The UK has reached a significant milestone in its full fiber internet coverage, with over 52% of premises, equivalent to 15.4 million households, now having access to this advanced technology.
Full fiber broadband, which utilizes fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure, involves the direct installation of fiber optic cables into homes and businesses, offering blazing-fast download and upload speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps.
Communications regulator Ofcom attributed the remarkable growth in full fiber availability to the efforts of major fiber infrastructure operators, supplemented by smaller providers serving specific communities and regions throughout the UK.
Additionally, the availability of gigabit-capable fixed broadband services is rapidly expanding. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, with data from April and May 2023, approximately 75% of UK households — nearly 22.4 million in total — now have access to these high-speed services.
Ofcom's summer update also highlights progress in the mobile industry, with an expected 93% of the UK having reliable outdoor 4G coverage from at least one operator, projected to increase to 95% by the end of 2025.
Despite these positive developments, approximately 62,000 premises in the UK still lack access to what is considered decent broadband, defined as download speeds of at least 10 Mbps and upload speeds exceeding 1 Mbps. The government has committed to achieving nationwide full fiber broadband coverage by 2030, aiming to bridge this gap.
It’s worth noting that the average internet speed achievable across the UK now stands at an impressive 94 Mbps, surpassing the capabilities of existing copper networks.
