Nov 19, 2025
Home broadband data usage has mushroomed in the last decade and shows no signs of stopping.
As internet usage habits have changed, so too have the demands we place on our home networks. Looking ahead, it seems certain that homes will continue to use more and more data as we lead increasingly connected lives.
How has home broadband data usage increased
Home broadband data consumption has increased exponentially since the beginning of the millennium. Between 2012 and 2022, the monthly average internet usage at home grew from 25GB to more than 513GB, an increase of more than 20 times.
Looking further back, and projecting forward, the growth is even more astonishing. In 2010, the average household used 9GB of data across its home connection each month. By 2029, this usage is expected to exceed 1TB.
That would mean an 11,000% increase over a period of less than 20 years.
What's driving the change?
The staggering leap in home broadband data consumption is being driven by a number of changes in both how we use the internet and what we’re using it for.
One of the biggest drivers of increased internet use has been the rise of home media streaming, especially in 4K and UHD. One hour of 4K streaming uses around 7GB of data, close to an entire month’s worth of internet use for a typical late 00’s household.
Another major influence on the increase is the growth in internet-connected devices in our homes. Whereas in the early 2010s, most households used the internet only through a desktop or laptop, today our homes are full of devices that take advantage of our home WiFi network. It’ predicted that the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices around the world will exceed 18 billion this year.
Even users who haven’t added new devices to their lives will have seen a growth in their home broadband data usage over the years. Information online continues to transition to being presented in images and video over text, increasing the amount of data needed to perform the same activities year on year.
Why unlimited home broadband data is a must
With this growth continuing unabated, it’s increasingly obvious that unlimited home broadband data is essential. While some providers still cap monthly internet usage, imposing heavy fees on users who exceed these limits, this is no longer tenable for the vast majority of households.
Home internet consumption shows no signs of slowing. Our reliance on fast, reliable internet is only continuing to grow. In 2025, more than 67% of internet users use an AI-powered virtual assistant at least once a week, something that would have seemed impossible even five years ago.
Even if your home broadband data allowance covers your current usage, residential internet contracts typically last at least one year, and the best value plans can extend for three years or more. It’s impossible to predict how much data homes will be consuming in three years' time - except for the fact that it will be even higher than today.
The best deals on unlimited 5G home broadband
For 4G and 5G home broadband plans that offer unlimited data as standard, use Connectivity. All our plans come with uncapped downloads and uploads, so you can feel confident you’ll never be hit with an extra charge for browsing too much.
Not only that, but we guarantee no mid-contract price rises for our customers. The price you pay today will be the price you pay throughout your contract - always.
See how we compare to the UK’s biggest mobile broadband providers here.
