Local authority · England
Preston Broadband Coverage
Full-fibre reach, coverage gaps and how Preston compares across 361 UK local authorities, from Ofcom Connected Nations data.
- 86%
- Full-fibre coverage
- #123
- of 361 UK authorities
- +5pp
- vs 81% UK average
- 74,770
- premises covered
The verdict
Preston ranks #123 of 361 local authorities for full-fibre (86.0%) and #292 for the fixed/FWA availability gap (0.0%) - those two corpus maps diverge. It is ahead of the UK average for full-fibre with 86% full-fibre coverage, 5pp above the 81% UK average (top 34.1%).
Data updated August 2026
How Preston's 65/100 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-PRESTON · Preston 74,770 premises · England
BOOK-MID · RANK-MID · FF-HIGH
- BOOK-MID 74,770
- RANK-MID #123
- FF-HIGH 86%
- GAP-CLEAR 0%
- DELTA-LEAD +5pp
- IN-NA-MID #96 in England
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ WREXHAM
- MIX-CABLE +6.2pp cable
Nearest full-fibre peer: WREXHAM (+ 0.1 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%
- Preston 86%
- WREXHAM 86.1%
- DUNDEE CITY 85.8%
- CLACKMANNANSHIRE 86.2%
- SWANSEA 85.3%
Coverage by Technology - Preston
Where Preston Sits Nationally
Preston vs every UK local authority
Full-fibre coverage distribution across all 361 UK local authorities. Preston's 86% places it in the highlighted band.
86% Top 34.1% ranked #123 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) | 86% |
| Gigabit-Capable | 92.2% |
| Ultrafast Broadband (≥300 Mbit/s) | 92.1% |
| Ultrafast (≥100 Mbit/s) | 92.5% |
| Superfast (≥30 Mbit/s) | 98.9% |
| NGA (any next-generation access) | 99.3% |
| Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) | 41.1% |
| No decent fixed/FWA broadband | 0% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (all premises) | 32% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (covered premises) | 37% |
| Total Premises | 74,770 |
| National Rank (Full-Fibre) | #123 / 361 |
Related
Source: Open Government Licence v3.0.
Nationwide local authorities with similar full-fibre or gigabit coverage
Two Ofcom peer sets for Preston, both outside England so the neighborhoods are not the same-nation Nearby block above.
Similar full-fibre
Nearest other-nation local authorities by full-fibre coverage (86% here; floor ≥10,000 premises).
Similar gigabit
Nearest other-nation local authorities by gigabit-capable coverage (92.2% here).
What 86% full-fibre means for Preston
Preston is 5pp 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 Preston ranks against every other UK local authority, not just the national average. Full UK rankings
- Understand what full-fibre actually gets you before switching. How Ofcom Connected Nations works
Coverage figures are Ofcom Connected Nations availability data, not a guarantee of service at any single address; always check before switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Preston sit vs the UK full-fibre average?
Preston has 86% full-fibre coverage, 5pp above the 81% UK average (rank #123 of 361). Gigabit-capable coverage is 92.2% and superfast (≥30 Mbit/s) is 98.9%. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026.
What share of Preston premises still lack decent fixed/FWA broadband?
Ofcom's Spring 2026 measure shows all measured premises can receive decent fixed or fixed-wireless broadband. Ultrafast (≥300 Mbit/s) coverage is 92.1%.
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.