Digital divide narrows, but 1.1m UK homes and businesses cannot get decent broadband

Digital divide narrows, but 1.1m UK homes and businesses cannot get decent broadband

15 December 2017

Further action needed to improve broadband and mobile coverage, particularly for people in rural areas

Enhanced Ofcom app helps people check for coverage and compare providers

Around one million homes and offices still cannot get a decent broadband connection, Ofcom has found, though coverage is steadily improving.

The finding is part of Ofcom's Connected Nations 2017 report an in-depth look at communications networks in the UK and its nations. This year's report outlines progress on the availability and take-up of broadband and mobile services, which are crucial to people's personal and working lives.

Ofcom is concerned that around 1.1 million homes and offices, or 4% of properties, still cannot get the broadband speeds needed to meet their typical needs. This is currently defined as broadband offering a download speed of at least 10 Mbit/s, with an upload speed of at least 1 Mbit/s although we expect these needs to increase over time. The figure has fallen from 1.6 million premises last year.[1]

Today's report shows broadband speeds and access remain worse in rural areas, where properties are often situated a long way from the telephone exchange or local street cabinet. Around 17% of rural premises are not getting decent broadband services, compared to just 2% in urban areas.

Superfast available to nine in ten and bought by four in ten

Access to superfast broadband defined by Ofcom as a download speed of 30 Mbit/s or more continues to improve. The option of taking superfast broadband was available to 91% of UK homes and small businesses (27 million) by May 2017, up from 89% (25.5 million) a year earlier.

And more people are taking advantage of this, reflecting a growing demand for faster speeds. Four in ten premises (38%, or 11.2 million) have bought connections that deliver superfast broadband, up from less than a third (31%, or 9.1 million) a year earlier.

Around 2.7 million small and medium-sided enterprises (SMEs), or 84% of the UK total, can now get superfast broadband or faster up from 81% (1.9 million) in 2016. But around 230,000 SMEs across the UK are unable to get a decent broadband connection with download speed of at least 10Mbit/s and upload speed of at least 1Mbit/s.

Full-fibre broadband where fibre optic cables are used all the way to the property is only available to 3% of homes and offices, up from 2% a year earlier. We expect this figure to grow in the next few years as a number of network operators have recently announced plans to build new networks.[2]

Ofcom is also taking a range of steps to help improve broadband coverage and speeds, including:

Promoting industry-wide investment in full-fibre networks. These connections can deliver far quicker, more reliable broadband. Ofcom is making it easier and cheaper for competitors to lay their own ultrafast networks using BT's network of telegraph poles and underground ducts

Supporting plans for universal broadband. Ofcom has provided technical advice to the Government on its plans for homes and businesses across the country including in rural and remote areas to have the right to request a broadband connection with a download speed of at least 10 Mbit/s, and an upload speed of at least 1 Mbit/s.

Ensuring better information for customers. Broadband shoppers must receive better information about speeds before they commit to a contract, and can walk away from their contract if speeds fall below a guaranteed minimum. New protections were set out by Ofcom in October.

Today's report shows the total amount of data carried over UK broadband networks increased by 52% over the last year. The average home broadband connection now carries 190 GBytes of data the equivalent of around 100,000 digital photographs in a month.

Steve Unger, Chief Technology Officer at Ofcom, said: Broadband coverage is improving, but our findings show there's still urgent work required before people and businesses get the services they need.

Everyone should have good access to the internet, wherever they live and work. So we are supporting plans for universal broadband, and promoting investment in full-fibre technology that can provide ultrafast, reliable connections.

Further action needed on mobile coverageOfcom has changed the way we measure mobile coverage, to reflect the growing usage and expectations of smartphone users. Today's devices receive far more data, but also require stronger signals, than older phones.

We have raised our requirements for what constitutes coverage[3], using new crowd-sourced information from thousands of handsets to capture mobile users' real experiences.

This means people can get the most accurate ever picture of mobile coverage, using Ofcom's interactive maps and smartphone app, which have been updated today. These tools provide clear, detailed information on the availability of mobile calling, text and data services in different parts of the country.

Our updated coverage data shows that nearly six in ten premises (58%) can receive an indoor 4G mobile signal from all four networks[4], up from 40% last year.

But too many people in the UK still struggle to get a sufficiently strong signal particularly in rural areas and on roads and railways. Total' geographic 4G coverage, where reception is available from all four mobile operators, is available across just 43% of the UK's landmass.

For calls and text messaging, 30% of the UK's geography does not receive a signal from all four operators down from 37% last year.

While these figures show improvements, we are calling for further investment from mobile providers to improve coverage.

Ofcom is also taking direct action, including:

Setting new requirements in operators'

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