United Kingdom communications regulator Ofcom has launched a new app that allows people to check the quality of their Wi-Fi connection and identify problems, revealing a surprising culprit of sub-par performance – Christmas tree lights.
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Besides fairy lights, other objects that have been flagged are microwave ovens, baby monitors and lamps.
That’s the warning from telecom experts Ofcom, who’s research suggests wireless broadband may not be working as well as it could in almost six million United Kingdom homes. It says more than a quarter of United Kingdom homes now have “superfast” broadband (30Mbit/s or more), while broadband availability in rural areas continues to improve.
Ofcom is also responsible for the monitoring of complaints relating to broadcasting in the UK.
This is 2015 so the Ofcom WiFi Checker is an app. It is available now, and Ofcom reckons that it will help people to iron out their connections, and make an example of interfering systems and speed hogs.
In rural areas those figures are even lower – around 48 percent of premises don’t have speeds faster than 10Mbps.
But the report believes there is still more to do.
Small businesses seemed to be the most affected by electronic interference with their wireless internet, with around half unable to access broadband over 10 Mbps.
Ofcom has also today published its latest European Broadband Scorecard, which compares the availability, usage and price of broadband services across EU member states.
According to the watchdog, up to six million United Kingdom homes and offices could improve their broadband connection by eliminating the interferences or correcting the set-up.
4G mobile broadband, meanwhile, reaches around 73% of us.
However, the watchdog has warned that there is still work to be done on improving mobile coverage and quality of service, as only 55 percent of the entire United Kingdom landmass is able to receive a signal from all four operators.
Ofcom called a decent internet connection the “fourth essential service”, alongside gas, electricity and water.
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‘Our challenge is to keep supporting competition and innovation, while also helping to improve coverage across the country – particularly in hard-to-reach areas, where mobile and home internet services need to improve.
