UK digital infrastructure provider Openreach has committed to build the country’s most reliable broadband technology, full fibre, even faster – thanks to increased investment from BT Group.

The company has already built the new infrastructure to more than 18 million homes and business nationwide – including more than four million in just the last 12 months. And it now expects to accelerate towards its target of reaching 25 million premises by December 2026, upping its build rate by 20 per cent to up to five million premises passed during the year to March 2026.

With 6.8 million customers already connected to the network – 37 per cent of an ever-growing footprint – Openreach also expects to connect even more in 2025, having seen record demand in the last twelve months. In 2024, it connected 1.8 million customers to full fibre, or one every 17 seconds.

“Everyone at Openreach is focused on building the best digital future for the UK,” commented Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach. “Over the last few years, we’ve developed the capabilities and partnerships to deliver world class infrastructure at a world class cost – and at a pace that’s unmatched anywhere in Europe. We’re bringing life changing connectivity to all corners of the country, and we’re determined to go further and faster, so we’re proud of the confidence being shown in us through this investment.”

“This is a UK infrastructure success story, so it makes sense for us, and the country, to push on the accelerator pedal,” added Allison Kirkby, Chief Executive, BT Group. “The more full fibre we build, the more customers choose to connect.  In a highly competitive market and despite a challenging economic landscape Openreach is building and connecting customers faster, and at a lower cost than anyone. Our new network is helping to grow the economy, create jobs, delight customers and deliver value to our shareholders.”

Revealing BT’s Full Year 25 Results, Kirkby said the momentum in, and impact of, BT’s full fibre programme was such that it was now raising its build target, keeping it comfortably on track to reach 25 million by the end of 2026, while maintaining its cash flow guidance. “We are now only one year away from our inflection to £2 billion of normalised free cash flow, our target for FY27, and remain on track to deliver £3 billion by the end of the decade.”

Ultimately Openreach expects to make full fibre available to as many as 30 million premises in the UK by 2030, assuming there’s a supportive economic environment.

Based on the successful build so far and the maintenance of a pro-investment regulatory and public policy framework from Ofcom and the UK Government, BT has decided to fund additional capital spending – partly through efficiencies and some re-profiling of other spending.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Business, FTTH, Funding, Policy, Regulation, Telco

Tags: BT Group, Full fibre, Openreach