# UK Broadband in Numbers: Edition 1, October 2026 UK broadband statistics from the BroadbandSwitch.uk Data Lab. Every figure carries its source and the date of the data. Figures to 26 October 2026; next edition Monday 2 November 2026. Page: https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-statistics/ Author: Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Founder, BroadbandSwitch.uk (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmartinsmith/). Licence: CC BY 4.0 for the Data Lab's own figures, credit "BroadbandSwitch.uk Data Lab". Ofcom, ONS and BDUK figures are Open Government Licence v3.0 via their source. Deal prices cover the deals listed on BroadbandSwitch.uk on the snapshot date, not every UK provider. ## Coverage How much of the country can order fast broadband today, how quickly the builders are moving, and what public money has delivered. - **01. Full fibre availability**: 82%. Four in five homes can now order full fibre. 24.9 million homes can order full fibre, 1.2 million more than six months earlier. Rural homes trail at 66%, against 84% in towns and cities. So what: If you have not checked your address since last year, check again: 1.2 million more homes were added between July 2025 and January 2026, and most towns and cities are now covered. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **02. Gigabit-capable availability**: 89%. Nine in ten homes can get gigabit speeds. 27.1 million homes, up from 87% in July 2025: 82% can order full fibre, and gigabit cable adds another 7% where there is no fibre yet. In July 2025, 57% had a choice of two or more gigabit networks. The target is 99% by 2032. So what: Nine in ten homes could order a gigabit line by January 2026, so for most people speed is no longer the limit; price and what you actually need are, and gigabit deals on our site started from £15 a month in the October 2026 snapshot. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **03. Openreach full fibre footprint**: 23.4m premises. Openreach is 1.6 million premises short of its December target. 25 million targeted by December 2026, and up to 30 million by 2030. 514,000 added in the quarter to June, well below the 2.6 million Openreach built in the six months to March 2026 (about 1.3 million a quarter). So what: Openreach's build sets when BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone customers can move to fibre, so the slower quarter to June 2026 meant the last 1.6 million premises waiting longer; Openreach said in October 2026 it had passed 24 million, with the next audited figure due on 5 November. Source: BT Group trading update, 30 Jun 2026, published 23 Jul 2026, https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/07/bt-update-openreach-lose-192k-uk-broadband-lines-as-fttp-covers-23-4m.html. - **04. Altnet full fibre footprint**: 19.7m premises. Alternative networks pass 19.7 million premises, counting overlaps. Up 20% in a year, with more than 3.5 million live connections. More than 5.4 million premises have altnet fibre and no Openreach or Virgin fibre at all. So what: Where an altnet has built there is a second network to choose from, and that is where the cheapest full fibre deals on our site come from (October 2026 snapshot). Source: Point Topic / INCA Annual Report 2026, 2025 data, published 11 Mar 2026, https://www.point-topic.com/post/point-topic-inca-annual-report-2026. - **05. Project Gigabit delivered**: 340,880 premises reached. Fibre has reached two in five of the homes and businesses under contract. Of 861,890 under contract (40%) across 38 contracts in the £5bn programme, up 22,880 in a month. The target is 99% gigabit coverage by 2032. So what: This is the taxpayer-funded build for homes the market would not reach: by 17 October 2026, two in five of the premises under contract had a gigabit-capable connection and three in five had not yet been recorded as built. Source: BDUK Project Gigabit monthly data, 17 Oct 2026 data, published 23 Oct 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts. - **06. Premises reached with public subsidy**: 1.46m premises. Public money has brought gigabit broadband to 1.46 million premises. Cumulative premises given gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidy by 30 June 2026, across Project Gigabit contracts, earlier programmes and vouchers. 192,570 were added in the year to March 2026, 16% of them through vouchers. So what: Nearly 1.5 million premises, mostly rural, had gigabit broadband by 30 June 2026 because public money paid for the build. Source: BDUK delivery performance, official statistics, To 30 Jun 2026, published 17 Sep 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bduk-delivery-performance-quarterly-april-2026-to-june-2026. - **07. Homes that cannot get decent broadband**: 39,000 premises. Fewer than 40,000 premises still lack a decent line. Without 10 Mbps from a fixed or fixed-wireless line, down from 1.1 million in 2017. About 4,000 once low-cost satellite is counted. So what: Fewer than 40,000 premises were left without a decent line in January 2026, down from 1.1 million in 2017; if yours is one, the broadband Universal Service Obligation gives you the right to request a connection, subject to eligibility and a cost cap. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **08. 5G coverage outside homes**: 64% from all four. Nearly two in three premises now get 5G from all four networks. Share of UK premises with outdoor 5G coverage from every mobile network in January 2026, up from 47% in July 2025. From at least one network it reached 97% in July 2025. Each network alone covers between 76% and 94%. So what: For nearly two in three premises (64% in January 2026), 5G from any of the four networks is now a real alternative or back-up to a fixed line, and 5G home broadband needs no landline at all. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. ## Take-up Coverage says what people could have. These say what they do have, and who has nothing at all. - **09. UK fixed broadband lines**: 29.5m lines. 29.5 million lines, and still growing slowly. Residential and small business. Up 298,000 on the year and 41,000 in the quarter. So what: The market has all but stopped growing (up 1.0% in the year to June 2026), so providers can only grow by winning customers from each other, which is good news for anyone willing to switch. Source: Ofcom market data, Jun 2026 data, published 14 Oct 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/telecoms-research/telecoms-data-updates/telecommunications-market-data/telecommunications-market-data-update-q2-2026.pdf. - **10. Full fibre take-up where available**: 47%. Nearly half of homes that can get full fibre now have it. Ofcom counts 12.4 million live full fibre connections, 47% of the premises that can get it; applied to the 24.9 million homes covered, that is about 11.7 million homes. From 78% in Hull to 19% in Kensington and Chelsea. So what: More than half of the homes that could have full fibre had not ordered it by January 2026; if you are on copper where fibre is available, the price gap on our site was just £2.50 a month in October 2026 (see Typical deal price), so check full fibre at your address. Source: Ofcom, BT Group, INCA, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **11. Fibre-ready homes not yet upgraded**: 13.9m premises. 13.9 million premises could switch to full fibre today and have not. Ofcom counts 26.3 million homes and businesses that can order full fibre and 12.4 million live connections. The gap is the fibre nobody has ordered yet. So what: 13.9 million homes and businesses could move to full fibre today (January 2026 data), and in October 2026 full fibre's typical price on our site is just £2.50 a month above FTTC's: check full fibre at your address. Source: Computed from Ofcom, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **12. Connections by technology**: 12.4m on full fibre. 12.4 million of 29.5 million lines are now full fibre. Cable 5.3m and ADSL 1.8m are Ofcom's 2024 split. The remaining 10.0m is mostly FTTC and is an estimate. So what: Two in five lines were full fibre by January 2026; ADSL was down to 1.8 million lines by 2024 and falling, and the copper-based lines left are the ones that will move during the switch-off years. Source: Computed from Ofcom, FTTP Jan 2026; lines Jun 2026; cable and ADSL split 2024, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/telecoms-research/telecoms-data-updates/telecommunications-market-data/telecommunications-market-data-update-q2-2026.pdf. - **13. Market share, top providers**: 28.4% BT Group. BT Group still serves more than a quarter of homes. Sky 19.9%, Virgin Media O2 18.8%, all altnets 12.4%, TalkTalk 11.1%, Vodafone 6.3%. Sky only started selling broadband in 2006 and now holds one line in five. So what: Four groups still served most homes at the end of 2025, but altnets now hold one line in eight, so there are more real alternatives than a few years ago. Source: Company results, Data Lab compilation, H2 2025, published 27 May 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-market-2000-2030/. - **14. Adults with no internet at home**: 6% of adults. One adult in sixteen still has no internet at home. Ofcom's media literacy tracker found 6% of UK adults without internet access at home in autumn 2025, unchanged on the year. Two in three of them are aged 75 or over, and four in five live in C2DE households (Ofcom's lower social grades). So what: One adult in sixteen had no internet at home in autumn 2025, mostly older people and those in the lower social grades, and they are the ones the switch-off and social tariffs most need to reach. Source: Ofcom Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026, Fieldwork Sep to Nov 2025, published 2 Apr 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-adults/adults-media-use-and-attitudes/. ## Deal prices Our own data, and the part of this report that grows in value every month. Each edition adds a fresh snapshot of every deal listed on BroadbandSwitch.uk, taken on the 1st of the month from the providers we carry, building an open record of what broadband actually costs to buy that no official source publishes. That is not every UK provider, so read these as a guide to the deals on offer, not to what every household pays. Social tariffs are left out and shown separately under Bills and help. - **15. Cheapest deal on our site**: £13.50 a month. The cheapest deal on our site is £13.50 a month. For 12 months, then £18 (4th Utility, 150 Mbps on CityFibre). The cheapest flat price is £14 (Community Fibre). So what: Broadband can cost less than £15 a month (deals on our site, 1 October 2026); if your bill is well above that for a basic connection, there is room to save: see the cheapest deals at your postcode. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/broadband-deals/. - **16. Typical deal price**: £28 median. Half the deals on our site cost £24 to £34 a month. Median advertised price across 324 deals from 29 providers. The middle half sit between £24 and £34. Full fibre's median is now just £2.50 a month above FTTC's. So what: Around £28 a month bought a typical deal on our site on 1 October 2026; if your bill is above £34, you are paying more than three quarters of the deals on offer, so compare deals at your postcode. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/broadband-deals/. - **17. Price of a gigabit**: £15 a month. Gigabit deals on our site start at £15 a month. For 12 months, then £24 (Rise Fibre, 1 Gbps on CityFibre). The cheapest flat price is £19 (toob 900). 98 deals of 900 Mbps or more are live, at a typical £3.05 per 100 Mbps against £7.80 across all deals. So what: Gigabit is no longer a luxury: from £15 a month on our site in October 2026, it can cost less than many slower deals, so compare gigabit deals before settling for less. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/broadband-deals/. - **18. Mid-contract price rises**: 77% of deals with known terms. Three in four deals that state their price terms carry a built-in rise. Of the 248 deals on our site that spell out what happens to the price during the contract, 192 carry a fixed rise, averaging £3.37 a month and most often £4; the other 56 are fixed for the term. A further 92 deals do not state a step in our feed. Rises must be set out in pounds and pence under Ofcom's rule in force since 17 January 2025. So what: Three in four deals with stated terms (1 October 2026 snapshot) cost more in year two, typically £3 to £4 a month extra, so compare the follow-on price, not just the headline; our price rise tracker lists each provider's rise. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/broadband-deals/. - **19. Speeds on offer**: 306 Mbps advertised. The typical deal on our site advertises 306 Mbps. Median advertised download speed across the 340 residential broadband-only deals on our site (305.5 Mbps, rounded). Nearly three in ten of them are gigabit deals. Most households need far less than this: our speed calculator works out how much. So what: Deals now advertise about 300 Mbps as standard (1 October 2026 snapshot), far more than most households use; paying for the speed you actually need is the easiest saving, and our speed calculator works it out in a minute. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026, https://broadbandswitch.uk/broadband-deals/. ## Bills and help Official figures from Ofcom and the ONS: who is out of contract and what it costs them, who struggles to pay, how fast internet prices are rising, and how many households use a social tariff. - **20. Loyalty penalty**: £7 to £9 a month. Staying in contract saves £7 to £9 a month. What in-contract customers save against the price out-of-contract customers pay, June 2025: £28.66 against £35.86 a month for broadband on its own. The gap between promoted and list prices on broadband-and-landline bundles runs from £4 (standard) to £8 (ultrafast). So what: Letting a contract roll over cost £7 to £9 a month in June 2025; re-contracting or switching gets it back. Source: Ofcom Pricing and consumer engagement 2025, June 2025 data, published 26 Feb 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/pricing-and-consumer-engagement. - **21. Broadband customers out of contract**: 28% of customers. More than a quarter of broadband customers are out of contract. Around 6.4 million of 23 million fixed broadband customers were out of contract on at least one service in their bundle at the end of June 2025, unchanged on the year. The share is highest, 39%, for homes with broadband and a landline only. So what: If you cannot remember when your contract ended, you may be one of the 6.4 million who were paying list price in June 2025: see what out-of-contract customers pay. Source: Ofcom Pricing and consumer engagement 2025, June 2025 data, published 26 Feb 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/pricing-and-consumer-engagement. - **22. Households finding broadband hard to afford**: 7% of households. Seven in every hundred broadband households struggle to pay for it. Share of fixed broadband households that found it difficult to afford their service in October 2025, against 5% for mobile. Ofcom's tracker now runs twice a year, in April and October. So what: Seven in a hundred broadband households struggled to pay in October 2025, and social tariffs exist for exactly this group; most eligible homes have not taken one (see the social tariffs). Source: Ofcom Communications Affordability Tracker, October 2025 wave, reported 26 Feb 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/affordability-tracker. - **23. Broadband inflation**: 12.1% rise in a year. Internet prices are rising three and a half times faster than inflation. The ONS price index for internet access services rose 12.1% in the year to September 2026, against 3.5% for all prices. Bundled telecoms rose 5.3% and the wider communication group 5.8%. So what: Broadband prices, as the ONS measures them, rose 12.1% in the year to September 2026 while prices overall rose 3.5%; that gap is why the saving sits in switching rather than staying put. Source: ONS consumer price inflation, September 2026, published 21 Oct 2026, https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/l7rs/mm23. - **24. Broadband against other household bills**: -46% real-terms price of 300 to 999 Mbps broadband, 2020 to 2025. Energy and water bills have soared since 2020; the price of fast broadband has nearly halved in real terms. Electricity is up 56%, water 69% and gas 76% since January 2020 (ONS, to September 2026), against 33% for all prices. Between 2020 and 2025 Ofcom finds a 300 to 999 Mbps connection fell from £68 to £37 a month at July 2025 prices, and every speed tier fell in real terms. The ONS index of internet access prices is up 54% since January 2020, with its steps each April, which is why switching, not staying put, captures the saving. So what: Unlike energy and water, broadband is a bill you can bring down: the price of a fast connection nearly halved in real terms between 2020 and 2025 for anyone who takes a new deal. Source: ONS CPI and Ofcom Pricing and consumer engagement 2025, ONS to Sep 2026; Ofcom report of Feb 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/pricing-and-consumer-engagement. - **25. Social tariffs**: 532,000 customers. Fewer than one in ten eligible homes use a social tariff. On a fixed or mobile broadband social tariff in June 2025, fewer than 9% of those eligible. Seven in ten eligible households had not heard of them. 37 tariffs are on Ofcom's list (34 broadband, 3 mobile), from £12 a month for broadband. So what: If anyone in your household gets Universal Credit or certain other benefits, a social tariff from £12 a month is available, and in June 2025 nine in ten eligible homes were not using one. Source: Ofcom, Jun 2025 data; Ofcom's list of 2 Oct 2026, read 26 Oct 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs. ## Speeds Ofcom's figures for the speeds homes can order and the speeds their lines deliver. Ofcom stopped measuring speeds inside homes in 2023, so the last measured figure is here too, marked as a closed series. - **26. Homes that cannot get superfast broadband**: 1.9% of homes. 575,000 homes still cannot get a 30 Mbps line. 98.1% of UK homes can order superfast broadband (30 Mbps or more). The 1.9% that cannot are mostly rural: 8.2% of rural homes, against 0.9% in towns and cities. So what: If your home is one of the 575,000 below 30 Mbps (January 2026), the odds are it is rural, and the fix is more likely to come through Project Gigabit than the market. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **27. The speed ladder: what homes can get**: 89% can get 300 Mbps. Nine in ten homes can get 300 Mbps, but only two in three in the countryside. Share of UK homes that can order each speed, January 2026. Almost every home can get 10 Mbps; the drop comes between 30 Mbps and 100 Mbps, and it is far steeper in rural areas. So what: Almost everyone could get a usable line in January 2026; the real divide is between 30 and 100 Mbps, and it falls hardest on the countryside. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. - **28. Average maximum download speed**: 285 Mbps. The average UK line can now reach 285 Mbps. The mean of the maximum download speeds delivered to homes, July 2025, up from 223 Mbps a year earlier and 170 Mbps in 2023. Northern Ireland leads at 325 Mbps; Wales trails at 243 Mbps. So what: The average line could deliver 285 Mbps in July 2025, so for most homes the weak link is the Wi-Fi inside the house, not the line. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, July 2025 data, published 19 Nov 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-20252. - **29. Data used per home**: 583 GB a month. The average home now uses 583 GB of data a month. Total data downloaded and uploaded per broadband connection in July 2025, up from 531 GB a year earlier. In 2019 it was 315 GB. England's homes use the most at 591 GB; Scotland's the least at 530 GB. So what: The average home moved 583 GB a month in July 2025, almost double the 315 GB Ofcom reported for 2019 (measured on an older method, so indicative), so a connection that felt fast then is doing twice the work. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, July 2025 data, published 19 Nov 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-20252. - **30. Measured speed in homes, Ofcom series ended**: 69.4 Mbps median. The last time Ofcom measured speeds in homes, the median was 69 Mbps. Ofcom's panel measured real download speeds in homes until March 2023, when the median was 69.4 Mbps against a mean of 139.1 Mbps. Median upload was 18.4 Mbps. Ofcom closed the series in August 2023. So what: Nobody has officially measured what arrives in UK homes since March 2023; until a new series exists, advertised and line speeds are all there is, and our free speed test shows what your line delivers today. Source: Ofcom Home Broadband Performance, March 2023, March 2023 data, published 14 Sep 2023, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/home-broadband-performance-march-2023. ## Service Ranking the providers on the experience, not the price. - **31. Ofcom complaints per 100,000**: 6 per 100k. Broadband complaints are holding at a record low. Fixed broadband industry average for Q2 2026, unchanged from Q1 and level with the lowest since the series began at 35 in late 2010. Ofcom puts BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone together at the top (7 each) and Virgin Media (4), Sky and Plusnet (5) together at the bottom; differences inside each group are under one complaint per 100,000, so Ofcom says they should be read as comparable. Landline averaged 3, pay TV 2 and pay-monthly mobile 2. So what: Service is improving across the industry (complaints held at a record low in the second quarter of 2026), but the provider you pick still matters: the four providers Ofcom groups at the top (BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone, 7 each) drew close to twice the complaints of the three it groups at the bottom (Virgin Media 4, Sky and Plusnet 5). Source: Ofcom telecoms and pay-TV complaints, Q2 2026, published 26 Oct 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints. - **32. Customer satisfaction by provider**: 91% Plusnet. Plusnet customers are the most satisfied. The highest of the seven providers Ofcom names, against a sector average of 84%. TalkTalk's 77% is the lowest. This is Ofcom's latest edition, covering 2024. So what: There was a 14-point gap between the most and least satisfied customer bases in 2024, so service is worth weighing alongside price when you choose. Source: Ofcom Comparing customer service 2025, 2024 experience, published 22 May 2025, reissued 18 Sep 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/report. - **33. Trustpilot scores, big seven**: 4.7 Vodafone. Vodafone leads the big seven on Trustpilot. EE 4.3, BT 4.2, Plusnet 3.2, Sky 2.7, Virgin Media 2.1 and TalkTalk 2.0 out of 5, read on 26 October 2026. Review counts range from 13,400 to 145,600. So what: Review scores read on 26 October 2026 put three of the big seven above 4 stars and three below 3, with Plusnet alone in the middle at 3.2 after the biggest rise since July (up from 1.8), a far wider spread than Ofcom's own satisfaction scores show. Source: Trustpilot, Data Lab snapshot, Scores read 26 Oct 2026, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.vodafone.co.uk. ## Switching and change Who is switching, where the lines are flowing, and the clocks that are running down. - **34. One Touch Switch**: 3.48m switches. 3.5 million switches through One Touch Switch. Since launch on 12 September 2024. 1.86 million in the past year, against 1.62 million in the first. So what: Switching now takes one contact with your new provider and 3.5 million switches had gone through by September 2026; the old excuse that switching is a hassle no longer holds (how One Touch Switch works). Source: TOTSCo via ISPreview, Published 11 Sep 2026, https://www.ispreview.co.uk/?p=47976. - **35. Net line flow**: -192k Openreach, quarter. Openreach is still losing lines, but more slowly. Openreach's network lost 192,000 broadband lines in the quarter to June 2026, after 203,000 the quarter before. Openreach lines carry BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and every other provider that rents its network, so this is customers moving between networks, not between brands. With the total number of UK lines still edging up, each line Openreach loses is a home that has moved to a network it does not own; altnets added about 850,000 live connections in 2025 on INCA's count, roughly 210,000 a quarter, close to the mirror image. So what: Around 200,000 lines a quarter were moving from Openreach-based providers to networks it does not own in the year to June 2026; that is the competition behind the cheaper new-customer deals. Source: BT Group and INCA, Jun 2026 and 2025, https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/07/bt-update-openreach-lose-192k-uk-broadband-lines-as-fttp-covers-23-4m.html. - **36. Altnet funding and consolidation**: £3.2bn new funding, 2025. Altnet funding jumped to £3.2bn in 2025. Up from £574 million in 2024, most of it CityFibre's £2.3bn. Where altnets overlap, mergers and failures follow, so this is the money behind the consolidation story. So what: £3.2bn of new money in 2025 means the altnet build goes on, but most of it went to one company, so expect smaller networks to merge or be bought. Source: INCA / Point Topic via ISPreview, Published 11 Mar 2026, https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/03/inca-alternative-uk-full-fibre-networks-cover-19-7-million-premises.html. - **37. Copper switch-off countdown**: Live countdown. The old phone network is retired on 31 January 2027. Landlines move to digital voice over broadband. People with care alarms or no broadband need to act before the date. So what: If you have a care alarm, a landline-only phone or an older burglar alarm, test that it works over broadband before 31 January 2027 (what the switch-off changes). Source: Openreach, Counts down live, https://www.openreach.com/upgrading-the-UK-to-digital-phone-lines. ## Questions this page answers **What percentage of UK homes can get full fibre broadband?** Four in five homes can now order full fibre. The headline figure is 82% (+4 pts vs Jul 2025). 24.9 million homes can order full fibre, 1.2 million more than six months earlier. Rural homes trail at 66%, against 84% in towns and cities. What it means: If you have not checked your address since last year, check again: 1.2 million more homes were added between July 2025 and January 2026, and most towns and cities are now covered. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026. **How much of the UK has gigabit-capable broadband?** Nine in ten homes can get gigabit speeds. The headline figure is 89% (+2 pts vs Jul 2025). 27.1 million homes, up from 87% in July 2025: 82% can order full fibre, and gigabit cable adds another 7% where there is no fibre yet. In July 2025, 57% had a choice of two or more gigabit networks. The target is 99% by 2032. What it means: Nine in ten homes could order a gigabit line by January 2026, so for most people speed is no longer the limit; price and what you actually need are, and gigabit deals on our site started from £15 a month in the October 2026 snapshot. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026. **How many homes that can get full fibre have actually taken it?** Nearly half of homes that can get full fibre now have it. The headline figure is 47% (+5 pts vs Jul 2025). Ofcom counts 12.4 million live full fibre connections, 47% of the premises that can get it; applied to the 24.9 million homes covered, that is about 11.7 million homes. From 78% in Hull to 19% in Kensington and Chelsea. What it means: More than half of the homes that could have full fibre had not ordered it by January 2026; if you are on copper where fibre is available, the price gap on our site was just £2.50 a month in October 2026 (see Typical deal price), so check full fibre at your address. Source: Ofcom, BT Group, INCA, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026. **How much does broadband cost in the UK?** Half the deals on our site cost £24 to £34 a month. The headline figure is £28 median (-£1 vs September). Median advertised price across 324 deals from 29 providers. The middle half sit between £24 and £34. Full fibre's median is now just £2.50 a month above FTTC's. What it means: Around £28 a month bought a typical deal on our site on 1 October 2026; if your bill is above £34, you are paying more than three quarters of the deals on offer, so compare deals at your postcode. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026. **What is the cheapest broadband deal in the UK?** The cheapest deal on our site is £13.50 a month. The headline figure is £13.50 a month (Same as September). For 12 months, then £18 (4th Utility, 150 Mbps on CityFibre). The cheapest flat price is £14 (Community Fibre). What it means: Broadband can cost less than £15 a month (deals on our site, 1 October 2026); if your bill is well above that for a basic connection, there is room to save: see the cheapest deals at your postcode. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026. **How much does gigabit broadband cost?** Gigabit deals on our site start at £15 a month. The headline figure is £15 a month (-£4 vs September). For 12 months, then £24 (Rise Fibre, 1 Gbps on CityFibre). The cheapest flat price is £19 (toob 900). 98 deals of 900 Mbps or more are live, at a typical £3.05 per 100 Mbps against £7.80 across all deals. What it means: Gigabit is no longer a luxury: from £15 a month on our site in October 2026, it can cost less than many slower deals, so compare gigabit deals before settling for less. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026. **Do UK broadband prices rise mid-contract?** Three in four deals that state their price terms carry a built-in rise. The headline figure is 77%, the of deals with known terms (From 63% in September, same basis). Of the 248 deals on our site that spell out what happens to the price during the contract, 192 carry a fixed rise, averaging £3.37 a month and most often £4; the other 56 are fixed for the term. A further 92 deals do not state a step in our feed. Rises must be set out in pounds and pence under Ofcom's rule in force since 17 January 2025. What it means: Three in four deals with stated terms (1 October 2026 snapshot) cost more in year two, typically £3 to £4 a month extra, so compare the follow-on price, not just the headline; our price rise tracker lists each provider's rise. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026. **Are broadband prices rising faster than inflation?** Internet prices are rising three and a half times faster than inflation. The headline figure is 12.1%, the rise in a year (vs 3.5% for all prices). The ONS price index for internet access services rose 12.1% in the year to September 2026, against 3.5% for all prices. Bundled telecoms rose 5.3% and the wider communication group 5.8%. What it means: Broadband prices, as the ONS measures them, rose 12.1% in the year to September 2026 while prices overall rose 3.5%; that gap is why the saving sits in switching rather than staying put. Source: ONS consumer price inflation, September 2026, published 21 Oct 2026. **Is broadband getting cheaper or more expensive compared with other household bills?** Energy and water bills have soared since 2020; the price of fast broadband has nearly halved in real terms. The headline figure is -46%, the real-terms price of 300 to 999 Mbps broadband, 2020 to 2025 (Ofcom: -6% real terms in 2025). Electricity is up 56%, water 69% and gas 76% since January 2020 (ONS, to September 2026), against 33% for all prices. Between 2020 and 2025 Ofcom finds a 300 to 999 Mbps connection fell from £68 to £37 a month at July 2025 prices, and every speed tier fell in real terms. The ONS index of internet access prices is up 54% since January 2020, with its steps each April, which is why switching, not staying put, captures the saving. What it means: Unlike energy and water, broadband is a bill you can bring down: the price of a fast connection nearly halved in real terms between 2020 and 2025 for anyone who takes a new deal. Source: ONS CPI and Ofcom Pricing and consumer engagement 2025, ONS to Sep 2026; Ofcom report of Feb 2026. **How many UK broadband customers are out of contract?** More than a quarter of broadband customers are out of contract. The headline figure is 28%, the of customers (Unchanged on 2024). Around 6.4 million of 23 million fixed broadband customers were out of contract on at least one service in their bundle at the end of June 2025, unchanged on the year. The share is highest, 39%, for homes with broadband and a landline only. What it means: If you cannot remember when your contract ended, you may be one of the 6.4 million who were paying list price in June 2025: see what out-of-contract customers pay. Source: Ofcom Pricing and consumer engagement 2025, June 2025 data, published 26 Feb 2026. **How many households use a broadband social tariff?** Fewer than one in ten eligible homes use a social tariff. The headline figure is 532,000 customers (+26,000 year on year). On a fixed or mobile broadband social tariff in June 2025, fewer than 9% of those eligible. Seven in ten eligible households had not heard of them. 37 tariffs are on Ofcom's list (34 broadband, 3 mobile), from £12 a month for broadband. What it means: If anyone in your household gets Universal Credit or certain other benefits, a social tariff from £12 a month is available, and in June 2025 nine in ten eligible homes were not using one. Source: Ofcom, Jun 2025 data; Ofcom's list of 2 Oct 2026, read 26 Oct 2026. **How many UK premises cannot get decent broadband?** Fewer than 40,000 premises still lack a decent line. The headline figure is 39,000 premises (-5,000 vs Jul 2025). Without 10 Mbps from a fixed or fixed-wireless line, down from 1.1 million in 2017. About 4,000 once low-cost satellite is counted. What it means: Fewer than 40,000 premises were left without a decent line in January 2026, down from 1.1 million in 2017; if yours is one, the broadband Universal Service Obligation gives you the right to request a connection, subject to eligibility and a cost cap. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations, Jan 2026 data, published 13 May 2026. **Which broadband provider gets the fewest complaints?** Broadband complaints are holding at a record low. The headline figure is 6 per 100k (Unchanged from 6 in Q1 2026). Fixed broadband industry average for Q2 2026, unchanged from Q1 and level with the lowest since the series began at 35 in late 2010. Ofcom puts BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone together at the top (7 each) and Virgin Media (4), Sky and Plusnet (5) together at the bottom; differences inside each group are under one complaint per 100,000, so Ofcom says they should be read as comparable. Landline averaged 3, pay TV 2 and pay-monthly mobile 2. What it means: Service is improving across the industry (complaints held at a record low in the second quarter of 2026), but the provider you pick still matters: the four providers Ofcom groups at the top (BT, EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone, 7 each) drew close to twice the complaints of the three it groups at the bottom (Virgin Media 4, Sky and Plusnet 5). Source: Ofcom telecoms and pay-TV complaints, Q2 2026, published 26 Oct 2026. **How many people have switched broadband with One Touch Switch?** 3.5 million switches through One Touch Switch. The headline figure is 3.48m switches (+15% year on year). Since launch on 12 September 2024. 1.86 million in the past year, against 1.62 million in the first. What it means: Switching now takes one contact with your new provider and 3.5 million switches had gone through by September 2026; the old excuse that switching is a hassle no longer holds (how One Touch Switch works). Source: TOTSCo via ISPreview, Published 11 Sep 2026. **How many premises has Project Gigabit connected?** Fibre has reached two in five of the homes and businesses under contract. The headline figure is 340,880 premises reached (+22,880 in a month). Of 861,890 under contract (40%) across 38 contracts in the £5bn programme, up 22,880 in a month. The target is 99% gigabit coverage by 2032. What it means: This is the taxpayer-funded build for homes the market would not reach: by 17 October 2026, two in five of the premises under contract had a gigabit-capable connection and three in five had not yet been recorded as built. Source: BDUK Project Gigabit monthly data, 17 Oct 2026 data, published 23 Oct 2026. **What broadband speed can UK homes get?** The typical deal on our site advertises 306 Mbps. The headline figure is 306 Mbps advertised (From 362 Mbps in September). Median advertised download speed across the 340 residential broadband-only deals on our site (305.5 Mbps, rounded). Nearly three in ten of them are gigabit deals. Most households need far less than this: our speed calculator works out how much. What it means: Deals now advertise about 300 Mbps as standard (1 October 2026 snapshot), far more than most households use; paying for the speed you actually need is the easiest saving, and our speed calculator works it out in a minute. Source: BroadbandSwitch.uk deals snapshot, Snapshot 1 Oct 2026. ## How to cite BroadbandSwitch.uk Data Lab (2026). UK Broadband in Numbers (Edition 1, October 2026) [Data set]. BroadbandSwitch.uk. https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-statistics/ Machine-readable: https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-statistics/data/latest.json Corrections: editorial@broadbandswitch.uk Printed edition (PDF, one page per number): https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/uk-broadband-statistics/uk-broadband-in-numbers-october-2026.pdf