According to the latest data from Ofcom, more than 40% of homes in the UK now have access to full fiber broadband connections due to the ‘record pace’ of roll-out.
Ofcom revealed in its annual report to the United Nations that 12.4 million households now have access to full fiber connections. This is an increase of 4.3 million over last year. However, despite the rollout continuing at an accelerated pace, Ofcom also revealed that household adoption remains low. After all, only about 25 percent of households served by full fiber connections choose to pay for it.
Not sure if your property can get a full fiber optic connection? Take a look at our broadband deals today. Just give us your zip code and we’ll show you exactly what deals are available in your area.
Average broadband speeds in the UK
The data revealed that the average download speed of home broadband in the UK is currently 59.4Mbps. However, although the average speed is increasing, the gap between UK households receiving the fastest and slowest speeds is widening. This has resulted in many customers gaining access to full fiber services. After all, full fiber connections (along with upgraded cable networks) have the potential to deliver download speeds of one gigabit per second (gigabit/s) or higher.
Fortunately, 97% of UK homes now have access to ultra-fast broadband. However, on the flip side, nearly 80,000 homes and businesses across the country do not have access to “decent” broadband, which the government defines as providing download speeds of 10Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps.
This is the minimum speed that must be available to buildings under the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which provides a legal right to require a decent broadband connection, up to the cost limit of £3,400 per building.
The good news is that steps are being taken to address this. For example, while 80,000 homes are still below that limit, that number is down from 123,000 last year. Ofcom also estimates that an additional 15,000 such buildings will be covered in the next 12 months.
In addition, the spread of 5G has increased rapidly in the past year. Ofcom estimates that around 70% of properties in the UK are in areas where 5G is available from at least one mobile network operator. This is up from about 50% last year.
What broadband offers are available in my area?
If you’re worried your existing connection is slow or you’re looking for a cheaper deal, head over to our broadband deals page. We can show you the cheapest, fastest, and best deals available with every provider in your area. In addition, we also answer a number of frequently asked questions to help you find the best deal for your needs.
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