Reliable Internet taken for granted in US?

I’ve been visiting the UK for the past week. Spent a few days in London, Birmingham and over by Heathrow. I must admit that internet access has been hard to come by. From having to pay at virtually every place I stayed at to not having the pay internet even work all the time, I can’t say I am too impressed. I don’t know if wifi isn’t as prevalent as the states or if people rely more on their phones. Sim cards are cheap and there are a multitude of pay as you go internet options here. I will definitely be doing that if I end up coming back here for any period of time.