Local authority · England
SWALE Broadband Coverage
Full-fibre reach, coverage gaps and how SWALE compares across 361 UK local authorities, from Ofcom Connected Nations data.
- 74.3%
- Full-fibre coverage
- #260
- of 361 UK authorities
- −6.7pp
- vs 81% UK average
- 68,734
- premises covered
The verdict
SWALE ranks #260 of 361 local authorities for full-fibre (74.3%) and #152 for the fixed/FWA availability gap (0.1%) - those two corpus maps diverge. It is mid-table for full-fibre, with room to close the gap with 74.3% full-fibre coverage, 6.7pp below the 81% UK average (bottom 28.3%).
Data updated August 2026
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.
Coverage desk
Extract OFCOM-CN-SWALE · SWALE 68,734 premises · England
BOOK-MID · RANK-LOWER · FF-MID
- BOOK-MID 68,734
- RANK-LOWER #260
- FF-MID 74.3%
- GAP-CLEAR 0.1%
- DELTA-LAG -6.7pp
- IN-NA-MID #216 in England
- NEAR-BELOW over TORFAEN
- MIX-CABLE +5.9pp cable
Nearest full-fibre peer: TORFAEN ( -1.1 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%
- SWALE 74.3%
- TORFAEN 73.2%
- CARMARTHENSHIRE 73%
- SCOTTISH BORDERS 75.7%
- NORTH LANARKSHIRE 72.6%
Coverage by Technology - SWALE
Where SWALE Sits Nationally
SWALE vs every UK local authority
Full-fibre coverage distribution across all 361 UK local authorities. SWALE's 74.3% places it in the highlighted band.
74.3% Bottom 28.3% ranked #260 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) | 74.3% |
| Gigabit-Capable | 80.2% |
| Ultrafast Broadband (≥300 Mbit/s) | 81.3% |
| Ultrafast (≥100 Mbit/s) | 82.6% |
| Superfast (≥30 Mbit/s) | 96.4% |
| NGA (any next-generation access) | 98.9% |
| Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) | 46.6% |
| No decent fixed/FWA broadband | 0.1% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (all premises) | 48% |
| Full-Fibre Take-Up (covered premises) | 64% |
| Total Premises | 68,734 |
| National Rank (Full-Fibre) | #260 / 361 |
Related
Source: Open Government Licence v3.0.
Nationwide local authorities with similar full-fibre or gigabit coverage
Two Ofcom peer sets for SWALE, 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 (74.3% here; floor ≥10,000 premises).
Similar gigabit
Nearest other-nation local authorities by gigabit-capable coverage (80.2% here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is full-fibre coverage lower in SWALE?
Ofcom records 74.3% full-fibre coverage across 68,734 premises (rank #260 of 361). Gigabit-capable coverage is 80.2%; 0.1% of premises lack decent fixed/FWA broadband on the Spring 2026 measure. Figures are availability, not take-up or service quality.
Which Ofcom speeds are already present in SWALE?
Superfast (≥30 Mbit/s) reaches 96.4% of premises, ultrafast (≥300 Mbit/s) 81.3%, and NGA any-next-gen 98.9%. Full-fibre (FTTP) is 74.3%. Source: Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 (January 2026 snapshot, published May 2026 (r1)).
What 74.3% full-fibre means for SWALE
SWALE is 6.7pp behind the 81% UK average, worth checking your own address before assuming the gap applies to you.
- Check your own address, an authority average can hide big street-by-street differences in coverage. Check your postcode
- See how SWALE ranks against every other UK local authority, not just the national average. Full UK rankings
- Learn what to do if full-fibre is not available at your address yet. 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.
Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations Spring 2026, UK Fixed Broadband Coverage (January 2026 snapshot, published May 2026 (r1)). Retrieved and formatted by PlainBroadband. Disclaimer: Coverage figures show availability, not guaranteed service quality or actual take-up. Published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.