Openreach hits 10 million milestone in full-fibre broadband programme

Openreach is pressing ahead with plans for full-fibre broadband to reach 25 million premises after announcing it is now available to 10 million homes, businesses and public services across the UK.

The 10 millionth location is in the village of Ketton in Rutland.

More than 900 homes and businesses in this rural location can now order an ultrafast full-fibre connection.

The £15 billion project is intended to hook up 25 million homes and businesses across the country by the end of 2026.

As well as improving the broadband that people use on a daily basis, the upgrade is set to improve the quality of UK public services, said Openreach.

It added that it has already made full-fibre available to more than 9,000 medical facilities including GP surgeries, hospitals and research labs across the country.

Chief executive Clive Selley said: “Today marks a significant milestone in our transformation of the UK’s broadband.

“Not only will access to full-fibre technology improve the speed and reliability of the internet connections used by people, businesses and public services, it also provides us with the infrastructure we need to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world.

“With this upgrade, we can improve the lives of people in the UK, offering economic opportunities, alleviating social challenges and creating the foundation for life-changing technology.

“Now we’re focused on the next phase of our build.

“Our engineers are building rapidly across the country and we already have plans in place that will see full-fibre broadband reach over 25 million premises.”