UK Broadband Speed Report: March 2026
What 1,195 real speed tests run in the UK between 1 March 2026 and 31 March 2026 tell us about home broadband speeds.
By the BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com team · Generated automatically from our test data · Methodology
Median download
325Mbps
No comparison available
Median upload
93Mbps
No comparison available
Median ping
35ms
No comparison available
Tests
1,195
87 providers
Key findings
- The median download speed was 325 Mbps across 1,195 tests.
- The median upload speed was 93 Mbps.
- ICUK had the fastest median download of the 21 providers with at least 10 tests: 736 Mbps across 12 tests.
- 52.1% of tests reached 300 Mbps or more, while 6.9% were below 30 Mbps.
- Tests run in the evening peak (7pm–11pm) had a median download of 309 Mbps, 6.3% lower than the rest of the day (330 Mbps).
- Among the 13 towns and cities with at least 10 tests, Sheffield recorded the fastest median download (797 Mbps) and Cardiff the slowest (179 Mbps).
March 2026 was our launch month. A large share of tests came from broadband enthusiasts on very fast full-fibre lines, so its medians are much higher than in later months and are not typical of UK households.
Fastest broadband providers
Ranked by median download speed. Providers need at least 10 tests in March 2026 to be included.
| # | Provider | Median download | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ICUK | 736 Mbps | 12 |
| 2 | Olilo | 713 Mbps | 17 |
| 3 | YouFibre | 641 Mbps | 44 |
| 4 | Trooli | 640 Mbps | 11 |
| 5 | Community Fibre | 606 Mbps | 35 |
| 6 | IDNet | 603 Mbps | 13 |
| 7 | BRSK | 575 Mbps | 18 |
| 8 | Vision Fibre Media LTD | 560 Mbps | 13 |
| 9 | toob | 533 Mbps | 16 |
| 10 | Virgin Media | 469 Mbps | 180 |
See all-time standings on the ISP rankings.
How fast were the tests?
Share of tests by download speed
- 300 Mbps or more (full-fibre class)52.1%
- 30–300 Mbps41.0%
- Below 30 Mbps6.9%
Evening peak vs rest of day
Median download, UK time. Peak is 7pm–11pm.
Differences can reflect who tests at each time of day as well as network congestion. Why broadband slows at night
Fastest and slowest towns
Towns and cities with at least 10 tests in March 2026, by median download. Locations come from IP geolocation and are approximate.
Fastest
- Sheffield797 Mbps · 10 tests
- Rochdale483 Mbps · 62 tests
- Birmingham411 Mbps · 18 tests
- Southampton372 Mbps · 20 tests
- Manchester359 Mbps · 25 tests
About this data
Figures are medians of browser-based speed tests run on BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com from UK IP addresses during the calendar month (UK time). Tests from data centres, VPNs, corporate networks and undetected providers are excluded. Results include Wi-Fi and home-network effects, and people who choose to run a speed test are not a random sample of UK households.
For context, Ofcom's Connected Nations 2025 report puts full-fibre availability at 78% of UK homes, gigabit-capable coverage at 87% and the average maximum download speed at 285 Mbps — figures for what lines can deliver, not measured speeds like these. Read our full methodology.
Cite this report
BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com (2026). UK Broadband Speed Report: March 2026. Dot Com Ventures. Based on 1,195 speed tests, 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026. Available at: https://broadbandspeedtest.uk.com/reports/2026-03
Journalists and researchers are welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page. For other data requests, contact us.