Thinkbroadband, an independent broadband analysis firm, has released a comprehensive report on the top 17 largest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP networks in the UK for the second quarter of 2023. This report offers valuable insights into the extent of network coverage, allowing a comparison with official claims made by the operators.
Monitoring the rapid growth of FTTP-based broadband networks in the UK has proven challenging due to operators often presenting coverage claims that are difficult to verify independently. Thinkbroadband’s latest quarterly report addresses this issue by providing a more accurate assessment of the coverage actually existing (Ready for Service – RFS) among the major alternative network (AltNet) operators in the full fibre space. These AltNet operators are those with over 100,000 premises passed.
However, it’s essential to consider some caveats in interpreting this data. First, while Thinkbroadband endeavours to be comprehensive, they may occasionally miss certain areas of network coverage, so they encourage readers to report any discrepancies they spot. Second, the process of independently analysing network builds can be slow, causing a lag of 2-3 months compared to actual build progress. This delay may result in differences between the independent figures and the operators’ official claims, especially during the initial ramp-up period of a new network build.
Let’s take a look at the top 17 largest UK Full Fibre Networks by Coverage, as reported by Thinkbroadband in Q2 2023, along with the official claims made by the operators:
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Openreach (BT)
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 10.9 million premises (Q2), 9.5 million premises (Q1)
- BT Official Claim: 11 million premises (Jul 2023)
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CityFibre
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 2.3 million premises (Q2), 2.2 million premises (Q1)
- CityFibre Official Claim: 2.9 million built, 2.5 million RFS (Jul 2023)
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Virgin Media / nexfibre
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 1.5 million premises (Q2), 1.3 million premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 3 million premises (VMO2 + Nexfibre) (Jul 2023)
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CommunityFibre
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 1.1 million premises (Q2), 858,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 1.2 million premises (July 2023)
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Hyperoptic
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 1 million premises (Q2), 911,000 premises (Feb 2023)
- Official Claim: 1.15 million premises (Feb 2023)
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Netomnia (YouFibre)
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 556,000 premises (Q2), 359,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 500,000 premises (Jul 2023)
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Gigaclear
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 343,000 premises (Q2), 311,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 450,000 premises (Jun 2023)
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Trooli
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 283,000 premises (Q2), 212,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 219,000 premises (Dec 2022)
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KCOM
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 267,000 premises (Q2), 265,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 300,000 premises (May 2022)
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G.Network
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 255,000 premises (Q2), 253,000 premises (Q1)
- Official Claim: 400,000 premises (May 2022)
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Fibrus
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 238,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available
- Official Claim: 256,000 premises (Mar 2023), 240,000 RFS
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Brsk
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 190,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available
- Official Claim: 200,000 premises (May 2023)
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ITS Technology (mostly biz fibre)
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 185,000 premises (Q2), 185,000 premises (Q1)
- No recent official data available
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Zzoomm
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 150,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available
- Official Claim: 150,000 premises (Jun 2023)
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Jurassic Fibre
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 127,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available
- Official Claim: 150,000 premises (Mar 2023)
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Swish Fibre
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 127,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available
- No official data available
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OFNL
- Thinkbroadband Analysis: 126,000 premises (Q2), no Q1 data available.
- No official data available.
In examining these figures, Thinkbroadband’s analysis generally aligns well with official claims for Ready for Service (RFS) style coverage among the major alternative network operators.
However, some discrepancies and variations do exist. Notably, KCOM falls behind expectations, and G.Network still presents a substantial gap in coverage.
It’s worth noting that Virgin Media’s combined network with nexfibre involves an interesting distinction. While Virgin’s overall figures encompass Hybrid Fibre Coax premises that have recently transitioned to the latest FTTP/XGS-PON technology, Thinkbroadband predominantly tracks newly established FTTP networks.
Many of these FTTP networks are constructed in regions where they compete with rival networks, particularly in densely populated urban areas. If we were to exclude Openreach, Virgin Media, and KCOM from the equation, the alternative networks collectively cover a bit over 24% of premises across the UK.
