not achieve blazing-fast download speeds for next-generation titles on most plans, Plusnet is more than adequate for online gaming and regular updates for current titles.
Tips For Reducing Broadband Latency
Here are the tips for reducing broadband latency:
- Consider rebooting if you encounter network problems, significantly if your router has not been restarted recently. This simple action can minimise latency and enhance overall network performance.
- To ensure optimal performance, opt for game servers that are geographically close to your location.
- For a direct and reliable connection between your device and the router, use an Ethernet cable and plug it in directly. In cases where the distance between two devices is significant, you can use a powerline adapter to transmit the signal through your electricity cables.
- To prevent the possibility of your neighbours guessing your Wi-Fi password and utilising your internet bandwidth, you can change your Wi-Fi password regularly. Consider opting for a stronger and more secure Wi-Fi password for enhanced protection.
- Avoid using any software or tools that could disrupt web traffic flow. This includes applications like VPNs or firewall programs with excessively strict settings.
- Contact your broadband service provider to improve your ping rate and inquire about any recommendations they may have.
If you have tried all the tips & suspect that your internet service provider is the cause of the issue, then be ready to switch to a different broadband provider.
If upgrading to a higher plan does not resolve your latency problem, exploring alternative ISPs that can provide better assistance is worth considering.
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) On Broadband Latency
1. What is good broadband latency?
If you’re browsing the internet or streaming content, it’s acceptable to have a delay of less than 100 milliseconds. However, if you’re playing intense video games, aiming for a maximum delay of 50 milliseconds is best. But having a delay of fewer than 30 milliseconds would be even better.
2. How do I fix my broadband latency?
You can fix your broadband latency by following these steps:
- Check internet speed & bandwidth
- Go for low latency
- Move closer to the router
- Close background websites & programs
- Link the device to the router with an ethernet cable
- Play on a local server
- Restart the router
- Replace the router
- Upgrade your broadband package.
3. What is a good latency speed?
You can achieve a smooth gaming experience when there is low latency. Usually, a 40-60 milliseconds or less latency is acceptable. While a latency of over 100 milliseconds usually results in noticeable gaming delays.
Summary: Broadband Latency
Broadband latency is the delay or lag experienced when data packets travel between a user’s device and a remote server through a broadband internet connection.
While latency is not a big deal for tasks that don’t rely on speed too much, it can negatively affect how you interact with the internet. If you experience high latency, you may experience small delays while opening a webpage or responding to social media updates.
Moreover, high latency may also impact online gaming and online calls. Furthermore, the sound quality you receive during a conversation could be better.
Follow the tips in the article to resolve the latency issue. However, if you have followed all the tips and suspect your broadband provider might be responsible for the problem, consider changing your provider.
I hope this article on broadband latency sounds helpful!
Mark is a tech-obsessed serial entrepreneur who also enjoys reading and writing. He has a strong urge to keep learning and talking about technology, which led him to become an author. Mark has co-founded two successful startups, one of which was acquired in 2018.
