# UK broadband statistics: Edition 1, November 2026

Figures to 2026-10-31. Published by the Switchity Data Lab, https://switchity.co.uk/data/uk-broadband-statistics/. Switchity's own figures are CC BY 4.0; Ofcom, ONS and gov.uk figures are Open Government Licence v3.0.

## Coverage

- **Homes that can order full fibre: 82%** (% of UK premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. Ofcom rounds this to 82% (24.9 million of 30.5 million homes).
- **Homes with a gigabit-capable connection available: 89%** (% of UK premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. Ofcom rounds this to 89% (27.1 million homes).
- **Premises passed by Virgin Media's cable network: 57.2%** (% of UK premises). Period: ThinkBroadband model generated 30 October 2026. Source: ThinkBroadband, UK coverage model and speed test results, https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/uk. Virgin Media's cable network delivers gigabit speeds over DOCSIS 3.1 without full fibre, which is why gigabit availability runs ahead of full fibre.
- **Premises unable to get decent broadband from a fixed or wireless network: 39,072** (premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. Ofcom reports 39,000 from fixed or fixed wireless networks and 4,000 once satellite and the broadband USO are counted.
- **Homes unable to get superfast broadband: 1.9%** (% of UK premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026.
- **Homes able to get 300 Mbps or more: 89%** (% of UK premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026.
- **Premises passed by Openreach full fibre: 23.4m premises** (million premises). Period: 30 June 2026. Source: BT Group, Quarterly results, https://www.bt.com/about/investors. BT Group’s Q2 FY27 results are due on 5 November 2026.
- **Premises passed by alternative full fibre networks: 19.7m premises** (million premises). Period: end of 2025. Source: INCA and Point Topic, INCA annual report 2026, https://www.point-topic.com/post/point-topic-inca-annual-report-2026. Independent networks had over 3.5 million live connections at the end of 2025.
- **Premises connected under Project Gigabit contracts: 340,880** (premises). Period: Data held by BDUK on 17 October. Source: Building Digital UK (BDUK), Premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit contracts, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/premises-contracted-and-built-project-gigabit-contracts.
- **Gigabit-capable premises passed through BDUK programmes: 1.46m premises** (million premises). Period: To 30 June 2026. Source: Building Digital UK (BDUK), BDUK delivery performance, quarterly official statistics, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bduk-delivery-performance-quarterly-april-2026-to-june-2026. 1,074,890 of these were passed before April 2024; 46,300 in April to June 2026.
- **Full fibre availability, best and worst councils: Best Kingston upon Hull, City of (99.6%), worst Na h-Eileanan Siar (12%)** (% of premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations data downloads, aggregated for the UK Full Fibre Divide, https://switchity.co.uk/broadband-areas/uk-broadband-divide/.
- **Full fibre availability forecast for 2028: 90%** (% of UK premises). Period: Ofcom PND2026 — projections to January 2029. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations: planned network deployments 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-planned-network-deployment/connected-nations-planned-network-deployments-2026.
- **Full fibre since 2019 and Ofcom's projection to 2029: 10% in September 2019 to 82% in January 2026; 92% by January 2029 on all operators' plans (88% on high-confidence plans)** (% of UK premises). Period: September 2019 to January 2026 actual; Ofcom projection to January 2029. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations reports and updates, 2019 to 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-and-infrastructure-reports.

## Takeup

- **UK fixed broadband lines: 29.5m** (million lines). Period: 2026 Q2, quarter end. Source: Ofcom, Telecommunications Market Data Update, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/telecoms-infrastructure/telecommunications-market-data-update.
- **Full fibre take-up where it is available: 47%** (% of premises passed). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. 12.4 million premises take full fibre, 47% of those able to.
- **Homes on a full fibre connection: 38%** (% of all UK premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026.
- **Premises that can get full fibre but have not taken it: 13.2m** (million premises). Period: January 2026 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations update: Spring 2026 (computed), https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026. 24.9 million premises passed, 47% taking it, so 13.2 million have not.
- Connections by technology: pending for this edition. Source: Ofcom, Telecommunications Market Data Update and Connected Nations, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/telecoms-infrastructure/telecommunications-market-data-update.
- Market share of the largest providers: pending for this edition. Source: Company results, BT Group, Sky, Virgin Media O2, TalkTalk and Vodafone results, compiled, https://www.bt.com/about/investors.
- **Adults with no internet at home: 6%** (% of UK adults). Period: 2026 report (Adults' Media Literacy Tracker). Source: Ofcom, Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/adults/adults-media-use-and-attitudes-2026/adults-media-use-and-attitudes-2026-report.pdf. Two-thirds of adults without home internet are aged 75 or over.

## Prices

- **Deals on the Switchity panel: 480** (deals). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/. 32 providers: 361 broadband only, 14 with a phone line, 105 with TV.
- **Cheapest broadband-only deal: £14 a month** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/. Three 5G Hub (24m), 150 Mbps, effective monthly cost £17.79.
- **Median advertised price, broadband only: £29.99 a month** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.
- **Median effective monthly cost, broadband only: £31.33 a month** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/how-we-compare/.
- **Median price by package type: Broadband only £29.99, Broadband and phone £32.49, Broadband and TV £46.99** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.
- **Cheapest gigabit deal: £19 a month** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/?speed=900%2B. toob Home 900; 113 broadband-only deals of 900 Mbps or more on the panel.
- **Median price by speed band, broadband only: Six bands, £25 to £36 median** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.
- **Median advertised download speed, broadband only: 500 Mbps** (Mbps). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.
- **Deals with introductory pricing, a reward or a set-up fee: 17.9% intro pricing, 20.4% with a reward, 22.9% with a set-up fee** (% of deals). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.
- **Deals by connection type: 403 full fibre of 480 deals** (deals). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.

## Rises

- **Deals with a stated mid-contract price rise: 63%** (% of deals). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/how-we-compare/#unstated-rises. 19.2% may rise with no amount stated; 16.7% are fixed-price. Typical stated rise £4 a month.
- **Stated rise by provider: 17 of 32 providers state a rise** (£ a month). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/.

## Bills

- **Loyalty penalty: how much more out-of-contract broadband customers pay: £7.20 a month more** (£ a month). Period: Q2 2025. Source: Ofcom, Pricing trends for communications services, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/pricing-and-consumer-engagement. Standalone broadband: £28.66 a month in contract against £35.86 out of contract. Bundles range from £-16.24 to £29.65.
- **Broadband customers out of contract: 28%** (% of customers). Period: Q2 2025. Source: Ofcom, Pricing trends for communications services, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/pricing-and-consumer-engagement. 6,350k of 23,000k fixed broadband customers, summed across Ofcom's bundle types.
- **Fixed broadband customers with an affordability issue in the last month: 7%** (% of fixed broadband decision-makers). Period: Q3 2025 wave, fieldwork 8 to 14 October 2025. Source: Ofcom, Communications Affordability Tracker, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/affordability-tracker. 24% had an affordability issue with at least one communications service in the month. For broadband, 6% changed how they pay or their tariff and 1% missed a payment or cancelled.
- **Internet access price inflation: 12.1%** (% change over 12 months). Period: 2026 SEP. Source: Office for National Statistics, CPI annual rate, 08.3.0.3 internet access provision services (L7RS), https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/l7rs/mm23. CPI ANNUAL RATE 08.3.0.3 Internet access provision services 2015=100
- **Broadband social tariffs on Ofcom's list: 34 broadband social tariffs** (tariffs). Period: Ofcom's list as updated 2 October 2026. Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs. Ofcom's table lists 37 tariffs in all: 34 broadband tariffs from 26 providers and 3 mobile-only tariffs. Cheapest broadband: EE Basics and Hyperoptic Fair Fibre Fast at £12 a month, Community Fibre Essential and Virgin Media Essential Broadband at £12.50.

## Speed

- **Average measured download speed, UK, latest month: 200 Mbps** (Mbps). Period: ThinkBroadband UK speed tests, latest month, read 1 November 2026. Source: ThinkBroadband, UK coverage model and speed test results, https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/uk. The mean of the public tests on ThinkBroadband's UK speed test for the latest month, every connection type together.
- Average measured download speed, UK, year to date: pending for this edition. Source: ThinkBroadband, UK coverage model and speed test results, https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/uk.
- **Median measured download speed across UK towns, latest month: 213 Mbps** (Mbps). Period: ThinkBroadband data, September 2026. Source: ThinkBroadband, Local broadband speed statistics, https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/. 187 towns. Fastest Northampton (414 Mbps), slowest Perth (104 Mbps).
- **Average maximum download speed: 285 Mbps** (Mbps). Period: July 2025 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations 2025, UK report, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/multi-sector/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-2025/connected-nations-uk-report-2025.pdf. Up from 223 Mbit/s in 2024 and 170 in 2023. Northern Ireland is highest at 325.
- **Data used per fixed connection each month: 576 GB** (GB). Period: July 2025 data. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-and-infrastructure-reports.

## Service

- **Complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 fixed broadband customers: 6 per 100,000** (per 100,000). Period: April to June 2026. Source: Ofcom, Telecoms and pay-TV complaints, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints. Ofcom treats providers within one complaint of each other as comparable; its grouping is shown with the table.
- **Customer satisfaction with broadband provider: 84% satisfied overall; Plusnet 91% to TalkTalk 77%** (% satisfied). Period: 2024 (Customer Satisfaction Tracker). Source: Ofcom, Comparing customer service 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/phones-telecoms-and-internet/comparing-service-quality/2025/comparing-customer-service-mobile-home-broadband-and-landline.pdf. Only Plusnet (above) and TalkTalk (below) differ from the average by a margin Ofcom calls significant. 7% were dissatisfied.
- **Trustpilot scores of the largest broadband providers: Vodafone 4.7 to NOW Broadband 1.1, read 11 September 2026** (TrustScore out of 5). Period: Read 11 September 2026. Source: Trustpilot, Provider profile pages, read on the date shown, https://uk.trustpilot.com/. A customer-review score read from each profile on the date shown, not a regulator's measure.
- **Which ADR scheme each provider belongs to: Communications Ombudsman: BT, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara, Lyca Mobile, Plusnet, Tesco Mobile, Utility Warehouse. CISAS: NOW, O2, Sky, SMARTY, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media, Vodafone, VOXI.** (see method). Period: Ofcom's list as updated 6 August 2026. Source: Ofcom, Alternative dispute resolution schemes, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/adr-schemes.

## Switching

- **Switches completed through One Touch Switch: Over 3 million** (million switches). Period: Milestone announced June 2026; monthly figures to September 2026. Source: TOTSCo, One Touch Switch milestones and residential switching insights, https://totsco.org.uk/residential-switching-insights/. 184,881 switches completed in September 2026, and about 5,700 a day in late October, from TOTSCo's residential switching insights.
- **Openreach net broadband line change in the quarter: 192,000 fewer lines** (thousand lines). Period: April to June 2026 (Q1 FY27). Source: BT Group, Q1 FY27 trading update, https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt-plc/assets/documents/investors/financial-reporting-and-news/quarterly-results/fy27/q1/q1-fy27-trading-update.pdf. BT expects losses of about 800,000 lines over the financial year, while Openreach added a record 574,000 full fibre connections in the quarter.
- **New funding raised by alternative networks: over £3bn** (£ billion). Period: 2025. Source: INCA and Point Topic, INCA annual report 2026, https://www.point-topic.com/post/point-topic-inca-annual-report-2026.
- **Days until the landline switch-off: 91** (days). Period: Counted from 2026-11-01. Source: Openreach, Upgrading the UK to digital phone lines, https://www.openreach.com/upgrading-the-UK-to-digital-phone-lines. The page counts down live; this is the value on the build date.
- **Typical early exit fee: £279** (£). Period: Calculator use 16 May to 31 August 2026. Source: Switchity, Broadband Exit Fees Report, https://switchity.co.uk/broadband/exit-fees-report/. 43.7% of fees are £300 or more, across 2,472 households.
- **Largest switching credit on the panel: £180** (£). Period: Snapshot 1 November 2026. Source: Switchity, Comparison panel snapshot, https://switchity.co.uk/compare-deals/?reward=1.

Cite as: Switchity Data Lab (2026). uk broadband statistics, Edition 1, November 2026. https://switchity.co.uk/data/uk-broadband-statistics/