INCA Welcomes Ofcom’s Latest Announcement on Full-Fibre Broadband Rollout INDUSTRY news
better service, and innovative offerings – and altnet providers are an integral part of that success.” Announcing its consultation - Promoting Competition and Investment in Fibre Networks: Telecoms Access Review 2026-31- Ofcom set out its proposals to regulate the fixed telecoms markets that underpin broadband, mobile and business connections. Its consultation, which is now open, closes at 5pm on June 12, 2025.
capable broadband providers (known as Altnets) across the country, said: “This review is a critical step in shaping the future of the UK’s broadband sector, and we look forward to working with Ofcom in the coming weeks to ensure the right balance is struck between investment, innovation, and fair competition. “There are clear positives in this review, and as we work through the specifics, INCA will champion the need for strong regulatory safeguards to ensure fair competition and long-term market sustainability. “Done right, by 2030, we should have a healthier, more dynamic marketplace where consumers enjoy the fruits of network competition – faster speeds,
The Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA) has welcomed Ofcom’s proposals to boost competition in the fibre market. Ofcom today published proposals to further boost competition and investment in full-fibre connections, which – according to telecoms industry data - could reach 96% of homes and businesses within the next two years. Commenting on the proposals, INCA, which represents the independent gigabit-
Gigabit broadband reaches nearly 85% of UK premises
Eighty-four per cent of UK premises are able to get gigabit-capable broadband, according to new Ofcom data published today, meaning internet companies are on track to meet the UK Government’s initial target of 85% Gigabit coverage by the end of 2025. The figures, which come from Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring update, show that in January 27.2 million premises (84%) could access broadband with speeds of 1000Mbit/s or more, up from 82% in July 2024.
better broadband to the most rural and remote communities. Mobile coverage has remained stable since September 2024, with around 96% of the UK landmass predicted to have good outdoor 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator. 5G coverage has also remained stable over the previous four months, with around 62% of the UK landmass predicted to have 5G coverage from at least one mobile network operator.
Ofcom’s new data also shows that nearly three-quarters of premises (73% or 23.7 million) can access full-fibre broadband, which uses fibre-optic cables to deliver faster and more reliable internet connections, up from 67% last year. Progress in reducing the number of premises unable to get decent broadband, defined by the Government as download speeds of at least 10Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1Mbit/s, has also continued. 48,000 properties are without access to decent broadband, down from 58,000 last year. This is expected to drop further as publicly funded schemes roll out
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May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
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