Ofcom has kicked off its Telecoms Access Review (TAR) 2026, an evaluation of the regulations that will apply to the UK fixed telecoms markets from April 2026 until March 2031.
Tue, 19/12/2023 - 10:57
Full-fibre broadband is now available to more than 17 million UK homes, according to Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations Report.
This represents more than half of the UK’s total residential premises (57%) and is a rise from 42% coverage last year.
This is the first time full fibre broadband has been available to over half of homes in all four of the UK nations.
Northern Ireland lead coverage at more than 90%, having passed the 50% mark in 2020. England follows with the second-highest level of coverage. In the last year, England and Wales both saw increases of 15 percent in full fibre coverage, while there was a 13 percentage points increase in Scotland.
The report also shows take up on the rise with 1.7 million new full fibre consumer connections in the year to May 2023, out of a total of 4.6 million full fibre connections.
As a proportion of premises where it is available, take-up rose by three percent from 25% last year to 28%.
Uptake is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Of premises with access to full fibre, 49% of premises in rural areas have taken full fibre, compared to 25% in urban areas.
Uptake was driven by four main factors. The length of time fibre has been available, the area's demographics, the marketing techniques of local altnets and the level of internet previously available to residents.
