Methodology & Data Sources

Primary Data Source

PlainBroadband uses data from Ofcom, the UK's independent communications regulator, via the Connected Nations Spring 2026 report (publication reference r1, January 2026). Ofcom conducts annual connected nations surveys by collecting network data directly from telecoms operators and modelling coverage at a premises level, making this the most authoritative and granular public dataset on UK fixed-broadband availability. The data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, which permits free reuse with attribution.

Data Vintage & Coverage

Our current data reflects the January 2026 Connected Nations publication (reference r1). Ofcom publishes its Connected Nations report annually, typically in spring or early summer (May is common), with the preceding January network snapshot as the baseline. We update our database within a few weeks of each new release.

Refresh cadence

Data updated labels and schema dateModified fields on entity pages move only when the Ofcom extract in our database changes (ETL re-run after a new Connected Nations drop). Page published dates on guides reflect when that editorial page first shipped; they are not bumped when unrelated portal code changes. Between Ofcom releases we do not simulate churn: watchlist RSS items carry the real registry vintage, and the next expected refresh is the following spring Connected Nations publication unless Ofcom issues a correction.

• Geographic coverage: All four UK nations, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, at local authority and Westminster constituency level.
• Local authorities: 361 local authority districts across the UK.
• Westminster constituencies: 650 constituencies based on current parliamentary boundaries.
• Unit of measurement: Percentage of premises, not population or households.

Key Metric Definitions

Ofcom defines broadband tiers by the maximum speeds a network is capable of delivering to a premises. These are availability figures, whether the infrastructure passes a premises, not measured speeds or subscriptions:

• Full-fibre (FTTP, Fibre to the Premises): A fibre-optic connection runs all the way from the exchange to the premises. Full-fibre is inherently gigabit-capable and is the most future-proof form of fixed broadband. A premises with full-fibre availability is also counted in the gigabit-capable figure.
• Gigabit-capable broadband: Broadband infrastructure capable of download speeds of at least 1 Gbit/s (1,000 Mbit/s). This includes full-fibre networks and some upgraded cable (DOCSIS 3.1) networks. Gigabit-capable coverage is always equal to or greater than full-fibre coverage, because full-fibre is a subset of gigabit-capable.
• Superfast broadband (SFBB, ≥30 Mbit/s): Premises where a connection capable of at least 30 Mbit/s download is available. Superfast is the UK government's legacy benchmark and covers most cable and fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) networks.
• Ultrafast broadband (UFBB, ≥300 Mbit/s): Premises where a connection capable of at least 300 Mbit/s is available.
• fixed/FWA availability gap (below 10 Mbit/s): The proportion of premises not yet able to receive the Universal Service Obligation speed of at least 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload. The fixed/FWA availability gap identifies digitally excluded communities where residents may be entitled to request a subsidised connection under Ofcom's Universal Service Obligation regulations.
• Full-fibre take-up: The proportion of premises that have actually subscribed to a full-fibre service in areas where full-fibre is available. This figure measures demand, not supply, and is available for local authorities only.

What These Figures Are Not

All metrics on PlainBroadband are premises-based availability percentages, not speed-test results, subscription counts, or quality-of-service measurements. A premises shown as having full-fibre coverage means the infrastructure passes that address, the resident may not have subscribed, and actual speeds depend on the specific product chosen. Ofcom publishes separate speed research based on voluntary monitoring panels.

How We Process the Data

Our data pipeline transforms Ofcom's raw Connected Nations tables into searchable pages:

1. Download the published local authority and constituency-level data tables from Ofcom's Connected Nations Spring 2026 publication.
2. Parse and validate all 361 local authority and 650 constituency records, checking for missing values and format consistency.
3. Compute nation-level aggregates from local authority data using premises-weighted averages.
4. Generate URL-safe slugs for each authority and constituency for stable, bookmarkable page addresses.
5. Load all records into an optimised SQLite database used to serve each page's live data.

No underlying Ofcom figures are fabricated, interpolated, or editorially modified. Percentage values are reproduced directly from the source tables. Where derived metrics are displayed (such as the difference between gigabit-capable and full-fibre coverage), the formula is documented on the relevant page.

Corpus placement (#N of M)

Entity pages show an analytical corpus rank, for example #1 of 361 local authorities, #1 of 650 parliamentary constituencies, or #1 of 4 UK nations, so a reader can place the area without leaving the page. The ordinal is computed from this portal's Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 tables only:

• Local authorities: all authorities with a published full-fibre percentage, ordered by full-fibre coverage descending (ties broken by slug). This placement set is the full analytical corpus; the public rankings page still applies a premises floor so tiny authorities do not dominate headline lists.
• Constituencies: all 650 constituencies ordered by full-fibre coverage descending.
• Nations: the four UK nations ordered by full-fibre coverage descending.

#1 always means highest full-fibre coverage in that corpus for this publication vintage, not a quality grade, speed guarantee, or Ofcom league table. Ranks update when Ofcom publishes a new Connected Nations release and we reload the tables.

Limitations

• Coverage figures reflect Ofcom's January 2026 data. Build-outs that have completed since publication are not captured.
• Premises-level detail is not available at sub-local-authority level (e.g. individual streets or postcodes) on this site. For address-level checks, use Ofcom's own broadband checker or your provider's postcode tool.
• Network data is self-reported by operators and modelled by Ofcom using their coverage methodology. Small discrepancies between operators' claims and on-the-ground reality can occur, particularly in rural areas where build timelines shift.
• Take-up data (full-fibre subscriptions) may not be available for every local authority if Ofcom suppressed figures due to data confidentiality or very small sample sizes.
• Northern Ireland constituency boundaries differ from Great Britain constituencies; care should be taken when making direct comparisons.

Contact

Questions about our methodology or spotted an error? Contact us - we welcome corrections and feedback.