Openreach is delivering full fibre broadband to 38 rural UK communities through Project Gigabit, aiming to connect 290,000 hard to reach properties. The initiative is already boosting business, education and local economies, with potential to add £66 billion to UK GDP and support remote work.
Ofcom is accelerating the UK’s full-fibre broadband rollout, aiming for 96% coverage by 2027. With access rising from 25% in 2019 to nearly 70% today, the regulator seeks to maintain momentum. Industry leaders welcome the push for competition and investment, ensuring faster, more reliable internet and positioning the UK as a leader in digital connectivity.
Broadband infrastructure provider Openreach has unveiled plans to extend its full fibre broadband services to 517 additional locations across the UK, bringing fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) to an extra 2.7 million homes and businesses. This ambitious rollout includes 400,000 homes in rural areas, highlighting Openreach’s commitment to bridging the digital divide.
The landscape of fibre broadband in the UK is rapidly evolving, with over a fifth of premises now enjoying the choice of two or more fibre broadband providers. This development can be attributed to the efforts of alternative network operators across the country.Recent data from Point Topic reveals that nearly two thirds of UK premises, totaling 20.4 million, now have access to fibre broadband as of March-end.
TalkTalk has surged ahead to become the UK’s largest retail fibre broadband provider, boasting a service reach to over 15 million premises, edging out competitors like Vodafone and Zen Internet in the race for the broadest fibre network. This expansion has positioned TalkTalk at the forefront of the UK’s digital infrastructure landscape, despite facing operational hiccups.
In a major technological achievement, over half of UK homes now enjoy full fibre broadband access, marking a significant increase from the beginning of this year. This growth reflects the collective effort of both large infrastructure operators and smaller, regional organisations. Surprisingly though, coverage varies across regions, with Northern Ireland leading while Scotland slightly lags behind. Even more exciting progress has been observed in access to Gigabit-capable broadband.
AllPoints Fibre Networks has unveiled Aquila, a wholesale fibre platform designed to simplify broadband access for UK providers. By unifying major networks and offering a user-friendly API-driven portal, Aquila enables fast, scalable service delivery to around 19 million premises, eliminating complexity and accelerating market entry for Communication Service Providers.
The recent partnership between CityFibre and Sky has significant implications for the UK’s broadband market, potentially challenging BT’s dominance. This deal extends Sky’s services, enhancing competition and driving innovation. Industry experts suggest that while BT faces pressure, the partnership signals confidence in the emerging alternative networks.
In a bold move to accelerate the United Kingdom’s digital infrastructure, nexfibre, a UK-based wholesale fibre network provider, has committed to investing £1 billion during the 2024 financial year. This investment aims to significantly expand the country’s broadband capacity, focusing on areas currently underserved by existing networks.
In a strategic move to enhance their presence in the North West of England and the Midlands, Freedom Fibre and VX UK have announced a merger, forming a new entity named Freedom Fibre Limited. The combined operation will cover a substantial footprint of 285,000 premises, with Neil McArthur, founder and CEO of Freedom Fibre, leading the helm along with the current senior leadership team from Freedom Fibre.
