Local authority · Northern Ireland
Ards and North Down Broadband Coverage
Full-fibre reach, coverage gaps and how Ards and North Down compares across 361 UK local authorities, from Ofcom Connected Nations data.
- 95.7%
- Full-fibre coverage
- #9
- of 361 UK authorities
- +14.7pp
- vs 81% UK average
- 79,920
- premises covered
The verdict
Ards and North Down ranks #9 of 361 local authorities for full-fibre (95.7%) and #169 for the fixed/FWA availability gap (0.0%) - those two corpus maps diverge. It is one of the best-connected places in the UK with 95.7% full-fibre coverage, 14.7pp above the 81% UK average (top 2.5%).
Data updated August 2026
How Ards and North Down's 93/100 score is built
Based on full-fibre and gigabit coverage, full-fibre take-up, the not-spot rate below the Universal Service Obligation, and superfast baseline coverage from Ofcom Connected Nations - not pricing, contended speeds in practice, or which providers actually serve an address.
Coverage desk
Extract OFCOM-CN-ARDS-AND-NORTH-DOWN · Ards and North Down 79,920 premises · Northern Ireland
BOOK-MID · RANK-TOP · FF-NEAR-UNIV
- BOOK-MID 79,920
- RANK-TOP #9
- FF-NEAR-UNIV 95.7%
- GAP-CLEAR 0%
- DELTA-LEAD +14.7pp
- IN-NA-LEAD #2 in Northern Ireland
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ HARTLEPOOL
- MIX-FTTP-LED FTTP-led
Nearest full-fibre peer: HARTLEPOOL (+ 0 pp full-fibre)
Instrument codes from this district’s Ofcom Connected Nations extract: premises book, corpus rank, full-fibre band, fixed/FWA gap, UK delta, in-nation rank, photo-finish peer, and gigabit mix, not a service-quality score.
Full-fibre neighbourhood
Nationwide coverage poles and nearest ABS full-fibre peers, not a reprint of the metrics table.
- #1 full-fibre · KINGSTON UPON HULL, 99.6%
- UK average 81%
- Ards and North Down 95.7%
- HARTLEPOOL 95.7%
- READING 95.6%
- WOLVERHAMPTON 95.9%
- IPSWICH 95.4%
Coverage by Technology - Ards and North Down
Where Ards and North Down Sits Nationally
Ards and North Down vs every UK local authority
Full-fibre coverage distribution across all 361 UK local authorities. Ards and North Down's 95.7% places it in the highlighted band.
95.7% Top 2.5% ranked #9 of 361 UK authorities
every UK local authority, bucketed by full-fibre coverage
Source: Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 (January 2026 snapshot, published May 2026 (r1))
Full Coverage Data
| Metric | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Full-Fibre (FTTP) | 95.7% |
| Gigabit-Capable | 96% |
| Ultrafast Broadband (≥300 Mbit/s) | 96% |
| Ultrafast (≥100 Mbit/s) | 96% |
| Superfast (≥30 Mbit/s) | 99.5% |
| NGA (any next-generation access) | 99.8% |
| No decent fixed/FWA broadband | 0% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (all premises) | 72% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (covered premises) | 75% |
| Total Premises | 79,920 |
| National Rank (Full-Fibre) | #9 / 361 |
Related
Source: Open Government Licence v3.0.
Nationwide local authorities with similar full-fibre or gigabit coverage
Two Ofcom peer sets for Ards and North Down, both outside Northern Ireland so the neighborhoods are not the same-nation Nearby block above.
Similar full-fibre
Nearest other-nation local authorities by full-fibre coverage (95.7% here; floor ≥10,000 premises).
Similar gigabit
Nearest other-nation local authorities by gigabit-capable coverage (96% here).
What 95.7% full-fibre means for Ards and North Down
Ards and North Down is 14.7pp ahead of the 81% UK average, but coverage still varies street by street.
- Check your own address, an authority average can hide big street-by-street differences in coverage. Check your postcode
- See how Ards and North Down ranks against every other UK local authority, not just the national average. Full UK rankings
- Understand what full-fibre actually gets you before switching. Full-fibre vs gigabit guide
Coverage figures are Ofcom Connected Nations availability data, not a guarantee of service at any single address; always check before switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close is Ards and North Down to universal full-fibre?
Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 puts full-fibre (FTTP) at 95.7% of premises in Ards and North Down (corpus rank #9 of 361). Gigabit-capable coverage is 96%. The UK average full-fibre share is 81%.
Is the fixed/FWA availability gap closed in Ards and North Down?
Ofcom's Spring 2026 measure shows every measured premise in Ards and North Down can receive decent broadband from a fixed line or fixed-wireless network.
Local authority figures are computed directly from Ofcom Connected Nations data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.