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Latest Key Developments

KCOM Publish Prices for Broadband Infrastructure Sharing in Hull UK UPDATE

3rd Jul, 2025 (15 Comments)

Hull-based network operator KCOM, which has already deployed their own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across a big chunk of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has today quietly published their first terms and pricing details for a new PIA solution. The product allows rivals to run new fibre via the operator’s existing cable ducts and poles.

Subsea fibre optic cable visualisation for Mark Jackson by MS CoPilot 03072025

Gov Planning New UK Law to Help Protect Subsea Fibre Optic Cables

3rd Jul, 2025 (8 Comments)

The UK Government’s Minister for Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant MP, has told the Joint Committee’s ongoing Undersea Cables Inquiry that they will need to draft new laws in order to better address the growing risk of deliberate sabotage against our vital subsea fibre optic cables – responsible for carrying much of the world’s internet data traffic.

Openreach engineers building full fibre network in chamber

Openreach Name 21 New UK Locations for FTTP Broadband Build Plan

1st Jul, 2025 (52 Comments)

Network operator Openreach (BT) has today published an updated build plan for the ongoing roll-out of their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband ISP network, which is the first update since December 2024 and adds 21 new locations – covering 80,000 extra UK premises – to their national deployment plan.

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A Year Early – £1bn SRN Project Delivers 95 Percent UK Cover of 4G Mobile

30th Jun, 2025 (5 Comments)

The Government has announced that the £1bn industry-led Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, which aimed to extend geographic 4G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage to 95% of the UK (aggregate) by the end of 2025 (5G also benefits from the new infrastructure), has “achieved its overarching target a year ahead of schedule“. But there’s more work left to do.

EU Reveals 2025 Gigabit Broadband and 5G Coverage Progress vs UK

27th Jun, 2025 (16 Comments)

The European Commission (EC) recently published their annual 2025 study of broadband coverage in Europe, which reveals how the EU’s fixed gigabit broadband (FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax) and 5G mobile networks compare across all of its 27 countries. We compare this with the United Kingdom below.

Project Reach Launched to Fix Mobile Signal Notspots on UK Rail Network

26th Jun, 2025 (9 Comments)

The UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) has today taken the wrappings off Project Reach, which reflects a public-private partnership that will deploy “ultra fast fibre optic cable” across 1,000 kilometres of major rail lines to help “eliminate mobile signal blackspots” in tunnels on “key rail routes” up and down the country.

Ofcom Launch Improved UK 4G and 5G Mobile Speed and Coverage Checker

26th Jun, 2025 (17 Comments)

The UK communications and media regulator, Ofcom, has today launched an overhauled mobile network coverage checker, which includes enhancements that are intended to better match people’s real-world experiences, particularly of modern 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) service performance and signal strength.

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Freedom Fibre Scales Back North Shropshire Project Gigabit Broadband Contract UPDATE

25th Jun, 2025 (12 Comments)

The Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency has just announced that alternative network provider Freedom Fibre has had to scale back their £24m (state aid) Project Gigabit broadband roll-out contract for North Shropshire (LOT 25.02 in England), which originally aimed to cover “around” 12,000 hard-to-reach rural homes (here).

Road closure, roadworks with traffic cones and warning sign on a rural country road in Buckinghamshire, UK 123rf

Boost for Broadband and Mobile as UK Sets 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy UPDATE

20th Jun, 2025 (6 Comments)

The UK Government has published its Infrastructure Strategy for the next 10 years – backed by £725bn in long-term funding for maintenance and major projects, which promises to “transform how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered” in order to “deliver stability, investment and national renewal“. And there’s some good news for broadband and mobile networks.

Big Ben, London Westminster Bridge and Houses of Parliament - 123rf

New Data Use and Access Law to Help UK Utility Maps and ISP Comparisons

19th Jun, 2025 (2 Comments)

The UK government has today announced that their Data Use and Access Bill has become law (Royal Assent), which pledges to inject £10bn into the British economy over 10-years by, among other things, supporting personalised market comparisons for utility pricing and putting a new digital map of underground broadband cables and pipes on a “statutory footing“.

switch broadband ISP direction sign illustration

Ofcom Warns UK Broadband ISPs NOT to Use Alternative Switching Methods

19th Jun, 2025 (29 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has posted an update on their investigation into the performance of the new consumer broadband and phone switching system (One Touch Switching). This found no major problems with the biggest ISPs but did warn that some providers on Openreach’s network were using an “alternative switching method“, which they said must stop.

Scotland May Reissue Gigabit Broadband Tender for Fife, Perth and Kinross

17th Jun, 2025 (0 Comments)

The Scottish Government (SG) looks as if they could be preparing to “relaunch” their proposed gigabit broadband roll-out procurement for Fife, Perth and Kinross during September 2025. This might take a second stab at trying to find a supplier that can help upgrade the remaining set of hardest-to-reach premises.

VodafoneThree Sign Outside UK Office Building in June 2025

VodafoneThree Outline Future UK Network Plans and 4G to 5G Speed Boosts

12th Jun, 2025 (55 Comments)

VodafoneThree, which reflects the now finalised c.£16bn merger between Vodafone and Three UK (here), has this morning set out a set of post-merger plans for their 4G / 5G mobile (mobile broadband) network coverage, performance and branding. Starting with a 20% average speed boost on 4G for Three and SMARTY customers, and a new broadband partnership with CommunityFibre.

London Big Ben Over Thames by MJackson - IMG20250111113401

Gov’s 2025 Spending Review Delays UK Gigabit Broadband Target to 2032 UPDATE

11th Jun, 2025 (13 Comments)

The UK Government’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has today delivered her 2025 Spending Review, which included a few bits of new information and updated figures for telecoms. But as well as confirming £1.9bn for broadband and mobile projects (existing commitments), it also appeared to reflect a delay to the gigabit broadband roll-out from 2030 to 2032.

Welsh Gov Update Plan for £70m Extending High Speed Broadband Project

9th Jun, 2025 (0 Comments)

The Welsh Government (WG) today issued an update on their long awaited £70m (state aid) “Extending High Speed Broadband” (EHSB) project for Wales, which now intends to help upgrade around 25,000 to 30,000 poorly served premises (down from the original aspiration of c.84,000) in areas that can’t yet get “superfast” speeds of 30Mbps+.

Hyperoptic to Extend UK FTTP Broadband Coverage via Openreach

9th Jun, 2025 (28 Comments)

In a significant strategic development. City-focused UK ISP Hyperoptic, which has spent the past few years deploying their own alternative full fibre (FTTP/B) gigabit broadband network to cover 1.9 million premises (up from 1.73m in July 2024), has confirmed to ISPreview that they plan to extend this to “at least” another 1 million premises – albeit using Openreach’s FTTP products.

Scotland Stops £43m Gigabit Broadband Tender for Fife, Perth and Kinross

7th Jun, 2025 (5 Comments)

ISPreview has uncovered that the Scottish Government (SG) have stopped their tender for a supplier to deliver on the proposed £43m (state aid) Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme in Fife, Perth and Kinross (Lot 4 – Scotland). This had been expected to help expand full fibre (FTTP) connectivity to an estimated 28,441 premises in hard-to-reach rural areas.