MedUX report: BT leads UK in broadband Quality of Experience

MedUX has unveiled its 2024 benchmark report on fixed broadband performance across the United Kingdom, positioning BT as the leading provider in overall Quality of Experience (QoE). This inaugural study conducted by MedUX, a respected entity in fixed and mobile network testing and benchmarking, offers a comprehensive evaluation of operators BT, Sky and Vodafone.

The report aims to provide a clear overview of the service quality and end-user experience delivered by these operators. MedUX assessed various key metrics, including service reliability, speed compliance, accessibility, throughput, streaming, data and OTT (over-the-top) experience results. BT emerged as the leader in these areas, earning a score of 4.59 out of 5 in QoE.

BT's network was subjected to more than 900,000 tests, during which it demonstrated exceptional performance. Key highlights include the highest average download speed for FTTC (Fibre-to-the-cabinet) customers at 60 Mbps and consistent network responsiveness, making it favourable for digital services. The company also topped the charts in web browsing success rate (99.92%) and scored high in gaming and streaming experiences, with success rates of 99.78% and 99.99%, respectively.

This robust performance is mirrored in MedUX's extended research at the European level, where BT is compared against similar ISPs in Italy and Greece. According to the report, BT consistently delivers a higher QoE compared to its continental peers.

While BT excelled in many areas, it did not dominate all metrics. Vodafone was reported as the internet service provider most likely to match its advertised download speeds, with an effectiveness ratio of 86%. This is considered a strong performance, especially compared to the European average of 72%. Additionally, Vodafone and BT share leadership in network responsiveness and streaming experience, with a minimal difference of less than 0.5% between their scores. Sky took the second spot for overall experience and the top place for performance in delivering social media services, achieving a 99.88% success rate.

Despite encouraging results for UK broadband providers, the report indicates that the UK's predominant technology, FTTC (VDSL), lags behind leading European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Sweden, France, Romania and Iceland, where FTTH (Fibre-to-the-home) is more common. FTTC packages in the UK deliver up to 15% worse performance compared to FTTH packages in these countries. This suggests further fibre investments in the UK to enhance its broadband infrastructure and align it with European standards.

The UK is noted for its growth in full-fibre deployment. Nonetheless, it remains behind many European nations, such as Germany and Italy, in terms of fibre coverage and subscriber penetration. MedUX suggests that fibre investments will be crucial for the UK to offer optimised and future-proof QoE and stay competitive in the market. The company's initial research on the UK's FTTH full-fibre broadband packages, which offer downlink speeds of 500 Mbps and 900 Mbps, shows promising results comparable to European standards.

Rafael Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer at MedUX, commented on the findings, "We're pleased to be providing another first-of-its-kind study on UK connectivity. This report builds upon the momentum from our UK and European-wide 5G quality of experience reports, and the recently released Italian fixed broadband QoE study. It showcases the breadth of our benchmarking capabilities, providing unique insights into the state of European connectivity." Gonzalez added that MedUX looks forward to its insights being used to optimise networks and improve the overall experience for end users.