Hyperoptic – Study Claims Slow Broadband Discourages UK House Movers

Fibre optic ISP Hyperoptic, which is currently deploying a 1Gbps capable FTTP network to parts of 13 cities, has surveyed 3,000 UK residents and found that 11% of respondents would spend more for a property with 100Mbps broadband. Meanwhile 33% will try to delay their house move until the broadband is activated.

The survey also claims that over two thirds of Brits (69%) now check their broadband speed before moving home (up 8% from a similar study in 2015) and “hyperfast broadband” (the study appears to define this as 100Mbps rather than 1Gbps) provision is now also on par with, or trumping, other items that typically feature on a house-movers wish list.

Other Highlights

* 62% believe broadband is equal to or more important than an extra bedroom
* 45% say broadband is equal to or more important than local nice restaurants
* 46% believe broadband is equal to or more important than a gym
* 51% believe broadband is equal to or more important than a swimming pool
* 51% believe broadband is equal to or more important than local transport links
* 60% believe broadband is equal to or more important than nice neighbours
* 62% say broadband is equal to or more important than a garden

According to Hyperoptic, respondents confessed that if they saw on a speed checker, such as via Rightmove, that a potential property received less than 9Mbps of broadband speed then it would put them off buying the house entirely (they would expect 18Mbps as a minimum). However we’re not actually told what proportion of respondents felt like that, so take with a pinch of salt.

Similarly Hyperoptic does not say when or how the survey responses were gathered, although broadly the results still appear to chime with those of other similar surveys.

Steve Holford, Hyperoptic’s Chief Customer Officer, said:

“In the UK the broadband provision is more of a post-code lottery than an guarantee. It’s good to see so many more Brits taking the time to check what services are available before they make an offer on a property, rather than moving in and being very disappointed.

The fact that, for the vast majority of Brits, hyperfast broadband provision now rates alongside local amenities and property features, represents a fundamental shift for the property sector. For many years broadband has been considered a ‘techy’ issue or, at best, ‘a nice to have’ – it’s time for the property sector to get up to speed on the increasingly important role of connectivity, so that house movers receive the right information from the outset.”

Choosing a new home is of course always going to be a subjective matter of personal choice, with a variety of different factors to consider, but for most people broadband is now a vital service and thus access to faster speeds can easily become a key part of that decision.

Admittedly most of the available evidence remains somewhat anecdotal, but the implication seems clear. Given a selection of houses, a large proportion of people are likely to pick the one with faster connectivity than risk being left digitally isolated by a slow service. Obviously this is more of a challenge in rural areas and some disadvantaged urban locations, where connectivity can often be slower.