It’s probably one of the most annoying things about UK broadband speeds. When everyone is out during the day, downloads remain rapid due to low usage, but in the evenings, things then grind to a halt due to online congestion. Broadband is a bit like a motorway as the more traffic that runs along it the slower it gets. So, when everyone is at home after work, speeds can suddenly drop.

Now a new report from the team at Broadband Genie reveals the areas where users suffer the worst slowdowns at peak times and it’s bad news for anyone living in Wigan (WN1).

According to Broadband Genie, users in this area can see download performance drop by a whopping 55 percent between 7pm and 11pm.

Next on the list is Galashiels (TD1), in Scotland, followed by Harrogate (HG1), Exeter (EX1) and Rochester (ME1).

SEE THE PERFORMANCE CHART BELOW

Wigan • Off peak 167Mbps – Peak (7pm to 11pm) 75Mbps – 55% change

Galashiels • Off peak 135Mbps – Peak 77Mbps – 43% change

Harrogate • Off peak 133Mbps – Peak 81Mbps – 39% change

Exeter • Off peak 55Mbps – Peak 34Mbps – 37% change

Rochester • Off peak 195 Mbps – Peak 127Mbps – 35% change

So what about the best towns for not dropping speeds?

At the other end of the table is Newport, where speeds actually increase in the evening. Oxford, Glasgow, Blackburn and Cambridge also performed well, with users getting improved performance at night.

“Have you ever noticed your broadband slowing down in the evening? Just like our roads, our internet network can experience congestion,” Broadband Genie explained.

“We have analysed 144,509 broadband speed tests to find the best and worst locations where your broadband speed drops at peak times.

“Broadband customers in Wigan experience the biggest drop off at peak times. On average, users see their broadband speed drop by 55%.”

“Surprisingly, not all areas were affected as badly at peak times. Broadband customers in Newport typically see a speed boost at peak times.”

Along with towns, Broadband Genie also says that different parts of the country perform better than others.

Scotland comes out on top, with speeds improving at peak times. Wales and the East of England also perform well.

Coming bottom of the league is the South West, with things dropping by around 15 per cent in the evening compared to daytime speeds.

Of course, there are some things UK homes can do to help improve downloads, including making sure their router is in a prime position and keeping it clear from obstacles. Virgin Media has also issued recent advice, recommending that routers be rebooted to clear any issues.

Apple is rumoured to be debuting its first folding iPhone later this year, but Android phones have folded ever since the Galaxy Fold in 2019. Today, you can buy book-style and flip-style folding phones from Samsung, Honor, Oppo, Motorola and Google, with all of them sharing one thing in common: a sky high price.

That’s why it’s notable Google is currently offering £450 off its latest flagship folding phone, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is on sale for £1,299 down from £1,749. It’s the same price on Amazon.

That’s a sizable discount, but it still leaves you needing to fork out the equivalent of a month’s rent or, indeed, nearly three times as much as the cost of the Pixel 10a, which is also on sale for a comparatively modest £449.

It got me thinking about folding phones and how despite being around for seven years, they haven’t got a lot cheaper, and at £1,299, I probably wouldn’t buy the Pixel 10 Pro Fold if I needed a new phone, even if I had the budget.

I would likely opt to spend the same amount on a phone with a much better camera, such as the £1,299 Xiaomi 17 Ultra, or £799 on the regular Pixel 10, a phone that actually has very similar triple cameras as the pricier 10 Pro Fold. Despite the ‘Pro’ name, the cameras you get on the Fold aren’t as good as the ones on the normal Pixel 10 Pro.

I’ve tested the Pixel 10 Pro Fold since its release in October 2025, and it’s a very accomplished device, don’t get me wrong. But the camera compromise along with the design drawbacks still make this phone a hard sell at its discounted rate.

For one, carrying the Pixel 10 Pro Fold around in my jeans pocket means I never forget to put a belt on. At 258g it’s a bit of a paperweight, and at 10.88 thick when closed, it’s chunky for a pocketable device.

Much more svelte book-style foldables such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (215g, 8.9mm) and Honor Magic V6 (219g, 8.8mm) prove the Pixel is lagging behind in 2026 when it comes to the ergonomics of a book-style folding phone.

The crease down the middle of the Pixel’s screen is also deep and obvious, and hard to ignore. Though it’s not available in the UK officially, the Oppo Find N6 has a virtually invisible crease, with a design that smooths out the screen so you don’t have a dip right in the middle.

One big thing that might sway me over to the 10 Pro Fold is the software. I love Google’s Pixel flavour of Android, and I miss it when I use other Android phones. For all Honor’s hardware prowess, its software is unpolished compared to Google’s, and though Samsung’s One UI is very slick, it’s currently stuffed with so much AI guff that I don’t want to use it.

Google’s software support is also great at seven years, which at least would guarantee I’d still be using the 10 Pro Fold till 2032 – if the folding screen didn’t break, that is.

Even at the sale price of £1,299, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold still makes too many compromises for me. That said, the rumoured folding iPhone is likely to push the £2,000 mark. We’ll have to wait and see if Apple is able to turn out a superior phone, and if Apple fanatics are willing to shell out.