Building Digital Britain: Policy & Progress 2024 – 2025

Key Policy and Regulatory Updates in Broadband, Wireless, Digital Inclusion, and Telecoms Security

This report provides a comprehensive update on UK government initiatives and regulatory developments in the telecommunications sector during 2024 and 2025. It highlights major progress in broadband rollout, 5G and 6G innovation, digital inclusion, and Ofcom’s evolving regulatory landscape aimed at promoting competition, investment, and consumer protection.

Key Summary Points:

Government-Led Infrastructure Expansion

The UK Government, through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Building Digital UK (BDUK), has continued to advance Project Gigabit, reaching over 1.06 million premises with gigabit-capable broadband by March 2024. Notably, 92% of the new connections in the latest year served rural areas, with ongoing contracts now covering over one million additional premises. (See below).

Table 1:  BDUK Project Gigabit premises passed by year, nation, and region to 31 March 2024

Region	Total premises passed to 31 March 2024 (r)	Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024	Between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 (r)	Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 (r)	By 31 March 2021 (r)
East Midlands	78,400	13,100	7,100	9,800	48,500
East of England	139,700	9,200	21,000	25,700	83,700
London	9,200	100	300	300	8,600
North East	25,300	5,600	3,900	4,400	11,400
North West	54,700	8,100	4,500	4,300	37,900
Northern Ireland	126,000	21,000	40,200	32,600	32,200
Scotland	81,500	24,000	17,700	6,800	33,000
South East	149,600	14,100	21,000	24,000	90,500
South West	138,800	23,200	21,200	14,300	80,000
Yorkshire and The Humber	71,700	10,600	5,700	7,800	47,700
Wales	112,200	5,400	9,100	13,000	84,700
West Midlands	77,300	9,600	9,500	7,900	50,300
United Kingdom	1,064,500	143,900	161,200	150,800	608,500

Rounded to nearest 100, (r) denotes revised data

Source:  BDUK Annual Performance Report 2024

Advancing 5G and Open Network Technologies

The UK’s £250 million Open Networks R&D Fund concluded in March 2025, successfully supporting the development and adoption of Open RAN and other open, interoperable network technologies. This aligns with the national goal for 35% of mobile traffic to be carried over Open RAN by 2030. Key initiatives included the ONE and FRANC competitions, testbed development, and future-focused R&D hubs.

The £40 million 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) programme launched in 2023 and suppoprted 10 regional projects across sectors like energy, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.  In March 2025, extensions were granted to three regions with additional funding, reinforcing the government’s support for regional digital ecosystems.

Digital Inclusion and Equity

In February 2025, the government unveiled its Digital Inclusion Action Plan, including:

• A new Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund;

• A device donation pilot in collaboration with the Digital Poverty Alliance;

• Creation of a Digital Inclusion Action Committee;

• Simplification of government digital services and improved user access.

These efforts aim to close digital access gaps and improve digital literacy nationwide.

Ofcom Regulatory and Market Oversight

Ofcom’s Telecoms Access Review (TAR) 2026–2031, released in March 2025, builds on the previous WFTMR framework and retains many of its principles.

Key proposals include:

• Geographic boundaries in Area 2 and Area 3 redefined;

• Updates to price caps and wholesale access terms for Openreach services.

• Expansion of cost-based pricing for leased lines in Area 3, impacting 46% of premises (See Figure 1).

• Continued support for Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA), with significant reductions in end-user connection costs. 

Figure 1:  Summary of proposed pricing remedies in LLA Area 3, 2026-2031. Source:  Ofcom, TAR Overview, Summary, and Structure, March 2025. EOI (Equivalent of Inputs).

Ofcom also tackled mid-contract inflation-linked price rises by banning CPI/RPI-linked increases in new contracts from January 2025, promoting transparency and fairness for consumers (See Table 2).

Table 2:  Broadband and mobile providers announced annual price increases, effective 2025.

Provider	Price Increase	Effective Date	Notes
BT	£3/month	31 March 2025	Applies to contracts from 10 April 2024. Earlier contracts see a 6.4% increase.
EE	£3/month	31 March 2025	Similar structure to BT.
Plusnet	£3/month	31 March 2025	Contracts from 11 July 2024; earlier contracts face a 6.4% rise.
TalkTalk	£3/month	1 April 2025	Contracts from 12 August 2024; earlier contracts see a 6.2% increase.
Virgin Media	£3.50/month	1 April 2025	Contracts from 9 January 2025; earlier ones face a 7.5% rise.
Vodafone	£3/month	1 April 2025	Contracts from 2 July 2024; earlier contracts see a 6.4% increase.
Sky	~6.2%	1 April 2025	Applies to broadband and TV packages.
NOW Broadband	~6.2%	1 April 2025	Similar to Sky; both are under the same ownership.
Three	£2/month	1 April 2025	Applies to broadband; mobile increases vary.
O2	£1.80/month	1 April 2025	Applies to pay-monthly and SIM-only mobile plans.
Tesco Mobile	Eliminated inflation-linked increases	17 December 2024	New contracts specify fixed monetary increases.
YouFibre	No mid-contract increases	N/A	Commits to fixed prices throughout contract duration.

Source:  Broadband and mobile services providers’ websites, 2024-2025.

Ofcom Security Report (October 2022 – October 2024)

Ofcom’s first formal Telecommunications Security Act report to government was published on 23 January 2025.  It covered key telecom security developments across a two-year period, focusing on how providers are managing network security risks compliance and network resilience.  

Ofcom noted that the following industry-wide observations were being carried out:

• Increased awareness and action on telecom security risks.

• Providers are embedding the new framework into governance, risk management, and technical operations.

• Compliance levels vary across the industry, with larger operators showing more progress than smaller providers.

Key risks that were identified in the report include:

• Supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly involving overseas suppliers.

• Legacy technologies, such as older network elements and protocols, pose ongoing risks.

• Configuration management and lack of automation are gaps in some providers’ security operations.

• Inadequate detection capabilities in smaller or resource-constrained firms.

Ofcom’s Strategic Planning and Forward Outlook

Ofcom’s 2025/26 Plan of Work and Three-Year Strategy (2025–2028) emphasise continued investment, network competition, and spectrum efficiency.  The regulator will finalise TAR implementation, monitor Openreach compliance, and lead initiatives to enhance fixed and wireless infrastructure critical to the UK’s digital future. Figure 2 below provides a sector overview of Ofcom’s expanded remit along with timescales for its undertakings.

Figure 2:  Ofcom’s phases of key projects and programmes, 2025-2028. Source: Ofcom.

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