Openreach has hit a major milestone in the upgrade of its broadband network that now reaches 20m homes across the UK, giving more homes access to fast, reliable full fibre technology – but it says millions of people are still missing out by not upgrading, and the right industry support will help complete its final connections.
Engineers have now laid full fibre cables throughout the country, but in spite of the network being ready and available via a host of popular service providers, only around 38 per cent of households that can order full fibre from Openreach have made the switch.
That means many are unnecessarily still stuck on slower, less reliable copper connections, and they’re missing out on the benefits of speed, stability and resilience that full fibre offers.
Openreach’s project has seen engineers upgrading the network to now reach more than a million new premises every three months – figures that include around 33,000 medical facilities and more than 25,000 colleges, schools and universities, helping to transform access to critical services.
Clive Selley, Openreach’s Chief Executive (pictured) said: “Reaching 20m premises is a UK infrastructure success story but the job’s not done yet - and the next premises are some of the very hardest to connect.
“To finish the job, we need the right support as an industry, including targeted help for some rural areas, faster planning approvals, better access to multi-dwelling buildings, and a regulatory and policy environment that gives investors’ confidence and allows competition to thrive.”