PlainBroadband

Compare tool · UK local authorities

Compare Local Authorities

Select any two UK local authorities to compare their fixed-broadband coverage figures from Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 side by side. Use this tool to assess connectivity differences before moving house, evaluating business locations, or researching local digital infrastructure.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.
361
local authorities in the tool
99.6%
Highest full-fibre, KINGSTON UPON HULL, CITY OF
12.0%
Lowest full-fibre, NA H-EILEANAN SIAR
81.0%
UK average full-fibre

According to Ofcom, the UK's independent communications regulator, this comparison covers gigabit-capable speeds of at least 1,000 Mbit/s under publication reference r1, see our methodology for the full tier definitions. All data is premises-based coverage (availability, not subscriptions) from January 2026.

The compare tool

According to Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026, KINGSTON UPON HULL, CITY OF ranks #1 of 361 local authorities for full-fibre availability (99.6%%) while NA H-EILEANAN SIAR ranks #1 for the fixed/FWA availability gap (2.8%%) - the coverage leader is not the gap leader. The national average is 81.0%; pick any two districts below to compare side by side.

99.6% #1 full-fibre, KINGSTON UPON HULL, CITY OF
2.8% #1 fixed/FWA gap, NA H-EILEANAN SIAR
12.0% lowest full-fibre, NA H-EILEANAN SIAR
81.0% UK average full-fibre

Compare inventory by nation

Exclusive cut of the 361 local authorities in the compare dropdown by UK nation. Orthogonal to the full-fibre distribution chart below: nation counts only, not coverage bands.

Where gigabit outruns full-fibre

Exclusive cut of the same 361 authorities by whether gigabit-capable coverage sits ≥0.05pp above full-fibre on the Ofcom row (cable and other non-FTTP paths) or matches full-fibre within that tolerance.

Compare by geography type
Best connected full-fibre coverage
  1. 1 KINGSTON UPON HULL, CITY OF 99.6%
  2. 2 SOUTHEND-ON-SEA 97.6%
  3. 3 ANTRIM AND NEWTOWNABBEY 96.7%
  4. 4 BRACKNELL FOREST 96.7%
  5. 5 COVENTRY 96.7%
Least connected full-fibre coverage
  1. 1 NA H-EILEANAN SIAR 12.0%
  2. 2 SHETLAND ISLANDS 20.0%
  3. 3 ARGYLL AND BUTE 23.9%
  4. 4 ORKNEY ISLANDS 30.0%
  5. 5 PERTH AND KINROSS 36.6%

Quick start: compare KINGSTON UPON HULL, CITY OF with NA H-EILEANAN SIAR - the widest full-fibre gap in the UK (99.6% vs 12.0%).

The national full-fibre spread

Every UK local authority, bucketed by full-fibre coverage. Whichever pair you compare, this is the distribution they sit within, the average band is highlighted.

81% UK AVERAGE across all 361 local authorities

UK average 0% 100%

every UK local authority, bucketed by full-fibre coverage

Source: Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 (January 2026 snapshot, published May 2026 (r1))

How to use this tool

  1. Select a first local authority from the dropdown above (or pick one from the leaderboards).
  2. Select a second local authority to compare it with.
  3. Click Compare to see a side-by-side breakdown of all coverage metrics.

The tool covers all 361 UK local authority districts using Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 data. Looking for constituency data? Browse all 650 Westminster constituencies.

Download the Ofcom Connected Nations local-authority snapshot cited on this page: ofcom-connected-nations-statistics.csv (CC BY 4.0 for this derived file; Ofcom source tables remain OGL).

81.0% full-fibre nationally, this tool tells you where your area sits

Comparing two districts side by side is a starting point, 361 UK local authorities span a very wide range around that 81.0% average.

Coverage figures are Ofcom Connected Nations availability data, not a guarantee of service at any single address; always check before switching.

This page draws directly on 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. Data current as of January 2026.