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Availability of Full-Fibre Broadband in the UK Currently Stands at 3%, says Ofcom

Availability of Full-Fibre Broadband in the UK Currently Stands at 3%, says Ofcom Image Credit: Ofcom

Only 3% of the UK can currently access full-fibre broadband, according to Ofcom which last week hosted a conference to encourage more investment and competition in full-fibre broadband in the UK.

The full-fibre broadband, Fibre-to-the-Premises / Home (FTTP/H) networks uses fibre-optic cables to deliver the broadband connection all the way from the exchange building to your home. It means customers don’t have to rely on decades-old copper cables to provide your broadband, which can suffer faults and see speeds drop-off significantly at peak times.

In recent months companies including Openreach, CityFibre, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have committed to rolling out new full-fibre networks, said Ofcom. This could mean up to six million properties will be able to access full-fibre broadband in the coming years.

At the conference, attendees heard how countries such as Spain and Portugal have successfully rolled out full fibre to the majority of people, meaning benefits such as far fewer faults, significantly faster speeds and more consistent connections. And broadband providers heard how customers who switch to full fibre are far less likely to leave their provider, because they are much more satisfied with their service.

The event also included speakers from leading broadband companies such as BT, CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, Openreach, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone.

Sharon White, CEO, Ofcom
Our vision, shared by many of you, is to move the UK decisively away from a Victorian-era copper network to a modern, full-fibre network fitting for an advanced economy.

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
As we saw when we moved from dial-up to broadband. full fibre presents colossal opportunities to transform our lives and our economy.

Author

Ray is a news editor at The Fast Mode, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the wireless industry.

For tips and feedback, email Ray at ray.sharma(at)thefastmode.com, or reach him on LinkedIn @raysharma10, Facebook @1RaySharma

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