Openreach hits full-fibre tipping point

Openreach has reported that in 2024 it extended coverage to an additional 4.2 million premises, bringing the total to 17 million with access to its network.

The Ofcom study comes as broadband usage across the UK is fundamentally growing strongly, expected to reach record levels in 2024, reflecting the nation’s increasing reliance on high-speed connectivity. It predicts UK broadband usage surged 10.8% in 2024, reaching record levels.

The Openreach milestone means that over half of all UK homes and businesses now have access to faster and more reliable broadband. The company added that it was building its full-fibre network faster and further than any other UK provider, reaching 78,000 new premises every week.

This is said to be the equivalent of a city the size of Peterborough. Of the installations, 4.3 million are in the more remote, rural and hardest-to-reach areas, ensuring improved digital access for communities across the country, including the far north Isle of Unst in Shetland to the Isles of Scilly off southwest Cornwall.

Openreach said demand for its full-fibre network was also surging, with orders increasing by 26% in the past year – around 68,000 orders every week, through more than 300 service providers, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen.

“Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for the UK, and the increased traffic on our broadband network is evidence that customers are increasingly reliant on it in their daily lives,” said Openreach CEO Clive Selley.

“We’re building and connecting people faster than ever before, and I’m proud of the progress our engineers have made,” he added. “We’re well on our way to delivering our ambition of reaching 25 million homes and business by the end of 2026, and now our sights are set on reaching 30 million premises by the end of 2030. While over a third of properties have already switched, there’s plenty of room for more people to get a better connection right now. So, why not check if you could get faster – and potentially cheaper – broadband today?”