Almost a quarter of UK homes can get full-fibre broadband according to new figures from Ofcom which reveal that the number of households covered by full-fibre networks has grown from 21% at the start of the year to 24% to now stand at just under 7 million.
The telecoms regulator also says that nearly 12 million (40%) homes can get gigabit-capable broadband (able to deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s) – up from 37% in January. This includes full fibre and the fastest cable internet packages.
The vast majority of homes (96%) can get superfast broadband (download speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s), while almost all homes have access to a ‘decent’ connection (10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload) – enough to browse the internet, stream TV shows or make video calls.
However, around 134,000 properties are still unable to get a decent connection and could be eligible for an upgrade under the broadband universal service obligation.
Yih-Choung Teh, Group Director Strategy and Research at Ofcom, said: “Over two million households have upgraded their internet package since the pandemic began, and broadband firms are rushing to meet the UK’s need for speed.
“With full-fibre networks being built at a record rate, the UK’s networks are being made fit for the future. But our figures show work is still needed to get decent broadband to remote parts of the UK.”