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Full fibre broadband is set to be the future of internet connectivity in the UK. Using ultrafast fibre technology all the way to people's front doors promises not only faster speeds, but a significant boost to the country's economy.
However, for many parts of the UK, the technology remains a proposition for the future. While other countries have already invested heavily in comprehensive full fibre networks, the UK is only now starting to take the necessary steps to catch up. So what does the full fibre picture in the UK look like at the moment, and where is it heading?
Why the UK needs to boost its FTTH deployments
For the last few years, the UK has remained steadfastly middle of the pack when it comes to average internet speeds. While there are several ways of measuring internet speeds, most studies agree that the UK is no danger of troubling the top ten.
Speedtest's Global Index, for example, ranked the UK 46th-fastest country in the world for fixed-line download speeds in January 2020, while a different methodology used by Cable.co.uk rated us 34th globally for 2019 as a whole, just behind Madagascar. So whichever way you look at it, it's clear there's still a lot of work to be done.
One of the biggest problems for the UK is that too many connections still rely - at least partially - on outdated copper cabling to transfer data. Even the majority of services sold as 'fibre' will still use these options for the last mile from the cabinet to the home. However, there are ambitious plans to change this, which is where full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity comes in.
What is the current state of deployments?
The government has pledged that every home in the UK will have access to gigabit-speed connectivity by the end of 2025, and the vast majority of this will need to be provided by full fibre.
At the moment, however, availability of this technology is still limited. According to the most recent figures from Ofcom, for mid-2019, full fibre was only on offer to around eight per cent of properties in the UK, though some more recent independent analyses have suggested this has now surpassed the ten per cent milestone.
Another way to gauge progress may be to look at the number of new-build homes that are being connected to this technology, as this may indicate strong forward-thinking from developers as they aim to keep up with demand for new properties. Openreach is hoping to assist with this by offering free installation of FTTH to developers. As of April 1st this year, this will apply to all developments of 20 homes or more.
However, recent figures from Thinkbroadband claim nearly one in five new-build homes completed last year (17 per cent) did not include full fibre as standard, indicating there is more to do in this area.
What's being done to boost uptake?
Infrastructure providers have long argued they could be rolling out FTTH plans more quickly if they were not held back by restrictive regulations, and this is something regulators are keen to work on. For example, Ofcom is currently seeking comment on new proposals to boost investment in the FTTH market by encouraging competition, making it easier for operators to access infrastructure such as ducts and poles and ensuring there is a clear business case for full fibre deployments.
Interim chief executive of the regulator Jonathan Oxley said: "These plans will help fuel a full-fibre future for the whole country. We’re removing the remaining roadblocks to investment and supporting competition, so companies can build the networks that will drive the UK into the digital fast lane."
Other issues, such as the matter of business rates, are also being looked at. While the government is currently offering operators five years' relief from these costs - rising to ten years in Scotland - there have been calls from the industry to extend this period in order to ensure ambitious targets can be met.
Speaking to ISPReview.co.uk late last year, managing director for fibre and network delivery at Openreach Kevin Murphy said progress has not been as quick as the industry would like on this issue, but he is optimistic about the future.
He said: "We have every reason to believe that [the government is] listening and understanding the importance of making this change. We continue to believe there is a strong case for exempting full fibre from the business rates system in order to support investment from across the sector."
What will the coming years hold for FTTH in the UK?
The good news is there are no shortage of companies looking to deploy FTTH networks around the UK. While national infrastructure supplier Openreach has plans to connect four million premises by the end of next year, there are plenty of smaller companies also looking to get involved.
While some established names like Hyperoptic and CityFibre have focused their efforts on urban areas, a significant trend for the rollout of FTTH is the efforts being made to ensure more rural areas do not miss out - something that was often the case with previous connectivity deployments.
There are many community-led and independent projects up and down the country aiming to do this, from County Broadband in East Anglia and Jurassic Fibre in the south-west to Alncom in the north-east, which could be good news for consumers if healthy competition drives more rollouts and keeps costs down.
