Banished Brits are more dependent on their internet and broadband provider than ever before, with three in five (59%) increasing their internet use due to the restrictions of Covid-19, a new study reveals.

As of Monday 23rd March 2020, UK residents were put under strict guidelines to stay at home. The study, from leading price comparison website, Moneyexpert.com, found that 41% of Brits are using the internet for different means because of Covid-19, and that a third (31%) are finding it a lot more challenging to use the internet for things such as video calls or shopping for food online.

However, a huge 91% of Brits are using the internet in ways they never have before. While over three in five (61%) are using the internet to keep up with the news and Government changes, 55% are relying on strong connection to keep themselves entertained, and to keep in touch with loved ones (51%). A fifth (21%) are checking in on the elderly or an ‘at risk’ friend or family member, and even one in 10 (9%) are holding out hope for a summer holiday abroad by planning their next getaway.

With millions of Brits now working from home, the reliance on a strong connection is more necessary than ever. However, for many, the change from professional office to home office isn’t quite as smooth and simple as hoped for. Over a fifth (22%) of Brits say the speed of their connection is completely inconsistent, and for some (18%) the internet is cutting out for no reason at all. Virtual video meetings are causing Brits to look completely unprofessional, with 42% missing meetings due to poor internet connection – on average, Brits have missed around four meetings since the pandemic began.

And it seems that millennials are having the most problems – especially those living with their partner – as over a third (36%) have had an argument over who is to blame for the slow internet connection. However, it’s not all plain sailing in millennial family homes either, with a third (33%) bickering with their parents, siblings (33%) and children (33%) over the same problem.

Unfortunately, broadband problems are not a new discovery in isolation. More than three in five (71%) Brits have considered changing their broadband and consider cost as a factor they’d think about heavily (86%) when preparing to switch. Half (50%) would like expert advice when doing so.

Jason Smith, CEO of Moneyexpert.com, said:

“With a significant proportion of the UK now working in a new way from home, many are coming up against new problems with their broadband and internet connection. 45% of Brits are finding it difficult to connect to video meetings when more than one person in the house is using the internet, so consider creating a shared calendar to schedule meetings, or keep one room in the house, with the best wifi, free for those important calls.

“With weeks and months of uncertainty ahead, it makes sense to optimise our home and office spaces to be entirely fit for our changed needs, and a strong broadband connection is a key part of that.”