Broadband speeds drop by a third in the evening

British broadband speeds nosedive by an average of a third as more people log on in the evening. If it's dark outside then you're lucky to be reading this, frankly.

Comparison site Uswitch discovered that the slowest times for web surfing are between 7 and 9pm, with a 35 per cent drop from the faster speeds you can get during off-peak hours.

More than 200 million broadband speed tests contributed to the data, which only includes areas where more than 100 speed tests had been submitted -- which means there are probably plenty of places suffering in silence, potentially with even bigger collapses in surfing speed.

Speeds also depend on where you live, with massive regional differences. That's no surprise, judging from maps we've previously seen of Internet coverage.

Small comfort to the folks in Evesham, Worcestershire, who face a gobsmacking 69 per cent drop in speeds between quieter daytime and and busy evening periods. Even in areas where off-peak speeds are already arthritic, peak hours could still see a marked drop-off.

The figures underline the raw deal that many of us get from our Internet service providers, seducing us with lavish promises of headspinning broadband speeds -- before sneaking out a bathroom window once the deal is done, leaving us with sluggish Internet connections. Super-fast Internet connections are promised for many parts of the UK, but are still a few years off.

The fastest speeds are available between 2 and 3am. Set your alarm. Or set your computer downloading before you head for bed.

Do you notice a big change in speeds during your day? Do you earmark a special time for surfing when no-one else is online? Share your surfing tips in the comments, on our Facebook page, or at Google+.