Broadband availability in Q3 2025: 2+ FTTP networks pass 35% of the UK

This is our regular update on fixed broadband availability in the UK, tracking the progress to the end of Q3 2025. The analysis is based on our broadband availability dataset which covers all 1.7m UK postcodes. More granular, postcode level broadband availability updates by operator and technology, are available to our UK Broadband Mapping customers. Also, for a limited time, we made our comprehensive Local Authority level data and Ward level maps available for free here.

Note: There will generally be a lag to the operator announcements for premises passed at the time since it takes us time to properly track and audit any new deployments, unless the operators tell us about them. Also, we report RFS (ready for service) premises, while some operators and ISPs include premises where customers can pre-order a broadband service.

Key headlines

• At the end of Q3 2025, FTTP coverage was 79.5% of the UK premises, compared to 77.8% at the end of Q2 2025. The number of FTTP premises went up 2.3% q-o-q.

• 11.6 million premises had access to two or more FTTP networks (up by 5.9% since the previous quarter). Just over 1.9 million premises were covered by 3+ fibre networks.

• Openreach FTTP footprint stood at 19.7 million premises, covering 58.7% of all UK premises.

• Legacy networks operated by Openreach still covered 13.3 million premises, but this figure is now lower by 6.4 million compared to their FTTP premises.

• In Q3 2025, Cumberland, Rochdale and Highland added most FTTP premises (more than 10K each).

• Nationwide 2.3 million premises could choose between two or more fibre altnets, compared to 2.2 million in Q2 2025, but altnet overbuild is slowing down.

Openreach and FTTP in general

In Q3 2025, we recorded 1.037m additions to the full fibre premises passed by Openreach, compared to 983K additions in Q2 2025. So, the rollout accelerated, and it will be interesting to see whether this trend continues. Our total Openreach FTTP footprint stood at 19.7 million premises, up 5.6% quarter-on-quarter (Table 1). Openreach full fibre now covers 58.7% of all UK premises, up from 55.6% in Q2 2025.

The number of Openreach ADSL, FTTC and Gfast only premises went down by 1.031m, with this number almost matching FTTP additions. Non-fibre networks still covered 13.3 million premises in the UK but this number decreased by 7.2% quarter on quarter, and it is now by 6.4 million lower than that of the FTTP premises.

Table 1. Openreach footprint by technology, Q3 2025. Source: Point-Topic.

Northern Ireland  dominates the top 20 LAs covered by Openreach’s fibre - Belfast leads at 96.5%, and the top 5 LAs include four NI councils (Figure 1). Wirral (93.9%) is the highest performing English LA, and along with some others in the region it is showing Openreach's strong position on the UK periphery and in Northern regions, not least due to government intervention schemes.

In Q3 2025, the Causeway Coast and Glens LA was pushed out of this league by Torbay with 86.8% of its premises now having access to Openreach’s FTTP.

Figure 1. Top 20 LAs by the proportion of total premises passed by Openreach FTTP, Q3 2025. Source: Point Topic.

In Q3 2025, the overall FTTP coverage, including Openreach FTTP network, altnets, Virgin Media O2’s fibre network and KCOM was 26.7 million premises (79.5% of the UK total, compared to 77.8% at the end of Q2 2025). The number of FTTP premises went up 2.3% q-o-q, with the growth slowing down as full fibre is now available to 4 out of 5 UK premises.

Fibre network overbuild has increased further. At the end of Q3 2025, 11.6 million premises had access to 2 or more FTTP networks (up by 5.9% since Q2 2025). Just over 1.9 million premises were covered by 3+ fibre networks, with this number having increased by 9.6%.

Table 2. Comparison of FTTP network overbuild (all networks). Source: Point Topic.

The continuing FTTP deployment by multiple operators also had an impact on our ‘list of shame’ which shows the bottom ten UK local authorities (LAs) by FTTP coverage (Figure 2). Four areas in this category saw higher than 10% quarterly growth, with Harlow showing the most significant change (71.1% up quarter-on-quarter), rising to 25.5% premises passed with FTTP. Oxford managed to leave the bottom ten, with Warwick taking its place.

All three Scottish island authorities (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Shetland, Orkney) still rank in the bottom 5, with coverage ranging from just 10.1% to 25.1%. Three other Scottish councils are also on the list, i.e. Argyll and Bute (23%), Perth and Kinross (31.4%) and West Dunbartonshire (44.1%). Harlow (25.5%), City of London (37.5%) and Winchester (45.4%) stand out as the Southeast LAs in the bottom 10.

Figure 2. Bottom local authorities by percentage of premises covered with FTTP (any network), Q3 2025. Source: Point Topic.

In Q3 2025, Cumberland, Rochdale and Highland added most FTTP premises (more than 10K each). In Rochdale and Nottingham, 84% of all premises already have access to FTTP (Figure 3). In the top ten by FTTP premises added category, Highland has the longest way to go, with only 59% of its premises covered by FTTP.

Figure 3. Top ten LAs by FTTP premises added in Q3 2025. Source: Point Topic.

The overall picture of FTTP premises added across the UK can be seen on the following map.

Figure 4. FTTP premises added at Local Authority level, Q3 2025. Source: Point Topic.

Nationwide, several local authorities experienced notable % growth in FTTP premises (Figure 5), with standout increases including Winchester (35.3%), West Dunbartonshire (19.3%), Charnwood (15.3%), Arun (15.2%), South Oxfordshire (14.5%), and Highland (13.9%).

Figure 5. Percentage growth in the number of FTTP premises per Local Authority, Q3 2025. Source: Point Topic.

Broadband Availability from Fibre Altnets

Among the altnets exceeding 100K fibre premises passed, CityFibre remained at the top of the league with 4.15m FTTP premises covered by their network (Ready for Service premises) (Figure 6). Netomnia (including brsk), nexfibre, and Community Fibre had the next largest footprints with 2.6m, 1.9m and 1.4m premises respectively[1]. Netomnia aims to cover 3 million UK premises by the end of 2025 and 5m by the end of 2027. (Note: our chart still displays Netomnia and brsk figures separately).

[1] See our earlier note about possible lags to the operator announcements of premises passed.

Figure 6. FTTP premises passed by altnets, Q3 2025 (more than 100K premises). Source: Point Topic.

Quarter-on-quarter, we recorded the largest percentage growth in FTTP footprint for Ogi (11.3%), Quickline (10.5%) and nexfibre (7.2%) (in the 100K+ premises category).

Overbuild by FTTP altnets has increased slightly, as most operators slowed down network rollouts to focus on commercialisation. In Q3 2025, nationwide 2.3m premises could choose between two or more fibre altnets, compared to 2.2m in Q2 2025. Just over 203K premises were served by 3 or more alternative fibre networks, up from 193K three months earlier (Table 3). We are expecting overbuild to slow down further as market consolidation increases. In most recent news, Netomnia might be acquired by Virgin Media O2 or CityFibre, which could significantly change the competitive landscape.

Table 3. Altnet overbuild evolution. Source: Point Topic.

The complete dataset used to produce this analysis is part of our UK Broadband Mapping at postcode level. You can also access our comprehensive data at Local Authority level, including broadband maps at ward level that highlight where the broadband infrastructure is in place, and where it’s still catching up. We made it freely accessible for a limited time here.

If you have any questions, you can contact us on 020 3301 3303 or by e-mail isabelle.anderson@point-topic.com