BT Broadband Internet service getting slower over the years

[Indyjoe]

We used to get around 26 to 27 Mb per second. Gradually over the years it reduced to about 22 to 23mbps.

Then a few years ago it seemed to be throttled back to 17 or 18mbps. Now it has dropped down to about 13 or 14mbps. What’s going on? buffering is a regular problem now on watching streamed videos.

We’ve been a BT customer for 20 years, and the service, here by year, just seems to get slower and slower. I wonder if it is that more and more houses are sharing the same service as we’ve had quite a bit of building here.

There’s no problem with the line, there’s no internal wiring because it’s all Wi-Fi, and we’ve got a BT mesh system to boost signal around the hub. But however close to the router you are doesn’t make any difference, and I’ve run multiple speed checks from different providers.

It just feels as though it’s being throttled back and BT can’t do anything about it.

[iniltous]

There is no throttling back , the sync speed you get isn’t set or reduced by ‘BT’ it’s the result of the line length and ‘quality’ , your statement that it’s not the line can’t be  factually based …the ‘line’ is primarily outside your property and clearly you can’t know its ’condition’ without actually checking it .
If your router is connected to the master socket and you have no wired extension sockets (so you can confidently state no internal network issues) then access your router connection statistics, this could indicate a potential line issue , if help needed interpreting the router stats post them here .

Chances are the overall number of customers on FTTC is actually reducing rather than increasing as customers are moved to FTTP or leave for Alt Nets , and it’s pretty irrelevant when it comes to your sync speed anyway .

As far as speed tests , any  run over WiFi connections are pointless, you need to measure with a wired device connected to the router , as it may well be your local WiFi environment that’s causing your reduced speed, this isn’t under your ISP control that’s why a wired test is necessary to get any investigation started.

You obviously could report your line speed slow and that would get the line tested , but at the moment there is nothing to suggest the line is underperforming 

[Indyjoe]

Thank you. It is a very long line 1km to the cabinet and there is no fibre here yet but the number of houses has more than doubled. That was my thinking.

i’m not entirely sure how to get router statistics, but it is strange that nothing has changed yet the measured speed has dropped and buffering is now significant. Everything takes longer to load now on Wi-Fi. What would result in the changing perceived Wi-Fi speeds over a period of years from circa 27 to circa 10mbps?