“Gigabit Britain” won’t be achieved on time, suggests a new report: although nationwide broadband and mobile connectivity targets were recently downgraded, the UK will still struggle to achieve gigabit speeds at the scale promised by the government, and before the 2025 deadline.
Gigabit speeds are a significant step up from so-called “superfast” speeds – which are currently available to 97% of UK households. At 1,000 Mbps, which is about 40 times as fast as standard superfast broadband, gigabit connectivity can be delivered through various technologies, including full-fiber, cable and 5G.
Last year, the UK government pledged to deliver full-fiber and gigabit-capable broadband to the whole of the country by 2025. This is estimated to cost around £30 billion ($40 billion), the vast majority of which will be covered by commercial rollouts. At the time, the government committed to take on £5 billion ($6.7 billion)…