LONDON, March 13 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
* NewGOV.UKservicefor people in England and Wales tocheckquickly if theycan access orare included in plans forgovernment-backed broadband upgrades
* Comes asUK government's rolloutramps upacross the UKwithProject Gigabit now rolling out to over 750 premises per day - the fastest rate sincethe programme launched in 2021
* Openreach engineersarenowbringing full fibreupgradesto propertiesinmore than100 rural towns and villages,andremotecommunitieson the Scottish island ofIslayareenjoying4Gmobilecoverage for the first time
People in need of faster broadband can now find out in a few taps if they areduefor a government-funded upgrade,thanks to an online address checkerlaunched today (Friday 13 March).
The newGOV.UKservice allowspeoplein England and Walestoentertheir postcodetoinstantlyseeif theirhome or businessiscoveredbyexisting rollout plans, whether through the government's Project Gigabitrollout targeting hard-to-reach areas or the telecoms industry's own commercial plans.This willempowerrural communities to more easily see how the government's multi-billion-pound investment in gigabit rollout couldbenefitthem.
It comes as Project Gigabitdrives a surge of spades in the groundto deliverlightning-fastfull fibreto neighbourhoodsacross theBritish countryside.The UK government is now delivering broadband upgrades at its fastest rate sinceProject Gigabit started in2021, with over 750 homes and businesses gaining access to a gigabit-capable connection every day as a direct result of its investment.*Over a millionmorepremises aredue to receive upgrades through live Project Gigabit contracts, and even more are expected to fall into scope in the months ahead.
Through a landmark deal struck with Openreachworth up to £1.2 billion,engineers arenowbringing full fibre broadbandupgradesto propertiesinmore than100ruraltowns and villagesacross England and Wales.Meanwhile, hundreds morearenow receivinggovernment-backedupgradesfromthemanyother broadband providersworking onProject Gigabit.
As the government continues its mission toachieve 99% gigabit coverageby 2032, the online address checker makesit much simplerand quickerfor peoplestruggling with slow connectionsto find outif upgrades are available in their area or what plans are in place to deliver these in the future.
Gigabit-capable broadband delivers faster, more reliable internetthatcan handle multiple users downloading, streaming or online gaming at the same time.The rollout will ensurehouseholds and businessescanstay connected nowand in the future,with fewer outages and less competition for bandwidth.
UK TelecomsMinister, Liz Lloyd, said:
Many rural communities have long struggled to do even the basics online due to slow internet speeds.Now, hundreds of households and companies are receiving government-fundedupgrades every day - helping those who would otherwise miss out.
Our new address checker puts power in people's hands to instantly find out whenfaster broadbandis coming to their doorstep, helping them seize the opportunities of the digital age no matter where they live or work.
Katie Milligan, Openreach's Deputy CEO, said:
We're proud to be working with the UK government to extend the reach of faster, more reliable full fibre broadband to some of Britain's hardest-to-reach communities. Our engineers live and work in these areas too, so they know how much difference good connectivity can make to everyday life.
Our new network is already available to more than 22 million homes and businesses and, as our Project Gigabit partnership accelerates, even more communities will start to see the benefits - whether that's better access to online services, new opportunities for local businesses, or simply being able to stay connected with friends and family.
Mobile coverage in rural areas is also continuing to improve thanks to government investment, most recently ontheScottish island of Islay where a new 4G mast has just been activated - providing fast, reliable mobile internet for communities that previouslycouldn'tget a signal at all.
Through the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme,123mobile masts have been upgradedor builtto provide 4G coverage from allmobile networkoperators, including50in Wales,43in Scotland and30in England. The upgrades mean 4G is now availableacross over 4000 sq kmthat previously had limited coverage- equivalent tothe size of Greater London, Birmingham, Manchester,Glasgowand Edinburgh combined.The vast majority ofthese upgrades involved improving equipment on existing masts, minimising any impact on local scenery through new infrastructure.
The new 4G mastlocatedonthe west ofIslay was built by EE and will deliver commercial coverage from allmajoroperators, including Vodafone, ThreeandVirgin MediaO2. 4G is now available at popular tourist destinations including theBallinabyStanding Stones, Loch Gorm, Machir Bay Beach, andSaligoBay Beach - providing a much-needed boost for residents and local businesses.
Islay has a population of just over 3,000 people but welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The island is home to some of the world's most famous whisky brands, including the Kilchoman distillery, the first farm distillery built on the island in more than a century.
The distillery's General Manager, Islay Heads, said:
I think people on the mainland take reliable 4G connectivity for granted, but we certainlydon't. From a business perspective, our visitors are now able to post reviews and photos before they leave the site, something guests often forgot to do before, as they had to wait until they had a mobile signal. We can also now run live presentations and tastings from areas outside the distillery which allows more people to see how our traditional farm distilling process works.
It makes our ability to communicate with suppliers and team members much quicker as well. In modern business, these sorts of efficiencies are important to our overall success as a local enterprise and international brand.
Ben Roome, CEO of Mova said:
People want a connection they can rely on, wherever they are. In less populated, rural, areas, modern 4G does that brilliantly. This site brings mobile broadband to parts of Islay thathaven'thad it, making day‑to‑day life a bit easier for the people who live, work and visit.
Notes to editors
Check your gigabit broadband availability here.
For any premises that are not covered by current plans, the checker will redirect them to Ofcom to see which broadband suppliers are active in their area. They can then contact them to register their interest in an upgrade, which willdemonstratedemand in their area and may help them decide to expand their rollout. Even if a propertyisn'tcurrently under plans, there are further Project Gigabit contracts due to be announced in the coming months which will see many more premises benefit from upgrades.
Below is a list of towns and villages where Openreach iscurrentlyrolling outupgrades, either within these locations or their surrounding areas, as part of Project Gigabit.This list does not include areas where other suppliers are currently delivering government-funded rollout.
Build information included in this news release reflectsOpenreach'splans at the time of publication.
Hertfordshire: Hatfield, Ware Park,Wadesmill
Lancashire: Clayton le Dale, Briercliffe, Southfield,Pleasington, Tockholes, Oswaldtwistle, Great Harwood, Pendleton, Clitheroe, West Bradford, Waddington, Bashall Eaves, Whalley, Whalley Banks, Blacko, Turton, Belmont, Holcombe, Ormskirk, Scarisbrick, Leyland,Nateby, Scorton, Inskip, Longton, Hutton, Tarleton, Mere Brow, Hundred End, Hesketh Bank, Whittle‑le‑Woods, Southport
Surrey: Bisley, West End (Woking), East Clandon, LowerEashing, Milford, Pirbright,Enton, Betchworth
Wiltshire: Sutton Benger, Brinkworth,Oaksey, Baydon,Clatford
Staffordshire: Wolseley Bridge,Tixall
Devon: Chulmleigh,Winkleigh, Harracott, Kentisbury, Combe Martin, Berrynarbor, Umberleigh,HighBickington, Chapelton, Atherington, Burrington, Dunkeswell, Burlescombe, Rockbeare, Bradninch,Newton St Cyres, Cowley
Somerset: Clapton in Gordano, Clevedon, Hewish, Rolstone, PottersHill, Brockley, Backwell, Barrow Gurney, Winscombe, Winscombe Hill
Gwynedd: Tal‑y‑llyn, Tywyn, Bryncrug, Mynydd Nefyn, Rhydyclafdy
Swansea: Reynoldston, Knelston
Neath Port Talbot: Rhiwfawr
Montgomeryshire: Llanfair Caereinion, Llangyniew, Dolanog, Cyfronydd
Ceredigion: Rhos‑y‑garth
Wrexham: Brymbo, Ffrith, Penley, Wrexham, Hanmer,Halghton, Horsemans Green
Conwy: Cerrigydrudion, Llanddulas, Abergele
Shropshire: Much Wenlock, Six Ashes, Coton, Bridgnorth, Quatt, Quatford, Cantern Bank, Eardington, Oldbury
*This figure covers 1 to 31 December 2025, which is the most recent monthly period where assured delivery data is available. It is based on the total premises passed in December, averaged across the 31 days of the month, using BDUK management information as of 2 February 2026. Itremainssubject to the methodological considerations set out in the Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) document.
About Project Gigabit
Project Gigabit is a government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers' commercial plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwisemiss out onupgrades to next-generation speeds. The connections delivered by Project Gigabit willbenefitrural communities, as well as tackling pockets of poor connectivity in urban areas. Project Gigabit is crucial to the government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity and kickstart economic growth across the country.
About Openreach
We'rethe people that make thenet work.
Our wholesale broadband network - the UK's largest - supports more than 680 service providers like BT, SKY, TalkTalk,Vodafoneand Zen to provide broadband, TV, phone, data and mobile services to their customers.
Any company can access our network through equal pricing, terms and conditions, and our team of around 28,000 people help deliver services to every community in the UK.
Right now,we'reinvesting £15 billion to build a new Full Fibre broadband network to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026. Work is on track, with the company intending to go even further - to as many as 30 million premises by the end of the decade - assuming conditions for investment remain supportive.
We'vealready reached 21 million premises andwe'repassing thousands more every week. Andwe'reretraining thousands of our existing engineers to help build, connect and maintainthe new network.
Our new network will help Openreach and its customers to dramatically cut emissions, with research suggesting nationwide Full Fibre broadband could save 400 million commuter trips every year. We'realso switching our commercial fleet - the UK's second largest - to zero emissions by 2031.
We'rea wholly owned and independent subsidiary of the BT Group and for the year up to the end of March 2025, we reported revenues of £6.157 billion. Find out more about Openreach.
DSIT media enquiries
Email press@dsit.gov.uk
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
