Good news, folks! The UK government says every home will have access to fibre to the premises broadband. We’ll just have to wait 15-years for everyone to get it.
The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review has outlined the plans to bring full FTTP broadband speeds of up to a Gigabit, nationwide by 2033. Currently, only 4 per cent of UK homes have access to fibre broadband delivered directly to their door. That compares to 89% of full access to fibre in Portugal, and 71% penetration in Spain. Under the new scheme, there’ll be 15 million premises by 2025, the government says.
The changes in government strategy, which will be accompanied by a major boost in funding and big changes in legislation, are also necessary to underpin the 5G coverage around the UK, the review explains.
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New culture secretary Jeremy Wright says in a press release: “We want everyone in the UK to benefit from world-class connectivity no matter where they live, work or travel.
“This radical new blueprint for the future of telecommunications in this country will increase competition and investment in full fibre broadband, create more commercial opportunities and make it easier and cheaper to roll out infrastructure for 5G.”
The review says that without these changes, full fibre broadband will only reach around three quarters of the UK over the next 20 years.
Ofcom CEO Sharon White added: “We welcome the government’s review, and share its ambition for full-fibre and 5G networks to be rolled out right across the UK. The Government and Ofcom are working together, and with industry, to help ensure people and businesses get the broadband and mobile they need for the 21st century.”
Has Britain moved fast enough in upgrading its broadband infrastructure compared to our neighbours? Share your thoughts with us @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.