EXCLUSIVE: UK reaches 74% premises coverage with full fibre

The good news on a grey winters day is that the full fibre roll-outs are still going on and while there has been some slow down from some operators and total pauses in new roll-out for some the overall pace is still respectable. The 39 days it has taken for the last point increase in coverage is not just slow due to changes in roll-out rates but the degree of overlap between the different networks increasing and the act of taking a break from working on broadband coverage for a few days over Christmas.

The list of shame, which is the ten local authority areas with the least amount of FTTP (to see the full list of councils, head over to our council list), has been updated to:

• Na h-Eileanan an Iar 6.89%, an increase of 0.19 since 13th December 2024
• Isles of Scilly 9.41% FTTP, no change since 14th October 2024
• Shetland Islands 11.71%, an increase of 0.76 since 13th December 2024
• Harlow District 13.90%, an increase of 0.06 since 13th December 2024
• Orkney Islands 15.97%, an increase of 0.38 since 13th December 2024
• West Dunbartonshire 19.81%, an increase of 2.09 since 13th December 2024
• Argyll and Bute 22.50%, an increase of 1.00 since 13th December 2024
• Perth and Kinross 24.61%, an increase of 0.44 since 13th December 2024
• Warwick District 31.47%, an increase of 0.61 since 13th December 2024
• South Tyneside District 31.92%, new entrant in the bottom ten local authorities

Telford and Wrekin has dragged itself out of the bottom ten with a jump from 29.30% full fibre coverage to 32.36%.

While the Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) appears cemented at the bottom of the table the fact two entries now have full fibre available to 3 in 10 premises highlights that the roll-outs are continuing and its not just the big urban cities getting to enjoy the best broadband and speeds.