Full-Fiber Broadband Reaches 2.5 Million UK Premises

LONDON, UK — Nearly 2.5 million UK homes and businesses can now access full-fiber broadband, Ofcom’s latest data on broadband and mobile availability reveals.

This interim update to Ofcom's annual Connected Nations report provides a snapshot on progress towards delivering better broadband and mobile, wherever people are. It uses data collected from broadband and mobile companies in May 2019, which we have assessed in detail to ensure coverage estimates are as accurate as possible.

Broadband availability

• Full-fiber broadband (which uses fiber cables all the way from the exchange to people’s homes) is now available to 8% of the UK – up from 7% in our last update. This is an increase of 400,000 properties between January and May this year.
• Nearly 2.5 million homes and businesses can get full-fiber broadband. This is an increase of more than one million properties in the last year, with full fibre now being rolled-out at its fastest ever rate.
• Ultrafast broadband (offering download speeds of at least 300 Mbps) is now available to 54% of UK properties – up from 53%.
• Superfast broadband (offering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps availability has increased, although the rounded proportion of properties able to access it remains at 95%.
• The number of people unable to get decent broadband (offering download speeds of at least 10 Mbps, and upload of 1 Mbps continues to fall and now stands at around 578,000 properties (2%), down from 860,000 within a year.

Mobile coverage

• Indoor 4G coverage from all four mobile networks remains at 77%.
• Geographic 4G coverage from all four networks remains at 66%.
• Geographic 4G coverage from at least one network stands at 91%. This means that 9% of the UK’s landmass does not feature 4G coverage from any operator.

Ofcom will publish the full annual Connected Nations report in December. This will include in-depth analysis of broadband and mobile availability across the UK and its nations – including, for the first time, data on availability of 5G networks.