Ofcom Connected Nations 2023 outlines full-fibre take-up running at 28%

Full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband coverage is expanding

According to Connected Nations, full fibre broadband is now available at more than half of UK residential premises (57%), sharply up from 42% last year. Gigabit-capable broadband coverage levels now exceed three-quarters (78%) of UK residential premises, up from 70% last year.

The availability of 5G services is growing rapidly

The level of 5G coverage provided outside of premises by at least one mobile network operator (MNO) rose from 67-78% in 2022 (across a range covering Very High and High Confidence levels of availability) to 85-93% in 2023.  

As of September 2023, there were more than 18,5001 5G deployments in place across around 81,0002 sites in the UK, up from around 12,000 5G deployments reported in 2022.  

Take-up of services on full-fibre networks is increasing

1.7 million new full-fibre consumer connections in the year to May 2023, out of a total of 4.6 million full-fibre connections. This means that just over a third of all full-fibre connections have been taken up in the twelve months to May 2024. 

As a proportion of premises where it is available, take-up rose by three percentage points from 25% last year to 28%. But take-up varies significantly; in local authorities with at least 20% full fibre coverage, take up as a proportion of premises with full fibre coverage ranges from 6% to 64%.

5G capable devices and traffic has seen fast-paced growth

Quite significantly, 5G traffic has shown around 140% growth, rising from 63 PB in 2022 to 151 PB in 2023. 

Superfast broadband is available to the majority of homes

Ninety-seven per cent of residential premises are able to access at least superfast broadband (with speeds of at least 30Mbit/s). Take-up of superfast services as a proportion of all UK premises rose to 72%.

4G remains the main mobile network for most users, while the switch off of 3G networks has begun

4G coverage continues to provide the backbone of mobile services and has remained largely consistent with last year, and 4G continues to carry the vast majority of mobile data traffic. The proportion of UK landmass covered by at least one MNO is now at 93%. 

Individual MNOs have continued to extend their networks, partly reflecting the work they are undertaking to deliver their Shared Rural Network obligations to achieve 88% coverage of UK landmass by 2024. 

Within Connected Nations, Ofcom estimate that only around 0.2% of premises in the UK do not have access to a decent broadband service. This has reduced by approximately 18,000 premises since last year to 61,000 this year.

Ofcom outline that more customers are taking up broadband services delivered via low Earth orbit satellites - these offer high-speed and lower-latency services. Satellite services are a potential approach for reaching some of the remaining premises that do not have access to decent broadband via more traditional technologies. There are around 42,000 customers of Starlink's LEO satellite service in the UK, with the majority in rural areas.

Ofcom are monitoring industry compliance with the Telecoms Security Act, starting with asking providers about measures they are taking to secure their management and signalling planes. 

In the report, Ofcom note their collection of data on the relative reliability of fixed network access technologies. Openreach and KCOM fibre networks experience a materially lower fault rate compared to their respective copper networks. Whereas there is limited difference between the fault rates on VMO2's FTTP network. 

Ofcom continue to monitor resilience incident reports and found the total number of reported incidents remained broadly in line with last year. 

For the first time, Connected Nations are reporting on some of the action that some UK providers are taking to reduce their own carbon footprints and the net zero commitments they have made ahead of the UK-wide 2050 deadline. 

Discussion on the tole the telecoms industry plays to facilitate the use of technology to deliver net zero solutions and enable significant reductions in other sectors.

Of further note, in section 5 of Connected Nations, Ofcom note their statutory duties include regulatory functions to secure the availability of the UK of a wide range of electronic communications (telecoms) services, and the optimal use for wireless telegraphy of the radio spectrum. While Ofcom's duties do not currently include speciifc climate change objectives, Ofcom have an interest in the long-term sustainability of the telecoms sector, including its preparation for net zero and climate change impacts. 

The inclusion of climate change in this report comes as no surprise given that all sectors will be impacted, including the telecoms sector. As noted in Connected Nations, more frequent and intense extreme weather events are impacting telecoms networks and other industries that depend on connectivity.

Connected Nations notes that climate change and the UK's transition to a net zero future are particularly relevant to the telecoms sector in relation to:

1. Extreme weather events driven by climate change means it is necessary for providers to ensure their networks are sufficiently resilient against the risks posed by the elements.
2. Telecoms providers responding to Government legislation, and the expectations of many consumers and investors in the sector, need to reduce their GHG emissions.
3. Telecoms networks and services can have a partnership role in helping enable other industries and the UK Government to deliver against climate change commitments. For example, the use of fixed or wireless communication in place of travel, or connectivity to power smart devices which in turn enable more efficient business practices. 

The UK Government has also identified telecommunications as one of the top ten sectors deemed to be part of the 'Critical National Infrastructure' of the UK - vulnerability to the risk of network outages may increase as society's dependence on digital services continues to grow. 

The development of mitigation strategies to adapt to climate change has therefore become a key consideration for providers. This includes risk assessments to assess the vulnerability of network infrastructure to extreme weather, the development of incident response plans to minimise the amount of time services are out for, and investments in cooling system upgrades and flood prevention equipment.

On an optimistic note, the main UK telecoms providers have made net zero commitments ahead of the UK-wide 2050 deadline. Indeed, providers are taking steps to reduce their emissions across scope 1, 2 and 3. Some actions are also being take to include electrification of vehicle fleets and purchasing electricity from low-carbon providers. The migration away from legacy networks is also noted to facilitate energy savings, with emission reductions that can be realised through the planned switch off of 2G and 3G networks. Also of note, the transition from copper to full fibre networks could allow fixed operators to reduce their emissions through more efficient use of energy given full fibre networks are more energy efficient.

The net-zero target dates of techUK members and telecoms providers, Cellnex, BT, Openreach, Sky, Three, Vodafone are all included within Connected Nations. 

Finally, on this point, there is also a key enablement effect of the telecoms industry in the UK's net zero transition. As Ofcom notes, it can work in partnership with other sectors to facilitate the use of technology to deliver net zero solutions and encourage some of the social changes required to enable significant emissions reductions.