LSBUD report UK telecoms industry delivers 36.2 percent of searches for digging work

The LSBUD (Line Search Before You Dig) organisation, which provides an online asset search facility to UK street works firms for underground pipes and cables, has published their Digging Up Britain 2026 report and revealed that telecoms (broadband, mobile etc.) remains the “most active industry” when it comes to searching before digging (36.2% of all searches, down from 37.5% in 2025).

The report notes that, during 2025, the number of search enquiries that passed through LSBUD’s portal reached 4.094 million (up from 3.85m last year). Thanks to the roll-out of new mobile and full fibre broadband infrastructure, telecoms has remained the dominant industry in need of detailed underground mapping, amassing a total of 1,504,000 searches or 36.2% of the total (a 4% increase on last year) – closely followed by the water sector (27.3%).

“Given that searches overall increased by 6%, the telecoms share of the total declined slightly. However, thanks to the Government’s ongoing commitment (backed by some £1.9 billion capital investment up to 2029-30) to continue delivery of both Project Gigabit and SRN programmes, searches for the telecoms sector will likely continue to hold strong for the mid-term,” said the report.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations UK Report, third-party faults accounted for around 14% of broadband service incidents reported in the UK during 2025. While some of this figure was due to failed backhaul circuits from wholesale providers, it also included items such as street works causing cable breakages.

Richard Broome, MD of LSBUD, said:

“For the first time ever, searches through the LSBUD platform have exceeded 4 million, a sign that safer behaviour is becoming much more deeply embedded across our industry, which is a significant achievement for ourselves and the sector.

It’s fantastic to see that the electricity industry has seen such a significant increase in enquiries once again. Nearly all areas of works are increasing searches before they dig, and the number of asset strikes prevented speak for themselves. It’s great to see that the safe digging message is really starting to hit home.

Our asset base has grown by 25% in the past year – a massive increase. This means that more than 170 organisations, accounting for over 2.5 million kilometres of pipelines and cables, are now LSBUD members, all of which are reaping the benefits of being on the platform and protecting their assets. Most importantly, it means that we are all working towards our joint goal of safe digging for all.”

Currently, it’s noted that only 26% of the UK’s telecoms network is registered on LSBUD, leaving 1,600,000 kilometres “unprotected and at risk of being hit“. But this doesn’t consider the fact that the Government’s new National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), which represents a new digital UK map of underground pipes and cables (broadband, power, water etc.) – intended to help reduce accidental damage, may be picking up some of the slack. LSBUD recently reached a collaboration agreement with the NUAR (here).