How do you broadband? Openreach reveals UK hotspot map

Whether it’s online shopping, gaming or TV super streaming, your most likely broadband habits depend on where you live in the UK, Openreach reveals today.

In the first research of its kind to mark 25 years of home broadband in the UK, Openreach, has combined its own data with extensive consumer research to map the UK cities by their online activity.

The results show that the city where the average family spends the most overall time online is Sheffield - with a third (32%) saying they spend more than five hours online per day compared to 11% in Brighton, the city with the lowest overall time online.

Data from Openreach - which has now made full fibre broadband available to nearly 19 million UK households and businesses - also gave insights into the times of the day people were most likely to be online across different areas.

The busiest hour of the day for internet usage in the UK in 2025 is between 8-9pm, followed by 9-10pm and then 7-8pm. And the highest peak of the year so far was on 14 January at 9pm - when a major Fortnite download coincided with four live Premier League fixtures on streaming services.

The survey found that more than six in 10 (64%) people spend time online between the “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.

Manchester and London are the cities in which people are most likely to use their phones between the “Do Not Disturb” - with 74% saying they are regularly online between the hours of 11pm and 6am.

The research coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first UK home broadband connection - which was installed in Basildon, Essex in April 2000. 

And it revealed that checking e-mails was 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, which was in the top five for 59% of people, using WhatsApp or other messaging apps (55%), and online shopping (49%).

The figures also pointed to a widespread fall in the use of dating apps across the UK - with only 4% of Brits saying they now spend time on dating sites or apps. More than seven in 10 (75%) said they hadn’t used a dating app in the past 12 months.

However, 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%).

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

A quarter of people (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.

The research also revealed:

●       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. It’s a game-changer, allowing people to do what they need to do - only faster and more efficiently.”