84% UK premises now able to get gigabit broadband, claims Ofcom

Eighty-four per cent of UK premises are able to get gigabit-capable broadband, according to new Ofcom data published today.

This means internet companies are well on track to meet the UK Government’s initial target of 85% Gigabit coverage by the end of 2025.

The figures, which come from Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring update, show that in January 27.2 million premises (84%) could access broadband with speeds of 1000 Mbit/s or more, up from 82% in July 2024.

Ofcom’s new data also shows that nearly three-quarters of premises (73% or 23.7 million) can access full-fibre broadband, which uses fibre-optic cables to deliver faster and more reliable internet connections, up from 67% last year.

Progress in reducing the number of premises unable to get decent broadband, defined by the Government as download speeds of at least 10 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s, has also continued. 48,000 properties are without access to decent broadband, down from 58,000 last year. This is expected to drop further as publicly funded schemes roll out better broadband to the most rural and remote communities.

Mobile coverage has remained stable since September 2024, with around 96% of the UK landmass predicted to have good outdoor 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator. 5G coverage has also remained stable over the previous four months, with around 62% of the UK landmass predicted to have 5G coverage from at least one mobile network operator.