Rapid expansion of the Openreach full-fibre network over the past year has delivered faster and more reliable broadband to half of UK premises.
Bolstered by major contracts, Openreach has built its full-fibre network quicker and farther than any other UK provider. Each week, the company connects 78,000 new premises – equivalent to the size of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire – with full-fibre broadband.
In 2024, Openreach extended its coverage to 4.2 million additional premises—effectively bringing ultrafast broadband within the reach of 17 million homes and businesses.
4.3 million of these new premises are located in remote and rural areas, from the far-flung Isle of Unst in Shetland to the southwest Isles of Scilly, ensuring that even hard-to-reach communities can benefit from cutting-edge broadband technology.
Clive Selley, Chief Executive of Openreach, said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for the UK, and the increased traffic on our broadband network is evidence that customers are increasingly reliant on it in their daily lives.
“We’re building and connecting people faster than ever before, and I’m proud of the progress our engineers have made.”
The demand for full-fibre broadband is climbing rapidly, with orders up 26% in just one year. Around 68,000 orders are now being placed on Openreach’s network each week, via over 300 service providers, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and Zen.
Despite these impressive numbers, Selley believes there is still much room for growth: “Over a third of properties have already switched, but there’s plenty of room for more people to get a better connection right now.”
Closing the digital divide
In addition to its commercial deployments, Openreach has partnered with the UK government on initiatives to improve connectivity in rural areas.
Recent contracts worth over £289 million will deliver fast and reliable broadband to towns and villages across North and Southwest Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Devon, Somerset, Essex, North East England, and Worcestershire.
This latest round of funding builds on an earlier government agreement – signed in 2024 – which unlocked up to £800 million to address connectivity issues in rural parts of England, Scotland, and Wales.
The investment forms part of ‘Project Gigabit,’ the government’s flagship broadband programme aiming to provide gigabit-capable connections to hard-to-reach premises and end the frustrations of poor performance and buffering. So far, Project Gigabit has delivered ultrafast connectivity to more than 1.1 million rural homes and businesses, with further expansions planned in the coming months.
Commenting on the progress, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “We are determined to deliver the infrastructure this country needs to thrive, and I am thrilled to see so many homes and businesses in all areas of the country getting access to the fastest broadband speeds on the market through Project Gigabit.
“With today’s £289 million investment, we are not only boosting connectivity, but making it easier to work, learn, shop and stay in touch with loved ones online. As part of this government’s Plan for Change, we will plug digital divides, helping to make the UK a more equal society where everyone is given a fair shot in life.”
The government’s strategy is also having considerable economic implications. Peter Kyle added that boosting gigabit connectivity “stimulates rural economies and reduces regional disparities,” with experts forecasting that the full-fibre rollout could increase productivity in the UK by £73 billion.
What full-fibre means for daily life
Full-fibre, also known as gigabit-capable broadband, delivers substantial advantages over older copper-based technologies including significantly faster speeds, ultra-reliable performance with fewer dropouts, and no slowdowns during peak times.
The technology supports rural living by enabling access to remote working, digital healthcare, online education, and e-commerce.
“We believe that everyone deserves access to fast and reliable broadband, and we’re proud that this partnership will help extend our ultrafast, ultra-reliable network to areas that would otherwise be left behind by the private sector,” notes Selley.
Currently, over 85% of the UK has access to gigabit-capable broadband, a significant leap towards the government’s target of achieving full gigabit coverage by 2030. Openreach has already contributed significantly to this effort and remains confident in modernising Britain’s digital infrastructure.
“Our new full-fibre broadband network now reaches more than half of all properties in the UK, and we’re confident we can reach as many as 30 million premises by the end of the decade, assuming the right regulatory and investment conditions exist,” comments Selley.
In addition to its large-scale coverage goals, Openreach has been instrumental in attracting investment to the industry. Dozens of contracts worth over £2.2 billion have been signed under Project Gigabit, with more than ten different suppliers – including smaller, independent broadband providers – committed to delivering local upgrades.
As digital connectivity becomes as essential as running water or electricity, the expansion of full-fibre broadband brings hope to underserved parts of the UK and provides a robust infrastructure for the future economy.
Selley concludes that Openreach is contributing to “a British infrastructure success story” with its full-fibre rollout that will improve lives while unlocking substantial economic, social, and environmental benefits for years to come.
However, while the UK’s full-fibre rollout is now surging, it’s less impressive when taken in context of most other European countries reaching 50% coverage several years ago.
(Image Credit: Openreach)
See also: How network APIs will move operators closer to tapping 5G’s potential in 2025
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