Project Gigabit, Contract by Contract: What Has Been Built by September 2026

Who this is for: Households and businesses waiting for full fibre in rural areas, parish councils and community groups following their local build, and anyone who wants to see how the government's broadband programme is going. For how Project Gigabit works, see our Project Gigabit explainer.

How much of Project Gigabit has been built so far?

Direct answer: By 17 September 2026, the new networks had reached 318,000 of the 846,770 homes and businesses in Project Gigabit contracts, BDUK's monthly table shows. That's more than double the 150,730 in October 2025.

Building Digital UK, the government body that runs Project Gigabit, has published this table every month since October 2025. The number reached went up in every edition, rising by 167,270 over 11 months, or about 15,200 a month on average (our sums). That rise includes Northern Ireland's 2,490, which joined the table in August 2026. The September total was 21,230 higher than August's, the second-biggest monthly rise after April. The contracted total has moved too, from 1,002,270 in October 2025 to 846,770 now, mainly because some contracts were redesigned in May 2026. So the number reached is the fairest way to track progress over time.

Which Project Gigabit contracts show 100% built?

Direct answer: Five contracts show 100% built in BDUK's September 2026 table: Central Cornwall, North Dorset, North Shropshire, Northumberland and South West Cornwall. The government declared North Oxfordshire complete on 13 October 2026.

BDUK's contracted figures only count "the initial scope of contracts", and some were made smaller during the year: Central Cornwall went from 9,810 contracted premises to 6,940 in March 2026, and South West Cornwall from 11,140 to 6,400 in April. So 100% means every premises in BDUK's current contracted figure is built.

How is my area's contract doing?

Direct answer: Find your area in the chart below. It ranks all 38 contracts by the share of their premises reached so far, with the numbers BDUK published for 17 September 2026.

Openreach's "CO" contracts sit lower down. One likely reason: BDUK's first table in October 2025 showed five of the seven call-offs then listed with fewer than 100 premises built. Several were also made bigger during 2026, which lowers their share built. BDUK says "'CO' refers to Type C Call Off contracts". Contracted figures only count "the initial scope of contracts", and BDUK warns its figures "should not be used to assess whether contractual milestones have been met". Our guide to Openreach full fibre upgrades explains what happens when Openreach reaches your street.

Two notes for readers checking their area. West Herefordshire and the Forest of Dean are now part of CO3, which doesn't carry their names; GOV.UK says the Forest of Dean was added in September 2026, so it may not show in these figures yet. And North Oxfordshire shows 3,880 of 4,180 here, although the government has declared it complete with 3,880 premises; our North Oxfordshire guide explains.

Which contracts moved fastest this summer?

Direct answer: Lincolnshire and East Riding reached the most extra premises between May and September 2026, at 5,720, followed by Cumbria at 4,420. Three Openreach call-offs each added close to 4,000.

BDUK's total reached was 61,320 higher in September than in May, including Northern Ireland's 2,490, which joined the table in August 2026. As a group, Openreach's eight call-offs added the most of any supplier, going from 32,740 to 54,750 built, 22,010 of the rise, by our sums.

Who is building it?

Direct answer: Ten companies hold the 38 contracts. Openreach has the most premises under contract, and CityFibre has built the most so far, by our sums from BDUK's table.

What about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Direct answer: BDUK's table lists one Scottish contract and one in Northern Ireland, while Wales sits inside two Openreach contracts shared with England. The government's progress update gives extra figures for each nation.

Why did some numbers go down?

Direct answer: Mostly because suppliers resubmitted data and earlier records were removed, to be re-added later. BDUK says the August changes reflect "updates to underlying administrative data rather than a change in delivery performance".

How have the contracts changed this year?

Direct answer: Some areas moved to new suppliers and some contracts were redesigned. In May 2026, for example, CityFibre and BDUK redesigned several contracts after a big rise in commercial building.

For Norfolk, GOV.UK says the redesigned contract now covers "around 33,000 premises backed with £61.9 million investment through Project Gigabit". For Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire, it says "less public funding is required and the contract is no longer appropriate", and that BDUK is "in discussions with other suppliers" for the few premises not covered by any rollout plans.

Is 318,000 the same as the 1.46 million I've seen elsewhere?

Direct answer: No. The 318,000 counts homes and businesses reached inside current Project Gigabit contracts. The 1,462,910 is BDUK's official estimate of all premises that have received gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidy since its gigabit programmes began.

Is my home in Project Gigabit, and can I order?

Direct answer: Check the GOV.UK gigabit checker, then the contract page for your area, then the building company's own checker. When it says you can order, choose a provider on that network.

Built means the new network reaches you; it doesn't switch anyone over. Our address check guide walks you through it, and our guide to missing out when next door has full fibre explains why neighbours can get different answers.

What if my home isn't in any contract?

Direct answer: Keep checking: BDUK reviews providers' plans every four months and is still adding premises to contracts. New gigabit voucher projects closed on 31 August 2026.

The government's progress update says that "Between January and July 2026, for example, BDUK added premises to existing contracts covering parts of Essex, Herefordshire and Shropshire", and that it intends to complete its remaining framework awards "by the end of 2027". Meanwhile, our village full fibre playbook sets out the routes still open, and our Starlink guide covers satellite for the hardest-to-reach homes.

Is Openreach building full fibre in my area outside Project Gigabit?

Direct answer: It may be. Openreach's own build list, updated in October 2026, names 3,519 exchange areas. It says it has finished the main part of its build in 2,154 of them and is building in 1,307 more. The list doesn't include its Project Gigabit work.

As well as its eight Project Gigabit call-offs, Openreach builds full fibre through its own programmes. Its build list covers its "Fibre First Towns, Cities and Boroughs Build Programme as well as Market towns and villages build Programmes", and Openreach says it "doesn't show FTTP deployment related to BDUK". Each line is an exchange area, the patch served by one telephone exchange, which Openreach says covers "a village, small town or part of a larger town or city". You can find yours on Openreach's build map.

So if your exchange is on Openreach's list, full fibre may reach your street without Project Gigabit. Even then, Openreach says some properties are "too difficult or complex to upgrade commercially", but they "may be covered by another one of our programmes or through public funding". Either way, Openreach suggests registering for updates through its Fibre Checker, which follows your own home rather than the exchange as a whole.

How has Openreach's build list changed since March 2026?

Direct answer: Openreach now lists 2,154 exchanges where it has finished the main part of its build, up from 1,383 in its March 2026 list. That's 771 more in about seven months, by our count of the two lists.

Across Openreach's four lists since June 2025, the number of exchanges with the main build finished has more than tripled, from 688 to 2,154. Stop-sell, where providers can no longer sell new copper services because most premises can get full fibre, is now active in 1,311 of the listed exchanges, 239 more than in March. Openreach's press release gives a bigger total: it says stop-sell will be active in 1,663 exchanges, covering around 16.4 million premises, by 5 November 2026. Our guide to the newest stop-sell list has the latest exchanges.

The list is slightly shorter than in March, at 3,519 exchanges rather than 3,525. Six left it: Broxton, Edale, Hamstall Ridware, Hungarton, Masham and Weston Zoyland. And 58 exchanges are listed as "We'll be building in this exchange in the future", 47 of which were listed as "We're building in this area already" in March. Openreach's list doesn't give reasons for changes to individual exchanges, but its build page says: "We don't like changing plans, but from time-to-time we do need to."

If your exchange has left the list or moved to "in the future", there's still hope. Openreach says that not being on its current plan "doesn't mean we won't come back and build more in the future", and the GOV.UK gigabit checker shows whether gigabit broadband is "available or planned" for your address in England and Wales.

What do stop-sell and Exchange Exit mean on Openreach's list?

Direct answer: Stop-sell means providers can no longer sell new copper broadband and phone services in that exchange, because at least 75% of the premises it serves can get full fibre. Exchange Exit marks exchange buildings Openreach plans to close by 2030, with lines moved to other exchanges.

If you're on a copper line in a stop-sell exchange but can't get full fibre yet, Openreach says customers in that position "won't be impacted and can stay on their existing copper-based service until Full Fibre does become available". The separate move of landlines to digital phone lines is covered in our copper switch-off guide.

How does this fit with UK gigabit coverage?

Direct answer: Ofcom says 89% of UK homes could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026. Project Gigabit is aimed at homes and businesses unlikely to be reached by commercial rollout alone, towards the government's 99% target for 2032.

The government's progress update puts it as "more than 88% of homes and businesses", with "approximately 4 million premises remaining without coverage". Ofcom's 89% figure counts homes, while the government's figure covers homes and businesses together. Openreach says its own full fibre network "is available to more than 23.5 million premises", and its plan is for "25 million homes and businesses by 2026".

Keep going: more on Project Gigabit and rural full fibre

Frequently asked questions

What is Project Gigabit?

It is "the government programme to bring gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses unlikely to be reached through commercial, privately-funded rollout alone", in the government's words. Building Digital UK runs it.

How many homes and businesses has Project Gigabit reached so far?

318,000 homes and businesses inside current contracts, which BDUK counts as "built", by its snapshot of 17 September 2026. Separately, BDUK's official statistics estimate that 1,462,910 premises have received gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidy since its gigabit programmes began, to June 2026.

Which Project Gigabit contracts show 100% built?

Central Cornwall, North Dorset, North Shropshire, Northumberland and South West Cornwall show 100% built in BDUK's September 2026 table. The government declared North Oxfordshire complete on 13 October 2026.

What does "built" mean in BDUK's table?

BDUK says it tracks "the number of contracted premises to which the supplier has delivered a gigabit-capable connection". Put simply, the new network reaches the premises.

Does built mean I can order full fibre?

BDUK's figures run behind what's happening on the ground, because there is "a variable time lag" before data reaches it. The building company's own checker is the best guide to when you can order.

Why did some Project Gigabit numbers go down?

Mostly because suppliers resubmitted data and earlier records were removed, to be re-added later. BDUK says the August 2026 changes "reflect updates to underlying administrative data rather than a change in delivery performance".

Is my home in a Project Gigabit contract?

Put your postcode into the GOV.UK gigabit checker, which covers England and Wales, then look at GOV.UK's Project Gigabit contract pages to see who is building in your area.

Which supplier is building the most Project Gigabit premises?

Openreach has the most premises under contract, at 357,930 across eight call-offs, which BDUK calls "Type C Call Off contracts" and numbers CO1 to CO8. CityFibre has the most built so far, at 78,950, by our sums from BDUK's September 2026 table.

Is Openreach's own full fibre build list part of Project Gigabit?

No. Openreach says its build list "doesn't show FTTP deployment related to BDUK", which runs Project Gigabit. Its October 2026 list names 3,519 exchange areas, and says the main part of the build is finished in 2,154 of them.

What is Project Gigabit doing in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

BDUK's table shows CO6 Rest of Scotland at 7,030 of 77,640 built, and Northern Ireland at 2,490 of 9,330 built, in September 2026.

Can I still get a gigabit broadband voucher?

Not for a new project. The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme closed to new voucher project submissions on 31 August 2026.

When will Project Gigabit reach my home?

The government's target is gigabit-capable broadband for 99% of homes and businesses by 2032. The GOV.UK checker is next updated in February 2027, and your supplier's own checker may be more up to date.

References

• Building Digital UK. (2025, October 24). October 2025: Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts/october-2025-premises-contracted-and-built-under-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK. (2026a, August 24). August 2026: Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts/august-2026-premises-contracted-and-built-under-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK. (2026b, September 17). Bulletin: BDUK delivery performance, quarterly: April 2026 to June 2026 [Official statistics]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bduk-delivery-performance-quarterly-april-2026-to-june-2026/bulletin-bduk-delivery-performance-quarterly-april-2026-to-june-2026
• Building Digital UK. (2026c, October 6). Check your gigabit broadband availability. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-your-gigabit-broadband-availability
• Building Digital UK. (2026d, September 2). Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gigabit-broadband-voucher-scheme-information
• Building Digital UK. (2026e, June 19). June 2026: Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts/june-2026-premises-contracted-and-built-under-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK. (2026f, May 26). May 2026: Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts/may-2026-premises-contracted-and-built-under-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK. (2026g, September 24). Premises contracted and built, Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data, monthly editions October 2025 to September 2026]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK. (2026h, February 27). Project Gigabit network build contract: Cheshire. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/project-gigabit-network-build-contract-cheshire
• Building Digital UK. (2026i, May 26). Project Gigabit network build contract: Norfolk. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/project-gigabit-network-build-contract-norfolk
• Building Digital UK. (2026j, May 26). Project Gigabit network build contract: Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/project-gigabit-network-build-contract-nottinghamshire-and-west-lincolnshire
• Building Digital UK. (2026k, October 19). Project Gigabit network build contract: West Herefordshire and Forest of Dean. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/project-gigabit-network-build-contract-west-herefordshire-and-forest-of-dean
• Building Digital UK. (2026l, September 24). September 2026: Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts [Transparency data]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts/september-2026-premises-contracted-and-built-under-project-gigabit-contracts
• Building Digital UK, & Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. (2026, September 22). Project Gigabit progress update: September 2026 [Policy paper]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/project-gigabit-progress-update-september-2026/project-gigabit-progress-update-september-2026
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Building Digital UK, & Murray, I. (2026, October 13). North Oxfordshire gets broadband boost four months early through Project Gigabit [Press release]. GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-oxfordshire-gets-broadband-boost-four-months-early-through-project-gigabit
• Ofcom. (2026, May 13). Connected Nations: Planned network deployments 2026. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-planned-network-deployment/connected-nations-planned-network-deployments-2026
• Openreach. (n.d.-a). Exchange Exit programme. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/the-all-ip-programme/exchange-exit-programme
• Openreach. (n.d.-b). Where and when we're building Full Fibre broadband. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when-building-ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband
• Openreach. (2025a, June). Full Fibre broadband programme build June 2025 [Exchange list, PDF]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/new-dam-(not-in-use-yet)/documents/where-and-when/FF-Build-Programme-June-2025-online.pdf
• Openreach. (2025b, October). Full Fibre broadband programme build October 2025 [Exchange list, PDF]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/new-dam-(not-in-use-yet)/documents/where-and-when/FF-Build-Programme-October-2025-online.pdf
• Openreach. (2026a, March). Full Fibre broadband programme build March 2026 [Exchange list, PDF]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/new-dam-(not-in-use-yet)/documents/where-and-when/FF-Build-Programme-March-2026-online.pdf
• Openreach. (2026b, October). Full Fibre broadband programme build October 2026 [Exchange list, PDF]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/new-dam-(not-in-use-yet)/documents/where-and-when/FF-Build-Programme-October-2026-online.pdf
• Openreach. (2026c, October 8). Openreach accelerates copper retirement across 600,000 more UK premises [Press release]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/news/openreach-accelerates-copper-retirement-across-600000-more-uk-premises/
• Openreach. (2026d, July 27). Openreach puts a stop to copper for another half million premises in bid to push customers to new digital lines [Press release]. Retrieved 20 October 2026, from https://www.openreach.com/news/openreach-puts-a-stop-to-copper-for-another-half-million-premises-in-bid-to-push-customers-to-new-digital-lines/

Written by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Founder of BroadbandSwitch.uk (LinkedIn). Reviewed by Adrian James, Broadband Editor. Published 20 October 2026. We read all 12 of BDUK's monthly tables on 20 October 2026 and checked our copy of every row against the live pages. We also read BDUK's official statistics, the September 2026 progress update, the GOV.UK contract pages quoted, the GOV.UK checker and voucher pages, and Ofcom's coverage figures. For Openreach's own build, we counted every exchange in its build lists for June 2025, October 2025, March 2026 and October 2026, and read its build map page, its press releases of 27 July and 8 October 2026 and its Exchange Exit page. Percentages, sums and changes are our own calculations from BDUK's and Openreach's published figures. BDUK rounds its figures to the nearest 10. This is general information, not professional advice. Corrections are logged publicly.