Survey: UK failing to deliver reliable digital connectivity
June 1, 2026



Digital connectivity is now as fundamental a utility as water, electricity and gas. But it is not treated as equally important. The UK is failing to deliver the reliable connections that the economy and the public depend on to run successful businesses and lead full lives, able to access the health, wellbeing, education and leisure services that society is now built on.

Research from real asset advisors Cluttons includes data from a specially commissioned YouGov survey of 2,055 consumers across the UK and a separate commissioned poll of 103 MPs conducted in March 2026, together providing an in-depth picture of how poor connectivity is affecting daily life and business.


The human cost of this underperformance is laid bare in the consumer survey, which found more than four in 10 members of the public said they have difficulties accessing 4G or 5G when out and about around half the time or more. Nearly half (45 per cent) of consumers report feeling frustrated with their mobile connectivity at least once a week outside their home, a figure that rises to 57 per cent among those aged 18 to 24. Even at home, 27 per cent of respondents report weekly frustration with their wi-fi connection.

This level of disruption – which would be deemed unacceptable for other utilities – leads the public to complain to local politicians. One-fifth of MPs say they’re contacted by local residents about slow or variable broadband connections at least once a week, rising to more than half (55 per cent) of MPs who say they’re contacted at least once a month. More than a third of MPs (36 per cent) hear from constituents at least once a month that they face challenges working from home or running a business due to poor connectivity.

The importance of digital connectivity at a local and regional level is echoed by the 13 Mayoral Authorities interviewed for the research, who stressed the importance of digital infrastructure to the local economy, in allowing access to services, and to ensuring no communities are left behind.

The findings expose a troubling gap between the UK’s ambitions and delivery. As a nation whose reliance on digital connectivity has grown dramatically, with average monthly mobile data traffic reaching 1,257 petabytes in 2025, an 18 per cent rise on the previous year, the ability to access a fast, stable connection is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. Like gas, water and electricity, connectivity underpins work, healthcare, education and economic activity.

Critically, while performance is improving in absolute terms, the UK is falling further behind international competitors. The UK has slipped to 59th place globally for mobile download speeds in December 2025, behind large sparsely populated countries such as Kazakhstan and Chile down from 53rd in 2024 and 51st in 2023, according to ISPreview’s analysis of Ookla data.

Broadband performance tells a similar story, with the UK now ranked only 44th in the world for fixed-line download speeds. Leading nations such as Singapore, Japan and Spain are already achieving gigabit broadband coverage for virtually all residential premises; the UK’s coverage stands at 87 per cent. The efficiency and quality of Britain’s digital connectivity is lagging at precisely the moment it matters most.

The productivity cost of poor connectivity on the UK’s rail network is one of the starkest findings in the report. Exclusive economic modelling based on Cluttons’ survey data by Assembly Research finds that improving mobile coverage along railways to 80% of the time (rather than the 50% current average) could unlock nearly £3 billion in productivity gains over the next decade, adding more than 66 million hours of passenger productivity by 2035. Of those who said they travel to work by train, one in three said they would be likely to work more on their commute if they had a more stable connection.

The findings reinforce a central argument of this year’s report. Improving coverage is no longer sufficient on its own. On busy commuter routes, the challenge is ensuring that networks can handle the volume of users already relying on them.

Gráinne Gilmore, Head of Research, Cluttons, commented: “Connectivity is no longer optional infrastructure. Our data shows that millions of people across the UK are experiencing real, regular disruption to their work and personal lives because the infrastructure to support the connectivity requires upgrading, replacing or increasing. The Government has good targets for standalone 5G which will improve capacity and reliability, but this technology requires additional infrastructure. Those parts of the UK that fall behind will be at a disadvantage. Every single Mayoral Combined Authority we interviewed said that good connectivity was essential for economic growth in their area, and MPs agree.”

Darren Zitren, Head of Digital Connectivity, Cluttons, said: “Digital connectivity is the electricity of the 21st century. No business, no household and no community can afford to be without it. Our research shows that MPs, local authorities and the public all understand this, but this understanding must be matched with delivery. We are calling for a step-change in ambition and action: stronger planning reform, funded Digital Placemakers in every local authority, and a national conversation that treats connectivity as the essential utility it has become.”

Helen Morgan MP, Chair of the Digital Communities All Party Parliamentary Group, added: “Digital connectivity is fundamental to the UK’s economic growth, acting as the backbone of a modern, productive economy. Reliable mobile and broadband services underpin business operations, enable remote working, and support innovation across sectors from healthcare to agriculture. Poor connectivity directly constrains productivity, limits access to services and weakens competitiveness. This is particularly serious in rural areas where businesses report lost income, operational delays, and reduced efficiency. The roll-out of digital infrastructure is therefore critical. Investment in full fibre and mobile networks is not just about faster speeds but enabling wider economic transformation.”

Cluttons’ key recommendations

The report makes several key recommendations to accelerate the delivery of world-class digital connectivity across the UK:

Targeted infrastructure investment: in connectivity black spots, rail corridors and new developments, so that no community is left behind.
Accelerated planning reform: to streamline approvals and remove barriers to rolling out digital infrastructure faster.
Government-funded Digital Placemakers: in local and combined authorities, to act as strategic coordinators between industry, local government and communities.
A national public information campaign: to raise understanding of the relationship between digital connectivity and the physical infrastructure needed to deliver it.
The report also warns that the UK’s broader ambitions around AI, economic growth and the data centre sector are all contingent on getting last-mile digital connectivity right. Without reliable, high-capacity connections reaching businesses and consumers, the promise of the UK’s AI agenda will remain unfulfilled.