2 in 3 UK households can get gigabit broadband, claims Ofcom
UK households looking to get faster home broadband have received a welcome boost, with new Ofcom figures revealing two-thirds of homes can now sign up to gigabit broadband.
Gigabit broadband is the fastest home broadband available and offers speeds of at least 1 Gigabit per second (Gbit/s) – allowing you to download a movie in HD in under a minute. Ofcom’s latest figures show these speeds are available to 66% of all UK homes (19.3 million) – up from 37% this time last year.
Full-fibre broadband, which delivers internet using fibre-optic cables without the need for decades-old copper wires, has also seen major increases in availability. A third (33% – 9.6 million) of all homes can now get full-fibre packages, which offer faster and more reliable internet. This is up from 21% when Ofcom reported in May 2021.
This progress comes as a number of competing companies continue to roll out faster networks across the UK. This includes in hard-to-reach areas, with the number of premises unable to get a decent connection – classed as offering download speeds of at least 10 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s – now falling to just under 100,000.
However, this still leaves many people struggling to get connected. Some may be eligible for the broadband universal service, which helps connect people who are unable to get decent speeds.
Says Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Group Director of Network and Communications:
“Our rules encourage companies to invest in improving their networks, and we’re now seeing a real race to roll out faster internet to people across the UK. But faster needn’t mean bigger bills – full fibre packages are on offer for around £25 per month, so you can boost your broadband without paying a packet.”
Today’s figures also show a 4G mobile signal is predicted to be available in around 92% of the UK’s landmass – in-line with our last update in December. And while mobile companies are still building their 5G networks, our figures show outdoor 5G coverage is on offer from at least one provider to around half of UK homes.
This data is published in Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring update, which provides a snapshot of the availability of broadband and mobile services across the UK and its nations, as of January this year. Ofcom’s broadband and mobile checker, which allows you to check what coverage is available in your area, has also been updated to include the latest figures.
