Never Gonna Give You Up: Brits would rather give up their pet and booze than be without WiFi

98% of Brits state they rely on the internet every day, with 47% claiming it’s vital they have WiFi all day
Despite the importance of a steady WiFi connection, 34% of Brits claim they wouldn’t feel confident trying to fix their WiFi woes themselves
While 56% of Brits believe that the position of their router can impact in-home WiFi performance, 76% aren’t aware that their router should be placed up high
New research reveals that over half of Brits (59%) could get a more reliable connection if they put their hub in a better location within their home
Virgin Media O2 has teamed up with room planner and feng shui expert, Cliff Tan, to explain how to create a balanced and welcoming energy whilst ensuring a clear route for WiFi signal around the home in his TikTok video HERE

More Brits (50%) admit that a reliable broadband connection is important to them than those who said going out for a meal (31%), taking their partner on a date (28%) or having access to streaming subscriptions (26%) according to new data by Virgin Media O2.

The research also showed that Brits would rather give up booze (33%) and the gym (36%) than be without WiFi, with a huge 98% stating they rely on broadband every day and nearly half (47%) saying it’s vital they have a connection for the entire day.

While two thirds (66%) claim they’d feel confident in fixing WiFi issues they may experience, two in five (40%) have been left red faced after admitting to shouting at their router in the event things go wrong.

Despite WiFi being considered an essential part of daily life, many Brits are unaware that common household items can negatively impact their in-home connectivity, with the research revealing that nearly three quarters (78%) are unaware that metal furniture can mess with WiFi signal, as can baby monitors (83%) and fish tanks (90%).

More than half (56%) of Brits claim to know that the placement of a hub can affect in-home connectivity, yet just over two in five admit to putting their router next to or behind their TV (41%), on the floor (12%) or even under their bed (6%) – all of which can contribute to avoidable WiFi woes.

With nearly half (45%) of Brits open to rearranging their home to create a clearer route for WiFi signal, Virgin Media O2 has teamed up with space planner and Feng Shui expert, Cliff Tan, to provide tips on the best ways to enhance WiFi and create positive energy around the home.

Space planner and Feng Shui expert, Cliff Tan, shares his top tips on where to position your router to create a balanced, peaceful and WiFi friendly home.

Feng Shui is the traditional practice which uses energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. Broadband users can take similar principles to secure the maximum possible flow from their broadband connectivity around their home.

Location: The heart of the home represents balance and connection between the various zones. Place your hub in a central part of your home, but more specifically, central to the high energy areas where you’ll rely on the hub the most to surf, stream and game to ensure that everyone is well connected. Try to keep your hub placed up high and facing forwards so the signal can reach the whole room.
Eye contact: Energy is best felt when it can be seen, and this is true even for WiFi signals. if you can, try to make sure you can see the hub from where you need it the most, i.e. put it near an office or living room area so your devices have a direct route for signal from your router.
Keep clutter away: Clutter is considered as negative in Feng Shui because it clogs the natural flow of energy throughout a room. Try to see broadband connectivity like this too and avoid putting items that might impact your hub’s signal, like baby monitors, speakers and TVs, directly next to or in front of your router as they will interfere with the WiFi and clog the natural flow of connectivity.
Mirror placements: Mirrors can reflect and change our environment, so be mindful how you use them. Some especially large wall mirrors can impact connectivity as the mirror is made up of a thin coat of metal which may cause interference to the hub. Try to keep your hub at least one meter away from large mirrors.
Be conscious of the five elements around the home: Feng Shui uses the five elements — earth, wood, fire, metal and water — to describe the physical and energic world around us. Watch out for metal in the home as metal furniture, for example a TV cabinet has a certain density and quality that can cause interference with WiFi signals, so you should consider where you place your hub.

Gareth Lister, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2 said: “Broadband is an essential part of everyday life. Whether working from home, doing an online shop, or catching up on that must-watch series, connectivity sits at the heart of it all. Yet being conscious of where to place your router is something that often gets overlooked.

“With reliable broadband taking top spot on most people’s list of priorities, beating a night out with friends and a date with their partner, we’ve teamed up with feng shui expert, Cliff Tan, to share our top tips on avoiding common connectivity mishaps so our customers can enjoy a harmonious home with WiFi around every corner.”

Alongside gigabit speeds and a host of TV favourites via Virgin TV 360 or Stream, Virgin Media customers can benefit from the UK’s fastest WiFi guarantee, offering download speeds of at least 20Mbps in every room (twice as fast as the next quickest WiFi guarantee available) or £100 credit back.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Results from a survey by 2,000 UK adults

Virgin Media O2’s broadband expert provides top tips to avoid unwanted WiFi woes:

Avoid putting your router in a cabinet, keep it out in the open (ideally up high) so the signal is free to roam.
Move your router at least one metre away from objects such as televisions, wireless speakers, baby monitors and cordless phones. These devices have their own signals and can interfere with WiFi.
Keep your router upright, with the front lights facing into the room. This makes sure the signal goes outwards, rather than into the floor.
Avoid turning your router off at night. This is to ensure the latest firmware updates can be completed so you can get the best from your hub.

Everyday items that can impact WiFi: