Broadband users suffer from 'online congestion'

Consumers are receiving slower download speeds during peak hours as internet service providers (ISPs) struggle to cope with high traffic levels, according to a study.

Speed tests conducted by broadband.co.uk show that ISPs are offering reduced speeds during some evening hours due to increasing demand for high-bandwidth services such as online video.

Ed Dawson, spokesman for the site, said: "Some suppliers such as BE, O2 and Orange manage to keep average speeds high across all time periods suggesting a good level of network capacity.

"Others see their speeds drop quite significantly during the peak periods suggesting that they struggle with capacity."

However, the firm indicated that the sector is making progress on delivering higher average speeds.

Broadband users received average speeds of 3.36 Mbps in May, up from 3.23 Mbps in April and 2.67 Mbps last November.

The research supports the conclusions of a separate study by comparison site Broadband-Expert.com, which showed web surfers between 2am and 3am typically achieve speeds of 4.2 Mbps compared to 2.5Mbps between 7pm and 9pm.