More than 14 million UK households can now take advantage of faster, more reliable internet connections as the rollout of full-fibre technology steams ahead.

Ofcom‘s Connection Nations Spring update shows that, as of January 2023, almost half of households (48%) can access full-fibre broadband, which delivers internet using fibre-optic cables.

This is an increase of around 5.5 million homes since last year’s Spring update.

Later this year, Ofcom projects their next update will show that the 50% full fibre landmark has been past, with their latest analysis indicating this milestone was hit in March.

Full-fibre connections – along with upgraded cable networks – can deliver download speeds of one gigabit per second or higher. In total, gigabit-capable broadband through a range of technologies is now available to 73% of the UK (nearly 22 million homes), up from 66% the same time last year.

Today’s report also shows that the number of premises unable to get ‘decent’ broadband, defined by the Government as offering download speeds of 10 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s, stands at 68,000 premises, which has fallen from 99,500 year on year.

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For mobile, 5G coverage continues to grow steadily, with 82% of premises in the UK now able to get a 5G signal outdoors – up from around half in the space of a year.

Available, but Not Accessible?

While full-fibre broadband is increasingly available across the UK, this may not always be fully accessible for households to use.

Citizens Advice recently published statistics that an estimated one million Brits went without broadband due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Rising energy prices caused many Brits to forgo certain utilities during the colder months of the year, with broadband taking a hit.

Citizens Advice has stated that many households are not taking advantage of cheaper tariffs as they are not often informed of more affordable options.