- Half of UK premises now able to access gigabit-capable
broadband, up from 6% in 2019
-
Ministers and broadband operators mark significant milestone
during London Tech Week
-
Stourbridge, West Dunbartonshire and Solihull see the
greatest jumps in gigabit coverage
-
Comes shortly after Virgin Media O2 expands gigabit network
to cover over 10 million homes
More than half (50.2%) of UK homes and businesses can now access
the fastest commercial broadband speeds available, according to
new figures from ThinkBroadband.
On the second day of London Tech Week, ministers and the telecoms
industry welcomed this significant milestone in bringing
next-generation internet speeds to every corner of the UK.
Passing 50 per cent national coverage means more than 15 million
properties can access a broadband connection capable of download
speeds of 1,000 megabits or one gigabit per second.
This is a huge leap in gigabit broadband availability, which
stood at just 6 per cent in January 2019.
Since then the government has embarked on Project
Gigabit, the biggest broadband rollout in British history,
with an unprecedented £5 billion of funding to connect
hard-to-reach areas.
The telecoms industry has also vastly expanded its investment in
and rollout of gigabit-capable networks. Earlier this month
Virgin Media O2 connected a further 1.7 million homes to gigabit
services, expanding its gigabit network to cover more than 10
million homes across the country, with plans to upgrade its
entire footprint of 15.5 million homes before the end of 2021.
Digital Secretary said:
“We’ve passed the halfway point in our national mission to level
up the UK with lightning-fast gigabit broadband.
“Millions of people can now access the fastest, most reliable
internet connections, allowing them full advantage of new
technologies over the next forty years.
“Thanks to the work of industry and our record £5 billion
investment, we are making phenomenal progress in the Prime
Minister’s infrastructure revolution.”
Lutz Schüler, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Media O2 said:
“As the UK’s largest gigabit provider, Virgin Media O2 is leading
the charge to roll out next-generation services across our entire
network at an unrivalled pace. Our continued investment has
brought future-proof gigabit connectivity to more than 10 million
homes and we’re committed to finishing the job.
“With a clear plan to connect our entire network to gigabit
speeds by the end of the year, we’re
proud to be playing the leading role in delivering most of the
Government’s broadband target ahead
of schedule and boosting the UK up the global broadband league
tables.”
Andrew Ferguson, editor of ThinkBroadband said:
“We are pleased to see the UK break through the 50 per cent mark
for gigabit availability across the UK and if existing plans from
providers come to fruition we are looking at 65 to 68 per cent
gigabit coverage in early 2022.
“The next few years are going to be transformative for the UK
broadband market with the many full fibre networks being built
and we look forward to mapping all of them and ensuring the
public can easily see what their broadband options are.”
Across the country, communities have seen massive increases in
gigabit broadband coverage spurred by public and commercial
investment. West Dunbartonshire in Scotland, for example, has
seen gigabit broadband availability surge from just 1 per cent in
July 2020 to 95% today.
In Blackpool, gigabit broadband coverage jumped from 2 per cent
in January 2019 to nearly 85 per cent today. In Reading, it has
rocketed from 5 per cent in January 2019 to 93 per cent.
Elsewhere, Stourbridge in Worcestershire has seen gigabit
broadband availability jump from 0% in January 2020 to 96% today.
While in Solihull in the West Midlands, it stood at 3% in Jan
2019 but has now hit 91.5% today.
Gigabit connectivity, which is predominantly delivered via full
or hybrid fibre broadband cables running into homes and
businesses, will be increasingly necessary in the coming years as
more and more internet-connected ‘smart’ devices become available
for the home. And it will provide the bandwidth needed for
families to run and enjoy new developments in entertainment such
as 8K TV and VR gaming on multiple devices at the same time.
As more people work remotely, gigabit broadband will also bring
much faster and more reliable connectivity to rural and
hard-to-reach communities, making them more attractive places for
people to settle, raise families and start and grow businesses.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
