Lets see what fibre broadband is available to you

Full fibre - now or in the future?

 

We’re in the middle of a huge full fibre broadband roll out – we’ve already connected 12.5m premises and we plan to connect 25 million by the end of December 2026. This is an enormous, complex project, so where and when we build has to be planned carefully. This section explains what our fibre checker tells you, gives an insight into how we plan where to build full fibre and what your options are if Full Fibre isn't immediately available at your home or business.

 

 

Use the fibre checker and see what type of broadband you can get

What does my fibre checker result mean?

 

Once you put your postcode into our fibre checker, there are a few possible results – it’s not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Let’s take a look at the responses you can get and what they mean for you.

Customer ordering online

Good news - you can order fibre

This means exactly what it says – Ultrafast full fibre is available at your address. You can choose and order a broadband package from your preferred service provider.

You're in plan

This means that while you’re not currently able to order full fibre, your address is in our build plans. The best thing to do is to register your interest – this tells us you’d like full fibre so we can keep you informed as the build progresses and let you know as soon as it’s available to order.

Engineers planning building the Full Fibre network
Register your interest in getting Ultrafast Full Fibre via our fibre checker and we'll keep you posted.

Sorry, but you're not in plan

This means that, unfortunately, your address isn’t in our build plans at the moment. It’s important to remember that our build plans change all the time. Just because your address isn’t in our plans now, doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future. The best thing to do is to register your interest – this tells us you’d like full fibre so we can keep you posted and let you know if our build plans change.

What can I do if I'm not in the current plans?

If you aren't in our current build plans but think there’s a high level of demand in your area, then there’s also the option of a Fibre Community Partnership (FCP). Find out how we can work with your local community and government to bring full fibre to your area.

Rural village

How our build plans work

We’re building full fibre across the UK, but we can’t be everywhere at once, so we prioritise our build plans based on feasibility and demand. We build full fibre everywhere, from city streets to mountains and valleys, and that means lots of challenges.

 

We also need to obtain permission to access private land and to plan our builds so that they cause minimal disruption to the environment and to the lives of local communities.

The reasons why your address might not be in our build plans aren’t static. We might be held up over permission from a private landowner, for example. Once that permission is granted, your address might be added to our plans.

 

Meanwhile, our fibre checker will let you know the best broadband option currently available at your address and you can find out more about the ‘where and when’ of our national build plans.

Questions about fibre broadband availability

 

Everything you need to know about the availability of Fibre broadband at Openreach

  • I’ve used the fibre checker. What do I do next?

    If your area is shown as “accepting orders”
    You can order fibre broadband. You’ll need to contact a broadband provider to do it.

     

    If you've already contacted a broadband provider and were unable to place an order, then fill in this form but please remember to run your fibre check first; as this will help us investigate the problem for you.

     

    If you live in an area which has fibre but the cabinet isn't ready
    You can’t order fibre yet but we’re working on it.

     

    If we’re reviewing your area
    You can’t order fibre broadband, unfortunately. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help – we’ve previously worked with hundreds of communities to get them fibre broadband through a Fibre Community Partnership.

     

    How Fibre Community Partnerships work
    There needs to be a joint funding arrangement in place, where we contribute as much of the cost as we can, and the community funds the rest. We’ll then build the most affordable solution, and advise on any grants or funding you might be able to get to help pay for your part. Because of high demand, we've paused registrations.

     

    Find out more about a Fibre Community Partnership and express your interest in getting Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband.

  • Why is it taking so long for you to upgrade your network for fibre?

    The short answer is that it’s a really complicated engineering programme. So there’s a lot to do. We’re working as quickly as we can – fibre broadband is already available in more than 96.59 per cent of the UK.

     

    Why is it so complicated?

    As well as working on installing equipment in our exchanges, we’re also overlaying part of our existing copper network (the part between exchanges and green cabinets) with fibre. And we’re running fibre direct to homes and businesses too. This involves lots of civil engineering work – in lots of different, and sometimes hard to reach or remote, locations.

  • Where are we building Ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband?

    We publish regular updates on our Ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband build plans which can show you our plans in each exchange area in the UK.

     

    To get more a personalised view of your home or business then register for updates via our Fibre Checker

  • The fibre checker has wrong or missing information. What do I do next?

    Our fibre checker is continuious updated and refresh to ensure the data is the most accurate possible. However, there are rare occasions when the data is incorrect or missing. If your home or business address is missing or you believe the result you're being shown is incorrect, then you can submit a request too investigate and resolve the issue.

     

    Fibre availability enquiry

  • My broadband provider’s line checker says that the date fibre broadband will be available in my area has changed. Why?

    Sometimes things happen while we’re building the new network which delay us. For example:

     

    • we might not have been able to agree a location for the cabinet with the local authority
    • it’s taking us longer than we thought to get permission to close roads or manage traffic to do the work
    • we might not be able to lay our cables or underground duct routes where we need to – this could be because there are already other utility cables there, or other obstacles like blocked ducts
    • we might have come across unexpected things like archaeology or a protected wildlife species
    • we might be having trouble getting power at the location (we’re not allowed to use domestic or street lighting supplies for our cabinets).

     

    So if something like this has happened in your area, that might be the reason why the date’s changed. We can’t comment on other companies’ line checkers though, so if you have questions you’ll need to talk to them directly.

     

    Have a look at our fibre checker
    Sometimes it takes a while for information on broadband providers sites to update. You can find the latest information for your area on our fibre checker.

     

  • There’s another cabinet near me that’s already up and running. Can I get fibre broadband from there instead?

    Unfortunately not. We can’t move a line that’s already connected to a home or business from one cabinet to another.

  • Your fibre checker can’t give me an answer on whether I can get fibre. Why not?

    Sometimes we can’t tell from your postcode which of our green street cabinets provides your broadband. That’s because some postcodes have more than one cabinet.

     

    Or it might be that your broadband comes directly from the exchange, rather than through a cabinet. If either of these apply to you, you should talk to a broadband provider to see which services are available to you.

  • Last time I used the fibre checker it said I was in plan, now it says I'm not what do I do?

    Due to the complex nature of the network our plans occasionally change. For a variety of reasons this can cause some areas to be removed from their expected fibre roll out.

     

    This doesn't mean your area will never receive fibre. It's worth regularly accessing the fibre checker, as we're constantly working towards our ambition of 25 million homes and businesses connected to fibre in the coming years and your area may be added to future plans.

  • I’ve been told the cabinet my home is connected to doesn’t provide fibre broadband. Is that it for me?

    There are some areas where technical limitations mean we can’t build our standard fibre network. This makes it too expensive for us to offer fibre broadband there.

    This doesn’t mean we can’t do anything though. We’re always looking at ways to overcome these limitations.

     

    Or you might want to think about a Fibre Community  Partnership. This is where we contribute some of the costs of fibre broadband and the community funds the rest.

     

    We've paused registrations for Fibre Community Partnerships at the moment, but if you check your postcode and fill in our Expression of Interest form we'll get in touch as soon as they reopen.

     

    Want to know more?

    Find out more about more about a Fibre Community Partnership and express your interest in getting Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband.

  • How do you decide where you’re going to put a new fibre broadband cabinet?

    First we have to find the right location – a new cabinet has to be within 100 metres of an existing one. Once we’ve done that we then check:

     

    • there’s access to power and the other infrastructure we need
    • that the new cabinet won’t block pavements or access to roads
    • if there are other utility companies’ cables underground, or any other obstacles
    • how the cabinet will look – we have to take into account its visual impact in some places, for example conservation areas
    • that we won’t put the security of any properties next to the cabinet at risk
    • that it’ll be easy for us to get to the cabinet later for installations and any maintenance we need to do.
       

    Do you need planning permission for new cabinets?
    Not usually. Although we might if the location we’ve chosen is in a national park, conservation area or other area of special interest.

  • I represent a local group and we want to know when fibre broadband will be available in our area. Who do we contact?

    You can use our fibre checker to see our latest plans for your area. Or you can talk to your local authority. When we decide to upgrade our network in a particular area, we give details of this to the chief executive of the local authority and its regeneration or planning departments.

     

    If there aren’t any plans for fibre broadband in your area
    The Government is supporting investment to get faster broadband to as many people as possible across the UK (beyond the 95 per cent level reached in December 2017). There are lots of different projects happening in different regions that could apply to you – find out more on the gov.uk website. And if you live in Scotland, there are plans underway to deliver fast broadband access to every home and business – find out more.

     

    You should also check with your local authority. They’ll be able to tell you if you’re likely to be covered in the next round of Government subsidy.

    Another option might be for your community to privately fund upgrading your cabinet via a Fibre Community Partnership with Openreach. This would involve a joint funding arrangement, where we contribute as much of the cost as we can, and the community funds the rest. We’ll then build the most affordable solution, and advise on any grants or funding you might be able to get to help pay for your part. Because of high demand, registrations are paused at the moment but you can find out more about a Fibre Community Partnership and express your interest in getting Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband.

     

    What we’re doing to get fibre to more people
    We’re working hard to give people the speeds they need in their daily lives. Over the last decade, we’ve invested more than £17 billion into our network. And we now manage more than 192 million kilometres of cable stretching from Scotland to Cornwall, from Wales to the east coast. We’re continuing to take that network further – making fast broadband speeds available to thousands more homes and businesses every week.

  • Who can I talk to locally about working together to get funding for fibre broadband in our area?

    As a first step, you should contact your local authority. They’ll be able to tell you who to speak to.

    You might also want to have a look at our Fibre Community Partnership. We've paused registrations for the moment, but you can check your postcode and fill out our Expression of Interest form and we'll get in touch as soon as they reopen.

  • I live in a rural location and I can’t get decent broadband speeds. Will I ever get fibre broadband?

    We’re doing our best to make sure people in rural areas have access to fast fibre broadband. For example, we’ve invested more than £14 billion in improvements to our network. That means we’re making superfast broadband available to thousands more homes and businesses every week, wherever they are in the country. To see our latest plans for your area, please use our fibre checker

     

    No plans for fibre broadband in  your area yet?
    A Fibre Community Partnership might work for you. This is where we contribute some of the costs of getting fibre broadband in place, and a community pays for the rest. We've paused registrations for the time being, but you can find out more about Fibre Community Partnership, check your postcode and fill out our Expression of interest form and we'll get in touch as soon as they reopen.

     

    The Government is also supporting investment to get fast broadband coverage to as many people as possible. There are lots of different schemes available which might work for you:

     

  • Is there anything I can do to make sure fibre broadband comes to my cabinet?

    As a first step, we suggest you talk to your local authority. They get funding from the Government to improve access to fibre broadband through the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme. You might be able to help them decide which areas to prioritise for the next wave of BDUK funding.

    Another option is a Fibre Community Partnership, where we contribute some of the costs towards upgrading your area, and the community funds the rest. Due to high demand registrations are currently paused.  

     

    Find out more about Fibre Community Partnership and express your interest in getting Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband.

  • FTTP

Installing Full Fibre to your premises

 

Have you recently ordered Full Fibre? Watch our video to find what to expect from us and what you can do to get ready to be connected.

You might also be interested in

Network planning

Where and when we're building Full Fibre 

See if your postcode is in our plans and when we're planning to start to build.

Fibre Community Partnership

Partner with us to get Ultrafast Full Fibre to you and your community.