The United Kingdom is advancing toward its goal of widespread gigabit broadband access, with Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations Spring update, released on May 8, 2025, showing that 84% of UK premises now have access to gigabit-capable broadband. This marks an increase from 82% in July 2024, keeping the country on track to meet the government’s target of 85% coverage by the end of 2025.

According to the report, 27.2 million homes and businesses can now access broadband with download speeds of at least one gigabit per second, up from 25 million premises in July 2024. Full-fibre broadband, vital for future digital infrastructure, is available to 73% of UK premises, a rise from 67% a year earlier. In the past six months, full-fibre access has expanded to an additional 1.8 million homes, reaching 22.5 million. Active full-fibre connections have also grown by 1.5 million, totaling 9 million.

Efforts to bridge the digital divide continue, with the number of premises lacking access to decent broadband—defined as at least 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload—dropping to 48,000 from 58,000 last year. Ofcom notes that around 41,000 of these premises are not yet included in publicly funded rollout plans for the next year. Public initiatives, such as Project Gigabit, are expected to further improve connectivity, especially in rural areas. The latest phase of Project Gigabit, launched in May 2025, targets 65,000 rural properties in Scotland’s Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Argyll and Bute, Angus, and Perth and Kinross.

Ofcom’s chief executive, Melanie Dawes, stated: “The progress in broadband rollout is encouraging, with millions more homes and businesses gaining access to faster, more reliable connections. We are committed to ensuring that rural and hard-to-reach areas are not left behind as we work toward a fully connected UK.”

Regional disparities persist, with Northern Ireland leading at 95% gigabit coverage, followed by Scotland at 79% and Wales at 76%. Mobile connectivity remains stable, with 96% of the UK landmass covered by good outdoor 4G service from at least one operator. 5G coverage stands at 62%, with operator-specific outdoor coverage ranging from 62% to 85%. Ofcom acknowledges that current mobile coverage models may not fully capture real-world experiences and plans to enhance its mobile web-checker tool in the coming months.

The report also highlights the growing role of Fixed Wireless Access services in addressing connectivity gaps, particularly in remote areas, as part of the UK’s efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure.