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Official Statistics

Bulletin: BDUK Delivery Performance, annual: April 2025 to March 2026

Published 11 June 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bduk-delivery-performance-annual-april-2025-to-march-2026/bulletin-bduk-delivery-performance-annual-april-2025-to-march-2026

1. About this release 

This annual official statistics report presents how many premises in the United Kingdom have received a gigabit-capable broadband connection as a result of Building Digital UK (BDUK) subsidy. The figures cover premises that received gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidy between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.  This publication includes updates to previously reported delivery figures.  

2. Headline findings 

We estimate that BDUK interventions delivered gigabit-capable broadband coverage to 192,570 premises in 2025/26, an increase of 42,280 (28%) premises compared with the previous financial year. 

Since the launch of BDUK gigabit programmes, an estimated cumulative total of 1,418,410 premises have received gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidy. 

Delivery in 2025/26 was primarily driven by Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) contracts, which accounted for 72% (139,490 premises) of all premises delivered. Voucher schemes contributed 16% (30,530 premises), while Superfast and Hubs interventions accounted for the remaining 12% (22,550 premises). The figures reported for GIS do not include delivery for contracts in which BDUK is not the leading authority.  

Delivery continued to be concentrated in rural areas, which represented 90% (173,190 premises) of all premises delivered during the year. 

Most premises delivered were residential properties. In 2025/26, 90% (173,270 premises) were classified as residential and 9% (17,790 premises) as commercial. 

England accounted for approximately three quarters of the delivery (75%, 145,110 premises), followed by Scotland (16%, 30,530 premises), Wales (8%, 15,430 premises), and Northern Ireland (1%, 1,470 premises). 

3. Overview 

This bulletin presents annual official statistics on the delivery performance of BDUK (Building Digital UK) for the financial year 2025/26. It includes breakdowns by: 

  • Time period (years and quarters) 

  • Geographies 

  • Urban/rural classification  

  • Commercial/residential classification 

  • Whether the premises are in the Ofcom premises base 

  • Broadband speed classification  

  • Intervention type  

The cumulative number of premises delivered by BDUK since the inception of gigabit programmes in 2012, reached 1,418,410 by the end of March 2026. 

BDUK delivered gigabit-capable coverage to 192,570 premises between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, 42,280 (28%) more than in the previous financial year. 

Figure 1 shows that, while delivery through Voucher, Hubs, and Superfast interventions decreased compared with 2024/25, this was more than offset by increased delivery through Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy contracts. This reflects the continued transition from legacy interventions towards Gigabit delivery programmes. 

Figure 1:  Premises passed by BDUK intervention, UK, 2021/22 to 2025/26

GIS contracts became the largest contributor to annual delivery growth in 2024/25, accounting for an increasing share of total delivery in 2025/26. In contrast, delivery through Vouchers, Hubs, and Superfast continued to decline as these programmes approach their final stages. 

5. Geographic distribution of delivery 

Delivery across the UK reflects differing levels of maturity in delivery programmes, with countries at different stages. In particular, the figures reported for GIS do not include delivery for contracts in Scotland and Northern Ireland for which BDUK is not the leading authority. 

5.1 By country 

Of the 192,570 premises delivered in 2025/26: 

  • 75% (145,110 premises) were delivered in England  

  • 16% (30,530 premises) in Scotland  

  • 8% (15,430 premises) in Wales  

  • 1% (1,470 premises) in Northern Ireland 

Figure 2:  Premises passed by country, UK, 2021/22 to 2025/26

Figure 2 shows the distribution of premises passed by country over time. England accounted for approximately two thirds of the delivery in previous years, with its share increasing to 75% in 2025/26.  This corresponds to around 145,100 premises delivered in the latest year, reflecting a continued concentration of delivery in England, particularly in large rural contract areas. Delivery is primarily driven by Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) contracts, which have scaled up in recent years. 

 Scotland’s share of delivery increased steadily between 2021/22 and 2024/25, reaching around 23%, before decreasing to 16% in 2025/26. Despite this decrease, Scotland continues to account for a substantial proportion of annual delivery relative to its size. This corresponds to around 30,500 premises delivered in 2025/26, with annual delivery in Scotland remaining broadly stable at around 30,000 premises per year over the past three years. Delivery is now primarily driven by Scottish GIS contracts, alongside remaining activity from legacy Superfast contracts. 

Wales accounted for a relatively stable share of delivery over time, increasing slightly to 8% in 2025/26 following lower contributions in earlier years.  This equates to around 15,400 premises delivered in 2025/26, with annual delivery remaining modest compared to England and Scotland, but above average relative to its size. Delivery in Wales is largely driven by ongoing GIS contracts, as earlier Superfast and voucher interventions continue to wind down.  

Northern Ireland’s share decreased markedly over the period, from over 20% in 2021/22 to approximately 1% in 2025/26. However, due to the significant share of delivery in earlier years and the completion of key contracts in recent years, overall gigabit coverage in Northern Ireland is materially higher than the UK average – according to the latest Ofcom Connected Nations update, 95% of Northern Ireland premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband, compared to 88% across the UK. Therefore, a lower share of delivery in Northern Ireland is not unexpected.    

Overall, the increase in delivery in 2025/26 was driven primarily by growth in England, where delivery increased from around 99,510 premises in 2024/25 to 145,100 in 2025/26. Delivery in Wales also increased, from 10,790 to 15,430 premises. In contrast, delivery in Scotland decreased slightly compared with the previous year (from 34,730 to 30,530 premises), while Northern Ireland saw a more pronounced decline (from 5,460 to 1,470 premises). 

5.2 By region 

Within England, the South West recorded the highest level of delivery in 2025/26, with 27,630 premises delivered. This was followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (27,090 premises) and the North West (25,100 premises). 

Figure 3. Delivery by region, England, 2021/22 to 2025/26

Higher levels of delivery continued to be observed in predominantly rural regions where commercial rollout is more challenging, and subsidy interventions are more likely to be required. Several regions recorded stronger delivery during the second half of 2025/26 as additional Gigabit contract areas became operational.  

5.3 By local authority district  

The local authority districts with the highest levels of delivery in 2025/26 were concentrated in a small number of large and predominantly rural areas. Cumberland recorded the highest delivery (9,540 premises), followed by North Yorkshire (9,170), Westmorland and Furness (8,560), and East Riding of Yorkshire (7,420).  

Table 1 shows that the top 10 local authority districts are dominated by areas in northern England and Scotland, including Highland (6,760) and large rural authorities in the southwest such as Cornwall (6,220), Wiltshire (5,830), and Dorset (4,220). 

Table 1. Top 10 local authority districts by premises delivered, UK, 2025/26

Local Authority District Premises Passed
Cumberland 9,540
North Yorkshire 9,170
Westmorland and Furness 8,560
East Riding of Yorkshire 7,420
Highland 6,760
Cornwall 6,220
Wiltshire 5,830
Dorset 4,220
East Lindsey 4,090
West Suffolk 3,940

These patterns indicate that the highest levels of delivery are concentrated in rural areas, where subsidy is targeted towards harder-to-reach premises and where wider commercial deployment is less likely. Delivery in these areas is typically associated with large Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) contract areas, which cover extensive geographic regions with lower population density. 

5.4 By rural/urban classification  

In 2025/26 173,190 premises (90%) delivered by BDUK were in rural areas. This reflects the continued focus of subsidy on harder-to-reach locations where commercial deployment is less viable. Urban areas accounted 9% of delivery, with the remaining records classified as Unknown due to lack of appropriate matching. 

Figure 4. Delivery by grouped rural and urban classification, UK, 2021/22 to 2025/26

Figure 4 shows the distribution of premises passed by rural and urban classification over time. Delivery has been consistently concentrated in rural areas, which accounted for between 85% and 92% of total delivery across the period. 

The increase in total delivery in 2025/26 was therefore driven primarily by rural areas, with urban delivery remaining a small and relatively stable proportion of the total. This distribution remained broadly consistent across all the quarters of the year.  

6. By premises characteristics 

6.1 By premises type 

Most premises delivered in 2025/26 were residential properties. Residential premises accounted for 90% (173,270 premises) of annual delivery.  

Figure 5. Delivery by premises type, UK, 2021/22 to 2025/26

Figure 5 highlights that residential premises continued to account for most subsidised delivery. The composition of delivery by premises type remained stable over time, with residential premises consistently accounting for the large majority of BDUK delivery. This distribution remained broadly consistent across all quarters of 2025/26. 

6.2 By Superfast availability (>30 Mbit/s)  

An estimated 43,880 premises (23%) delivered in 2025/26 did not previously have access to superfast broadband speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s. 

Figure 6. Delivery by availability of superfast broadband, UK, 2021/22 to 2025/26

Figure 6 shows how the composition of delivery by broadband availability has changed over time. In earlier years, most delivery was to premises without superfast broadband. However, this proportion has declined rapidly over time as overall levels of superfast coverage have increased across the country. This reflects both the expansion of superfast availability in the UK and changes in the focus of BDUK interventions.  

While the Superfast programme was primarily targeted at premises without access to superfast broadband, more recent contracts (i.e. GIS, Vouchers, Hubs) support delivery to both premises without superfast coverage and those already able to access superfast services. As a result, a decreasing proportion of delivery has been directed towards premises without superfast broadband.  

In 2025/26, the proportion of delivery to premises without superfast coverage remained broadly stable across quarters. More broadly, as gigabit delivery has expanded, an increasing share of delivery has supported upgrades to higher-capacity broadband infrastructure rather than first-time access to superfast speeds. 

Quarterly delivery varied throughout 2024/25 and 2025/26, reflecting differences in contract mobilisation, supplier deployment schedules, and programme maturity across interventions and regions. 

Figure 7a shows delivery over the financial year.  Delivery increased in 2025/26 compared with 2024/25, driven primarily by the expansion of Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) contracts. However, quarterly delivery remained uneven across the year, with volumes rising from Q1 to Q3 before declining slightly in Q4, reflecting supplier delivery plans. 

Figure 7a: premises passed to year end by quarters, UK, 2024/25 and 2025/26

Figure 7b shows how these trends differ by intervention. GIS delivery increased for each quarter in 2024/25 and 2025/26 (except Q4 2025/26), as additional contract areas became operational, and delivery progressed on existing contracts. In contrast, delivery through Vouchers and Hubs peaked in Q3 2024/25 before broadly declining in later quarters, while Superfast delivery followed a gradual downward trend throughout the period. 

Figure 7b:  Quarterly delivery trends by BDUK intervention, UK, 2024/25 and 2025/26

8. Publication information  

8.1 Data sources 

We used the following data sources for this annual 2025/26 performance report:  

8.2 Revisions and changes from previous releases 

This is BDUK’s annual official statistics release and builds on the figures previously published in the quarterly statistical series. In this release, the quarterly time series has been expanded to include quarterly delivery trends across 2024/25 and 2025/26.  

Historical figures are revised in each release to incorporate improved supplier reporting and updated delivery information. These revisions may alter: 

  • delivery dates  

  • intervention classification  

  • the number of premises delivered 

Key revisions compared to the previously published figures in BDUK delivery performance, quarterly October to Dec 2025 for Q3 2025/26 (1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025): 

  • Superfast: a total  730 premises passed has been added to the figures reported for Q3 2025/26 (total reported in BDUK delivery performance, quarterly: October 2025 to Dec 2025, 4,010). This change is primarily attributable to the Scottish Government and North Devon (South West) contracts, which are now approaching the final stages of delivery. As part of suppliers’ data consolidation processes, historic figures have been reviewed and updated.  

  • GIS: 30 premises have been removed in the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) delivery figures previously reported for Q3 2025/26 (41,830 premises passed) as a result of changes across contracts and methodology updates 

  • Vouchers:  310 premises have now been included in the Vouchers delivery figures previously reported for Q3 2025/26 (10,150 premises passed), associated to an increase in the Ready for Service (RfS) returns.  

8.3 Methodological improvements  

BDUK updates its historical time series with each release. This is because BDUK works closely with suppliers to improve the quality of their reporting; when improvements are made, we may receive revised information that alters the original delivery date of a premises or corrects the number of premises passed. This has resulted in changes to historical data, with movement between interventions and delivery periods 

8.4 Known issues   

BDUK is currently working on a methodology to improve the identification of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) for addresses which currently do not have an associated one; this will improve the accuracy of our counting methodology. BDUK is also investigating its vouchers’ data quality.  

8.5 Official Statistics 

The BDUK Delivery Performance Statistics are labelled as official statistics and has been produced to the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. 

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistical Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the principles of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics  that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. 

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards by emailing statistics@bduk.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website. 

8.6 Pre-release access 

The accompanying pre-release access document lists ministers and officials who have received privileged early access to this release. In line with best practice, the list has been kept to a minimum and those given access for briefing purposes had a maximum of 24 hours. 

8.7 Contact 

Responsible Statistician: A S Bhopal, Statistics and Data Intelligence Lead, Building Digital UK (BDUK) Directorate. 

Author: M Zottoli, Senior Statistical Officer 

Email: bduk.statistics@dsit.gov.uk 

Please contact us at the above email with any questions or suggestions for improvements.

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