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January 2023 - Telecommunications

Almost 80,000 UK homes and businesses do not have access to decent broadband: A study into the nation’s broadband experiences has uncovered that nearly 80,000 properties do not have good enough broadband speeds. The Government deems download speeds of 10 Mbit/s and an upload speed of at least 1 Mbit/s as ‘decent broadband’.

The study is part of Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations Report that looks into the availability of broadband services around the UK. The number of homes and businesses without decent broadband has decreased by over 40,000 over the last year, with a further decrease of 15,000 properties anticipated over the next 12 months.

The study looks at three other types of broadband: superfast, full-fibre and gigabit-capable; with superfast broadband being the most common in the UK. Furthermore, superfast is available to around 50 million properties in the UK.

The spread of 5g networks has been dramatic over the last few years, with the report estimating that seven in 10 properties are in areas with at least one company supplying 5g. This is up from about half last year.

Full-fibre broadband is also becoming more available in the UK each year, with 42% of properties having it in 2022. This is up from 28% in 2021, and up from under 2% in 2016. However, only around a quarter of people are taking up the offer of full-fibre broadband; even with discounted, full-fibre deals.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s network of communications group director, said: “Millions more people are benefitting from faster, more reliable internet as the rapid rollout of full-fibre broadband continues. That can be particularly important at this time of years, as online shopping peaks and people stream festive favourites. It’s also encouraging to see more people in hard-to-reach areas get access to decent broadband, as work continues to connect rural communities.”

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