Broadband: Rural Areas

The UK Government is delivering gigabit broadband to 99% of UK premises by 2032, through a mix of commercial and subsidised rollout, and has an ambition for all populated areas across the UK to be able to access higher quality standalone 5G by 2030; this includes rural communities across Northern Ireland.

As of January 2026, according to Ofcom reporting, 95% of premises in Northern Ireland have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection, this is above the UK average of 88%.

We are making good progress on Project Gigabit, and as of the end of March 2026, over 1.4 million premises in hard-to-reach communities across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. A further 550,000 premises are currently included in Project Gigabit contracts for gigabit coverage in areas not covered by commercially funded plans.

Regarding Northern Ireland, In December 2025, a £34.6 million Project Gigabit contract was signed by the Northern Ireland Department for Economy with the broadband supplier Fibrus. This contract is funded by UK Government and will deliver gigabit-capable broadband to up to 9,330 premises across Northern Ireland, of which 3,080 have been reported complete.

The rollout of higher quality standalone 5G is commercially led by the network operators, and all three have committed significant investment plans which align with the UK Government’s ambition. The UK Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess what further action can be taken to support the sector in delivering comprehensive, high-quality connectivity.

In parallel we continue to work closely with the industry to identify and remove barriers to telecoms deployment where necessary and practical.