The Christmas broadband cracker
Eight festive questions for the busiest week of the year online: everyone streaming, a new console downloading and a video call to the relatives, all at once.
Four people streaming different 4K films need about 60 Mbps for the films, a 100 GB console game takes over two hours at a full 100 Mbps, and a 1080p video call needs about 3.8 Mbps upload. If the broadband breaks, providers in Ofcom's scheme pay £10.34 a day once a repair runs late.
What you will learn
- 1Adding up a busy Christmas Day online
- 2How long a new game really takes to download
- 3What you are owed if it all goes wrong
Why it matters
Christmas puts more on a home connection at once than any other time of year. The good news is that the services publish what they need, so you can add it up: 15 Mbps per 4K film, a few for a video call and a big one-off for the new console's downloads.
The festive tips that matter most cost nothing. Keep the router away from the fairy lights, start big game downloads overnight and know that providers in Ofcom's scheme owe you money if a repair runs late, even over the holidays.
Every answer, explained
Spoilers below. Play first, then open any question to see the answer, the reason and the source.
1. Four relatives each stream a different 4K film on Christmas Day. At Netflix's 15 Mbps each, how much do the films need?
Answer: 60 Mbps
4 times 15 is 60 Mbps. Several 4K screens at once is the one time a home really needs a bigger number.
2. A 100 GB game for a new console, on a 100 Mbps line at full speed. About how long?
Answer: 2 hours 13 minutes
100 GB is 800,000 megabits, and 800,000 divided by 100 is 8,000 seconds: about 2 hours 13 minutes. Start it overnight.
3. A 1080p video call to the relatives on Zoom needs about how much upload?
4. Two hours of 4K on Netflix uses up to how much data?
Answer: 14 GB
Up to 7 GB an hour, so up to 14 GB for a two hour film.
Source: Netflix Help Center, data use
5. Fairy lights next to the router: what does Ofcom say?
Answer: They can interfere, so keep the router away from them
Ofcom lists fairy lights alongside microwave ovens, baby monitors and cordless phones as things that can interfere.
6. The broadband breaks on Christmas Eve and the repair runs late. From 1 April 2026, what do providers in Ofcom's scheme pay per day?
Answer: £10.34
£10.34 for each calendar day it is not repaired, once two full working days have passed.
Source: Ofcom, April 2026 compensation update; Ofcom, Automatic compensation This answer is reviewed by 31 May 2027.
7. You order broadband in a Black Friday sale. Since 17 January 2025, how must any future price rise be shown?
Answer: In pounds and pence
In pounds and pence, before you sign. Check the whole-contract cost, not just the first month.
8. You ordered online and change your mind. How long do you usually have to cancel for free?
Answer: 14 days
14 days for online and phone orders, though you may pay for anything you have used.
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Questions people ask
- How much broadband speed do I need on Christmas Day?
- Add up what happens at once: 15 Mbps per 4K stream, 5 per Full HD stream and about 3 to 4 for a video call. Four people streaming 4K is about 60 Mbps for the films.
- How long does a new console game take to download?
- At a full 100 Mbps, a 100 GB game takes about 2 hours 13 minutes. Starting it overnight saves the wait.
Play next
How we checked this quiz
Every answer was checked on 9 November 2026 against the source listed with it, mostly Ofcom and the companies that publish the figures, and dated figures say when they apply. Questions that depend on a date, such as compensation amounts that rise each April, are hidden automatically once they pass their review date, so the quiz never shows an out-of-date answer. Your scores, badges and streaks are kept on this device only. Anonymous answer counts help us show how other players did, with no names or personal details.
References
- Citizens Advice. (n.d.). Cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/cancelling-a-phone-tv-internet-or-mobile-contract/
- Netflix. (n.d.). How to control how much data Netflix uses. Netflix Help Center. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87
- Netflix. (n.d.). Netflix-recommended internet speeds. Netflix Help Center. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306
- Oak National Academy. (n.d.). Measurements of storage [Lesson]. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/programmes/computing-secondary-ks4-gcse-aqa/units/data-compression/lessons/measurements-of-storage
- Ofcom. (2024, February 19). Improving your wifi experience. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/improving-your-wifi-experience
- Ofcom. (2024, July 19). Ofcom bans mid-contract price rises linked to inflation. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/ofcom-bans-mid-contract-price-rises-linked-to-inflation
- Ofcom. (2026, April 8). Quicker complaints resolution and more money in your pocket when things go wrong. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/accessibility/quicker-complaints-resolution-and-more-money-in-your-pocket-when-things-go-wrong
- Ofcom. (n.d.). Automatic compensation: What you need to know. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/automatic-compensation-need-know/
- Zoom. (n.d.). Zoom system requirements: Windows, macOS, Linux. Zoom Support. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0060748
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