Latest
🏆 Watch this space — we're launching a monthly competition for the fastest speed test result on the leaderboard!📡 New: your results now show whether you're on Wi-Fi or Ethernet — check your connection type after every test.⚡ Challenge a friend! Run your speed test and share your personal beat link with anyone.🏆 Watch this space — we're launching a monthly competition for the fastest speed test result on the leaderboard!📡 New: your results now show whether you're on Wi-Fi or Ethernet — check your connection type after every test.⚡ Challenge a friend! Run your speed test and share your personal beat link with anyone.
insightsMonthly report

UK Broadband Speed Report: May 2026

What 359 real speed tests run in the UK between 1 May 2026 and 31 May 2026 tell us about home broadband speeds.

By the BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com team · Generated automatically from our test data · Methodology

Median download

144Mbps

+7.3%vs April

Median upload

52Mbps

+27.3%vs April

Median ping

41ms

−0.4%vs April

Tests

359

285 in April

lightbulbKey findings

  • Median download rose 7.3% to 144 Mbps, from 134 Mbps in April 2026.
  • Median upload rose 27.3% to 52 Mbps, from 41 Mbps in April 2026.
  • Median ping was little changed at 41 ms (−0.4% on April 2026).
  • DSV Communications Limited had the fastest median download of the 8 providers with at least 10 tests: 580 Mbps across 11 tests.
  • 37.6% of tests reached 300 Mbps or more, while 13.4% were below 30 Mbps.
  • Tests run in the evening peak (7pm–11pm) had a median download of 127 Mbps, 12.3% lower than the rest of the day (145 Mbps).
  • Among the 6 towns and cities with at least 10 tests, Orpington recorded the fastest median download (771 Mbps) and Southampton the slowest (27 Mbps).

Fastest broadband providers

Ranked by median download speed. Providers need at least 10 tests in May 2026 to be included.

#ProviderMedian downloadTests
1DSV Communications Limited
580 Mbps
11
2Virgin Media
434 Mbps
50
3Zen Internet
145 Mbps
13
4Sky Broadband
143 Mbps
31
5BT Broadband
103 Mbps
107
6Vodafone
70 Mbps
33
7Three
59 Mbps
20
8TalkTalk
37 Mbps
20

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)37.6%
  • 30–300 Mbps49.0%
  • Below 30 Mbps13.4%

April: 34.7% at 300+ Mbps, 14.7% below 30 Mbps.

Evening peak vs rest of day

Median download, UK time. Peak is 7pm–11pm.

Peak (7pm–11pm)127 Mbps · 62 tests
Off-peak145 Mbps · 297 tests

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 May 2026, by median download. Locations come from IP geolocation and are approximate.

Fastest

  1. Orpington771 Mbps · 11 tests
  2. Rochdale362 Mbps · 14 tests
  3. Manchester143 Mbps · 18 tests

Slowest

  1. Southampton27 Mbps · 10 tests
  2. Cardiff53 Mbps · 11 tests
  3. London142 Mbps · 39 tests

info 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.

format_quote Cite this report

BroadbandSpeedTest.uk.com (2026). UK Broadband Speed Report: May 2026. Dot Com Ventures. Based on 359 speed tests, 1 May 2026 to 31 May 2026. Available at: https://broadbandspeedtest.uk.com/reports/2026-05

Journalists and researchers are welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page. For other data requests, contact us.