UK broadband speed test

Free UK speed test in your browser. Check download speed, latency, and jitter in under a minute.

No sign-up. No ads. UK-focused guidance. Results shown in your browser. Methodology and privacy.

Built by the team at FBRE.uk and SearchSwitchSave to give UK homes a plain-English speed check.

Free to run
UK-focused guidance
No account needed
Download, latency, jitter

Result mode:

Ready when you are.

0.00 Mbps

Speed, Latency, Jitter, Advanced Location, Times

⬆️ Highest Speed (i) The fastest single result in your test runs.	Mbps
⬇️ Lowest Speed (i) The slowest single result in your test runs.	Mbps
⚖️ Mean (Average) (i) The sum of all speeds divided by the number of runs.	Mbps
🔁 Mode (Most Frequent) (i) The most commonly occurring speed among your runs.	Mbps
〰️ Median (i) The middle value when all speeds are sorted in order.	Mbps
📡 Latency (i) Latency is round-trip time in milliseconds. Lower usually feels more responsive. Very rough UK guides: full fibre and good 5G often sit under about 30 ms; cable often lands around 30-50 ms; older copper lines often read higher. Above about 100 ms, real-time apps can start to feel sluggish.	ms
🔀 Jitter (i) Jitter is how much latency wobbles over time. Low jitter helps voice and video stay smooth. As a rough guide, under about 5 ms is excellent on many fibre lines, 5-15 ms is common on decent fixed lines, and above about 15 ms can show up as choppy calls or uneven pacing.	ms
🌐 Latitude (i) Approximate latitude based on your IP address.
🌐 Longitude (i) Approximate longitude based on your IP address.
Location (lat/long) is approximate, from your IP only. We do not store this data.
📅 Test Start Time (i) When the speed test began.
⌛ Test End Time (i) When the speed test completed.
⏱️ Test Duration (i) Total time from start to finish (in seconds and minutes).

About this test

In summary: This page runs a free UK broadband speed test (Pulse). It helps UK households and small businesses check their download speed, latency and connection reliability.

Free, client-side test: no account required.
Measures download speed (Mbps), latency (ms) and jitter.
We show the median as the headline number.
For best accuracy, use an Ethernet cable to your router.

How to get a reliable test: Use an Ethernet cable if you can. Pause other downloads and streaming. Run the test at different times. Keep the tab in the foreground.

How to read your speed result quickly

Your result gives three useful signals: download speed for capacity, latency for responsiveness, and jitter for connection stability. Run at least two tests at the time you usually see problems before deciding what to do next.

Download (Mbps): capacity for streaming, files, and busy homes.
Latency (ms): response delay for gaming and calls; lower is better.
Jitter (ms): consistency of delay; lower is steadier for voice and video.

UK broadband speed facts

Ofcom reports UK fixed broadband download averages in the low-80 Mbps range (2024 reporting cycle). Use this as a benchmark, then compare your home at your busiest time.

See UK Broadband Speed Statistics & Benchmarks

Understanding your result

Tailored summary after your test

After each test, Pulse shows a plain-English verdict based on your median download speed, latency, and jitter, plus one practical next step.

Run the test above to see your tailored verdict here.

What to do next

After your test, start with one of these.

Rerun the test, especially if the tab was in the background or something else was using the line.
Pause other activity: cloud sync, updates, and large downloads can distort results.
Test at another time of day, for example when streaming or calls usually struggle.
Compare Wi-Fi and Ethernet on a laptop if you can; big gaps often point to wireless layout.
Use the accurate-test checklist before escalating.
Speak to your provider if repeated fair tests stay poor; use UK rights guidance.

Frequently asked questions

What does this speed test measure?

Pulse measures your download speed in megabits per second (Mbps), plus round-trip latency and jitter in your browser. Download speed is how much data can reach your device each second. Latency is delay in milliseconds. Jitter is how much that delay varies, which matters for voice, video, and games. This version does not measure upload speed.

Is the test free and do you store my results?

Yes. The tool is free and runs client-side in your browser. Your headline result appears on the page for this visit. We do not run an account system that stores your speed history on our servers as part of this flow.

Why might my result be lower than my package speed?

Package figures describe what your line may reach in good conditions. Real speed depends on Wi-Fi distance, wall materials, busy evening periods, other devices using the line, and provider network load. For the fairest comparison, test on Ethernet with heavy traffic paused, then repeat at your busiest time.

What is a good broadband speed in the UK?

UK guidance often cites around 10 Mbps as a practical minimum for a typical home that browses, streams, and joins video calls. Busy homes, 4K video, or several people online at once usually benefit from higher headroom, often quoted around 30-100 Mbps depending on use. Full fibre areas can reach hundreds of Mbps; what matters is stable performance for what you actually do online.

Who runs UKSpeedTest.co.uk?

Pulse is published by SearchSwitchSave.com as part of the FBRE.uk network. Dr Alex J Martin-Smith leads the editorial direction. The goal is plain-English testing and guidance for UK consumers and small businesses, including fair comparisons and switching context.

Can I use this test on mobile?

Yes. Open this page in your phone or tablet browser. Mobile data and Wi-Fi can show lower numbers than a wired PC test, and that is expected. Treat the number as a snapshot of that device and location, not your whole home.