Ofcom says over half of UK homes have access to full fibre broadband

The percentage of UK households with access to full fibre broadband has surged from 42 per cent in 2022 to 57 per cent this year, as per a recent report from the regulator Ofcom. Approximately 17 million households now enjoy this service, with 4.6 million individuals currently connected. Interestingly, uptake in rural areas is nearly double that of urban counterparts.

The report highlights a noteworthy reduction of over a quarter in the number of homes and businesses lacking access to ‘decent’ broadband. Ofcom estimates that approximately 11,000 business premises will be connected through publicly funded initiatives in the coming year.

Northern Ireland leads among the four UK nations, with 91 per cent of its population having access to full fibre broadband.

In terms of mobile data, the report notes a 140 per cent growth in 5G traffic, constituting approximately 17 per cent of mobile data traffic, while 4G still dominates at around 81 per cent of total data traffic.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s network and communications group director, commented, “The rapid rise in availability of full-fibre broadband is good news for people and businesses across the UK, with millions more able to benefit from fast, reliable and future-proof internet. When the time comes to take out a new broadband contract, we encourage people to shop around and find out what options are available to make sure they are on the best package for their needs.”