Leading broadband news site reveals UK coverage status

Thinkbroadband, the UK’s leading news and information website for broadband, recently revealed that the nation has now reached 64 per cent full-fibre coverage.

The report added that almost 3,000 businesses and homes across the UK also have a choice of selecting between five different Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) networks.

The new statistic marks an increase from the last update issued on February 17th of this year, when FTTP coverage in the UK hit 63 per cent. While this newest point of coverage was slower to arrive than anticipated, the site believes that its longer-term projections remain on course.

As a result, regarding future milestones, the broadband experts still predict that the UK will achieve 85 per cent gigabit coverage by August this year, and 85 per cent full-fibre coverage by July of next year.

The site noted that among the busiest areas enjoying full fibre with a choice of five different networks are Braintree, Essex and Sandhurst. However, its “list of shame” included remote areas making little progress, like the Shetland and Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, and the Argyll and Bute area.

It anticipates that with the current ambitions of BT’s Openreach and the planned conversion of existing Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) to FTTP through Project Mustang, more than 50 per cent of the UK is almost guaranteed to have the option to access two or more full fibre networks between 2027 and 2028.