Broadband Digital Deprivation Index – updated to 2025

The BDDI has been a model from Point Topic since 2012.  It is based on a combination of inputs from our own broadband availability and adoption data and with several components that we have determined are related to low adoption levels. 

Historically we have used the Indices of Multiple Deprivation but for the most recent versions (2023 and early 2025) we have been able to use more recent indicators from the 2021 census, see below for tables and see here for a more detailed write up and methodology - Digital Deprivation in the UK: 2023 Report and Dataset.  You can see more detail at the bottom of this piece.

In each case we have then normalised the values so that a low ‘score’ in any component is an indicator of the risk of low adoption.  The compound output, the Broadband Digital Deprivation Index, reports the lowest scores for those places where the risk of non-adoption is worse.

For England for most at risk LSOA scores a total of 1.6705 in Middlesborough, in this update.  It is the number 1 risk of non-adoption in England. 

With Wales, Scotland and NI having their own Indices of Multiple Deprivation they are calculated separately and direct comparisons between the countries is not possible in this model.

Download the maps and data

The outcome maps the areas in the UK which are at relative risk of non-adoption of broadband. 

We have produced maps at LA ward and LSOA geographies and you can see and download the maps and data associated - https://subscribers-beta.point-topic.com/broadband-geography/la-map.

We have made a set of data and maps publicly available.  With citation (Point Topic Ltd – www.point-topic.com) you can use the outputs yourself.

We expect to update this model again in early 2026 when the new Indices of Multiple Deprivation are updated.  This will be the first update since COVID and there will be plenty to look at.

Cornwall

The South West and Cornwall have been areas of deprivation in the UK for some time.  Historically recipients of central subsidy from the EU and UK due to the relative levels of hardship progress was made in the last decade for broadband supply with a relatively early level of high coverage from Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC).

However as the next generation of fixed technology has been spreading through the UK, Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), Cornwall is again in danger of low coverage and adoption.  On average UK regions have increased FTTP coverage by 33% of premises in the last 4 years.  The South West government region however has only grown by 25%.

Cornwall faces problems in the availability of gigabit broadband as well as adoption overall and particularly of the higher speed services.

Zooming in – the divide is deeper but narrower

As availability and adoption spread exclusion remains an issue but generally in smaller areas.

Point Topic’s data allows the user to zoom in and examine the specific elements of supply and adoption that are relatively bad or good compared to the UK overall.

Here are two LSOAs at different ends of the risk index in Cornwall.  The lower the BDDI score the more at risk that area is from non-adoption.

LSOA Code	E01018875	E01034862
HH_CHILDREN	0.277	0.488
BII_SCORE	0.180	0.195
OVER65	0.602	0.914
OVER16S_NOQUALS	0.239	0.708
DISABLED	0.355	0.713
HH_SOC_HOUSING	0.478	0.813
INC_DEP_RATE	0.407	0.877
BDDI_SCORE	2.538	4.708
BDDI_RANK	48	27241

The BDDI_RANK is for the whole of England.  There are 33,755 LSOAs in our analysis.

We can see that E01018875 (in Cambourne) is ranked 48th most at risk from broadband digital deprivation while at the other end of the scale the least at risk area in Cornwall, E01034862 just outside Truro, is 27,241st.

Cambourne has relatively poor supply (lower BII score) and has less people with qualifications and higher proportion of disabled population recorded there.  These are all indicators of digital adoption risk and along with high proportions of social housing and income deprivation it is an area that would benefit from outreach and programmes to address these issues.

Broadband adoption – our benchmarks

Point Topic also models broadband adoption.  We use the BDDI as an input and along with our detailed, granular time series on broadband availability we are able to provide a postcode level dataset on take-up.

You can read more about that here - Benchmarking take-up at a granular level 

BDDI components and sources

Table 5: Components of the Broadband Digital Deprivation Index (BDDI)

 [1] proportion of the population per LSOA experiencing deprivation relating to low income

The BDDI model includes the following main metrics as raw inputs:

• Higher is Better Factors:

  • Proportion of households with children (from LSOA to postcode)

  • BII score (postcode level)

    
    

• Lower is Better Factors:

  • Proportion of population over 65 (from LSOA to postcode)

  • Proportion of adults without qualifications (from LSOA to postcode)

  • Proportion of disabled population (from LSOA to postcode)

  • Proportion of households in social housing (from LSOA to postcode)

  • Income deprivation rates (from LSOA to postcode)

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If you have any questions regarding the BDDI or any data in this report, contact us at isabelle.anderson@point-topic.com.