One in three broadband subscriptions still run on routers designed before 2005.
The study surveyed over 10 million households in the US, UK and Europe. It found that about 33 percent of users are using equipment that predates Wi‑Fi 5 (802.11ac). Those devices top out at 300 Mbps and lack support for newer bands. Upgrading rates have stalled despite faster broadband rollouts.
Old hardware creates bottlenecks even when fiber or cable lines can deliver gigabit speeds. Congestion and frequent dropouts reduce productivity and increase frustration for remote work and streaming. The mismatch also inflates churn as users blame their ISP rather than the router.
Upgrading a router costs less than a monthly streaming subscription, yet many consumers postpone the purchase, leaving their connection stuck in the past.