The UK is on track to meet its goal of providing 85% gigabit broadband coverage by 2025, according to the latest data from Ofcom.
As of now, 83% of the country has access to gigabit-capable connectivity, with 20.7 million homes able to connect to full-fibre broadband. This marks significant progress from 57% in September 2023.
Northern Ireland leads the country with 94% full-fibre coverage, while Wales lags at 74%. The UK government’s £5bn Project Gigabit, launched in 2021, has played a pivotal role in expanding access to rural areas, ensuring no community is left behind in the digital age.
While the roll-out of full-fibre networks is accelerating, there remains a gap in adoption. As of July 2024, just 35% of households—7.5 million homes—have signed up for gigabit broadband, though this figure is up from 28% in May. Rural areas are ahead in adoption, with over half of homes having signed up compared to 32% in urban areas.
Jennifer Holmes LINX CEO as spokesperson: “The UK’s progress toward gigabit broadband coverage is encouraging. Here at LINX we are seeing a lot of our UK members who are Internet Service Providers (ISPs) increase their capacity with us as the demand for data continues grows.”
“As more homes and businesses adopt gigabit broadband, the demand for fast, reliable internet will grow. Without efficient systems to manage data traffic, users may still face slow speeds and higher latency, especially in rural areas. We will continue to support our members in the lead up to the 2025 full fibre target with the solutions they need for low latency peering services in order to deliver the best connectivity for their end users.”
The government’s commitment to improving digital infrastructure, including significant investments and the expansion of Project Gigabit, has opened the door to competition. New players like City Fibre and smaller local networks are stepping in to challenge established providers, pushing the market towards greater innovation and coverage.
While gigabit broadband access is expanding rapidly, the focus now shifts to increasing uptake across the country to fully realise the potential of this technology and support economic growth.
