Openreach Maps UK Cities by Internet Activity to Celebrate 25 Years of Broadband

Openreach (BT) has marked “25 years of home broadband” by combining its own data with consumer research to map the UK cities by their online activity. The results found that the busiest hour of the day for internet usage in the UK is between 8-9pm, followed by 9-10pm and 7-8pm. And the highest peak of the year so far was on 14th January 2025 at 9pm.

The results go on to show that the city where the average family spends the most overall time online is Sheffield (32% spent 5 hours+ online per day). On the flip side, Brighton was named the city with the lowest overall time online (only 11% spent 5 hours+ online per day). But we don’t get a full summary of this, just a brief snapshot of two cities.

The survey also found that 64% of people spend time online between the so-called “Do Not Disturb” hours of 11pm and 6am – with YouTube (19%) emerging as the most common internet usage during these times, followed by internet shopping (17%). Only a third (34%) of UK adults don’t engage with any online activities during off-peak hours, meaning two thirds likely do.

The research is broadly intended to coincide with what Openreach describes as the 25th anniversary of the first UK home broadband connection, which they say was installed in Basildon, Essex in April 2000 (they don’t say it, but this was for an NTL based cable broadband service). BT’s first commercial 512Kbps based ADSL lines also began surfacing in the same year. Both cable and ADSL services had been tested in trials during the prior 1-2 years.

The rest of Openreach’s results are a bit of a scatter gun blast of random information, which makes it tedious to digest without more structure. The operator’s public press release also doesn’t seem to include much information about their survey methodology (i.e. take it with a pinch of salt). But you can find some of the key highlights below.

General Highlights from Openreach’s New Data

➤ Checking e-mails is the most common online activity for UK adults, with 66% placing this in their “top 5 most common online activities” outside of work. This was followed by general browsing (59%), using WhatsApp or other messaging apps (55%), and online shopping (49%).

➤ Only 4% of Brits say they now spend time on dating sites or apps, while 75% said they hadn’t used a dating app in the past 12 months. But 20% of adults that live with their partner or spouse admitted they have either used a dating app in the past year (18%) or are unsure if they have (2%).

➤ 43% of people feel they waste time online, and 37% are concerned about the amount of time they spend “doom-scrolling”.

➤ 26% say that faster internet speeds help in cutting down their time online – enabling them to ‘speed up to slow down’, with 34% saying if they spent less hours using devices and connected technology at home, they’d be able to communicate better with their families. And 33% said they’d feel more relaxed if they spent less time online.

City Specific Highlights

● LONDON is the capital city of online daters, with almost a quarter (24%) engaging with dating apps on at least three days per week.

● The streaming capital of Britain is CARDIFF – with 44% of residents saying they binge movies and TV shows for more than six hours a week. Cardiff also tops the list for the city with the most YouTubers (48%).

● SOUTHAMPTON is the capital of online shopping, with 65% scouring the internet for purchases while online.

● SHEFFIELD is home to the kings and queens of TikTok, with a third (32%) saying they spend most of their time online posting videos and scrolling through their feeds. And it is also the city with the most music streamers (30%).

● LIVERPOOL are the UK’s cryptocurrency connoisseurs – with one in 10 (13%) regularly investing and checking their online stocks

● MANCHESTER is the Instagram capital of the UK, with almost a third (27%) saying they are most likely to be posting videos and photos on the site while online.

● BELFAST chats the most online, with 70% saying their time online is mostly spent sending messages to friends and family on WhatsApp and iMessage.

● BRISTOL is home to gamers…with a third (33%) saying they relax by playing video games in their spare time.

● LEEDS are a city of Facebook fans, with almost half (43%) spending their time online using the social networking site.

● EDINBURGH are the most likely to be sending emails, with 72% listing this as their main use of the internet.

● NEWCASTLE are the most likely to be reading news articles or checking facts – with 71% saying research takes up most of their time online.

● PLYMOUTH is the ‘speed up to slow down’ capital of the UK, with almost half (45%) saying they intentionally spend time offline.

Katie Milligan, Deputy CEO of Openreach, said:

“It’s fascinating to see how different parts of the UK are embracing the online world and adapting to it in unique ways. At the same time, it’s encouraging that many recognise the importance of taking time away from devices and digital connectivity. With full fibre now available to nearly 19 million homes and businesses across the UK, thanks to the dedication of Openreach engineers, we’re proud to provide the nation’s most reliable broadband technology.”