Santa Claus, the internet is down: 14.8 million think having no internet could ruin Christmas

Video calling relatives at Christmas

From using social media to stay in touch with friends and family, to streaming festive films and music, almost two-thirds (60%) of people who use the internet on Christmas day believe that the internet going down would impact celebrations.

In fact, surveying over 2,000 consumers across the UK, Zen, the Internet Service Provider found that the popularity of services such as Netflix and Spotify, and the growing availability of devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, means over a quarter (28%) of consumers think an internet outage could ruin Christmas.

The wealth of connected gadgets available has led to festive shoppers expecting to purchase 105 million new smart devices this year.

What’s more, with over one in ten households in the UK using smart speakers to control their homes, from lighting and the thermostat to even the Christmas lights, having a reliable internet connection over the festive period is essential.

The popularity of these devices has led to a fifth (20%) of consumers planning to give or receive a smart device for Christmas, with just over a third (33%) planning to buy at least one device this year alone.

Interestingly, while consumers are using the internet this Christmas for social media (47%) and streaming music or TV (29%), a number are relying on it to control their voice-enabled devices (9%), smart heating (6%) and smart lighting (5%) – a trend that will grow in the coming years.

Despite almost a quarter (22%) aiming not to use the internet at all this Christmas, Brits using the internet on Christmas day admitted that in the event of an internet outage they would miss social media sites and streaming music and film at Christmas.

The Christ-miss list:

• Social media (37%)
• Streaming TV or music (24%)
• Video calling (17%)
• Gaming (12%)
• Online shopping (11%)

Richard Tang, Chairman and Founder of Zen said: “Christmas should be the most peaceful time of the year, but our research shows that seemingly small issues with home broadband could cause family fallouts.

“With so many new devices set to be connected to the web this festive season, testing the internet connection is now as vital in preparing for the big day as checking whether batteries are included and getting the dinner timings right.

"With internet access now a vital part of the UK’s Christmas, there are steps that people can take to ensure they get the most out of their Wi-Fi during the festivities, including:

• Improve Wi-Fi across the house with Wi-Fi boosters
• Ensure people are using the internet securely and safely
• Change default passwords on your newly bought devices
• Enable your connected homes with smart plugs and useful guides online
• Make sure you take time out from online activities to focus on family and friends