In the latest release of Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, the regulator has provided insight into the state of mobile coverage and broadband availability across the UK.
The report, which delves deep into the accessibility of essential services, brings encouraging news regarding full-fibre broadband accessibility and a steady course for mobile coverage.
Full-fibre reaches majority of UK homes
The standout revelation from the report is the availability of full-fibre broadband, which is now accessible to the majority of UK households. 52 percent of homes, equivalent to 15.4 million households, now enjoy the benefits of full-fibre services.
The milestone has been primarily achieved by major fibre operators, complemented by smaller providers serving specific communities and regions.
Moreover, the report reveals that gigabit-capable broadband is now accessible to 75 percent of UK homes—a slight increase from the previous figure of 73 percent.
Superfast broadband, defined as download speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s, continues to maintain 97 percent availability across the country. The remaining three percent of properties, mainly located in challenging-to-reach areas, may benefit from recent publicly-funded initiatives aimed at bridging this connectivity gap.
Steady mobile coverage
The report indicates that while mobile coverage hasn’t witnessed a significant increase since the last update, the industry is actively working on expanding its coverage.
Approximately 93 percent of the UK is expected to have reliable outdoor 4G coverage from at least one operator. This figure is anticipated to rise to 95 percent by the end of 2025, courtesy of the Shared Rural Network initiative.
However, certain geographic and road areas in the UK continue to suffer from 4G not-spots—where no mobile operator provides reliable service.
Geographic not-spots have marginally decreased from eight percent to seven percent since the previous report, while road coverage remains largely consistent—with just four percent of all roads designated as in-vehicle not-spots. These figures vary significantly across different nations, particularly in Scotland and Wales.
Regarding calls and texts, coverage remains relatively stable. Mobile operators offer a range of predicted coverage from 85-93 percent of the UK, depending on the operator. Additionally, 99 percent of all UK premises are expected to have outdoor voice call coverage from all mobile operators.
For more comprehensive insights, readers are encouraged to explore the full Connected Nations report or utilise the interactive report.
See also: Vodafone to use Amazon’s LEO satellite network to extend 4G/5G
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