Superfast On Its Way for a Better-Connected UK

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11 December 2015 | Updated 01 January 1970

Claiming to be the most authoritative, in-depth look at the telecoms and wireless networks of the UK and its nations a Connected Nations 2015 Report from Ofcom shows ‘good progress’ on the availability and take-up of communications services in the UK.

However, the report recognises there is still more to do, particularly in improving broadband and mobile availability and quality of service for consumers and businesses around the country.

The report states that the coverage and quality of fixed broadband services across the UK has increased ‘markedly’ over the past year. Over a quarter of homes (27%, or 7.5 million) now have ‘superfast’ broadband with a connection of 30Mbit/s or more; up from one in five (21%, or approximately 6 million homes) a year earlier.

Superfast broadband is now available to over eight in 10 UK homes (83%, almost 24 million), up from 75% last year. Ofcom finds that this has partly been driven by BT expanding its fibre network, Virgin Media converting more homes to faster packages and the government’s current Broadband Delivery UK programme of extending superfast into areas not covered by the commercial market.

Broadband in rural areas also continues to improve with superfast broadband now available to almost four in 10 premises across the UK (37%, or 1.1 million).

However, almost a half of SMEs (around 130,000) in areas like business parks are unable to receive speeds above 10Mbit/s. Ofcom estimates that by 2017, when 95% of all UK premises will have superfast broadband, around 18% of SMEs will still not have access to a superfast service.

Ofcom states it is providing technical advice to government to inform its plans, announced last month, for every home and business to have a legal right to request a broadband connection of 10Mbit/s by the end of the current parliament.

Ofcom is also working to remove barriers for smaller providers to invest in new network deployments which often serve areas with little or no existing coverage.

Looking further ahead, industry and policy makers are considering what networks are needed to support the next generation of superfast services. Ofcom’s report finds ‘ultrafast’ broadband which it defines as a speed greater than 300Mbit/s, is available to 2% of properties, or about 500,000 homes.

Ofcom has also today published its latest European Broadband Scorecard, which compares the availability, usage and price of broadband services across EU member states. The scorecard shows that, among major European nations, the UK has the ‘best coverage and take-up of superfast broadband, the highest coverage of fast mobile services and some of the cheapest prices’.

Coinciding with the publication of its report, Ofcom has launched an app called the Wi-Fi Checker which runs on smartphones and tablets and allows consumers and businesses to discover the quality of their wireless internet signal wherever they live or work as well as offering practical steps to help people get the best from their connection.

Picture:   The latest Ofcom report shows the trends in the UK to increased use of superfast broadband speed

Article written by Mike Gannon | Published 11 December 2015

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