The ‘Connected Nations’ report has unveiled impressive statistics about the reach of “Full Fibre” (FTTP) in the UK. It outlines a marked upswing in coverage, which is now extended to 52% of the region, accounting for approximately 15.4 million households. This represents a notable growth from the 48% recorded in January. Largely attributable to the efforts of more prominent fibre operators, this expansion has been further bolstered by a variety of smaller altnet providers targeting specific regions and communities.
However, the report also draws attention to the static nature of the UK’s “superfast broadband” coverage, which remains steady at 97%. The exception is Northern Ireland, which experienced a 1% growth, also taking the tally up to 97%. Despite this widespread access, 3% of the population still faces challenges, likely due to residing in hard-to-reach areas. According to the report, these individuals make up part of a ‘vast majority’ that has access to ‘decent broadband’ – defined as download speeds of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbit/s) and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s.
Touching upon the subject of Gigabit-capable broadband, the report records availability in 75% of homes. This is an increase from January’s 73%, or 21.9 million households, to an estimable 22.4 million.
On the mobile coverage front, the UK maintains a stable situation, with no noteworthy changes since January. Around 93% of the populace is projected to have good outdoor 4G network coverage from at least one provider.
The stronghold of 5G continues to bolster, as 85% of the premises reportedly have access to outdoor 5G network coverage.
The report additionally noted a continual decline in 3G usage. The phase-out of 3G has already been put into action, with Virgin Media O2 announcing that its 3G switch-off will commence in 2025, making it the final major UK operator to enact this change.
