Ofcom Publishes Spring 2025 Connected Nations Update

Ofcom has released its Connected Nations Update: Spring 2025, providing the latest snapshot of broadband and mobile coverage across the UK. The report highlights continued progress in rolling out faster broadband services and improving mobile coverage but recognises that work remains to fully close the connectivity gap, particularly in rural areas.

Headline Findings

• Gigabit-Capable Broadband: 86% of UK homes (25.9 million premises) now have access to gigabit-capable broadband, an increase from 83% reported in July 2024.
• Full-Fibre Broadband: Nearly three-quarters of UK homes (74%) can now access full-fibre broadband services, up five percentage points over the last six months, equating to an additional 1.8 million homes.
• 4G Mobile Coverage: Good outdoor 4G coverage is available across approximately 96% of the UK landmass from at least one mobile network operator.
• Shared Rural Network (SRN) Progress: The report notes that overall mobile coverage levels have remained stable since the last update in September 2024. While work under the SRN programme continues to target rural coverage improvements, further investment and deployment will be critical to meet future targets.

Rural Connectivity

Although the report does not break down rural coverage figures in detail, the data continues to highlight the disparities between overall UK averages and the experiences of rural communities. Ofcom’s previous reports have shown that rural areas consistently face lower access to gigabit-capable and full-fibre broadband services, alongside more frequent mobile not-spots.

The report also acknowledges that while network providers are expanding coverage, challenges remain in reaching the hardest-to-connect areas, often due to cost and complex deployment requirements.