- Retail and wholesale broadband connections fall by about 70,000 year-on-year, signalling market maturity.
- Full-fibre uptake rises strongly, led by Openreach and altnets, while some big ISPs shed subscribers.
What happened: UK ISPs show mixed Q2 performance
During the second quarter ended 30 June 2025, the UK fixed broadband market saw a slight reduction. The total retail and wholesale connections fell to around 28.91 million. The figure was 10,000 fewer than in Q1 and it was 70,000 below Q2 of 2024. DSL dropped 12 % year on year to 1.47 million. FTTC fell 5 % to 11.10 million. In contrast, full-fibre (FTTB/H/P) rose 8 %, reaching 11.03 million.
Openreach (BT’s infrastructure arm) was a standout, adding a record 566,000 full-fibre net additions and growing its FTTP base to 7.09 million. BT’s Consumer division posted 11,000 net broadband additions, more than double Q1’s gain, reaching 8.22 million customers; its FTTP base grew 212,000 to 3.66 million. CityFibre, aided by a £2.3 billion funding boost, added 69,000 connections to reach 650,000. Vodafone delivered strong net gains of 44,000. Virgin Media O2 lost 51,000 connections. Sky fell by 12,000. TalkTalk fell by 20,000. Altnets added 205,000 net connections, up from 169,000 in Q1, and their FTTP consumer base reached 2.96 million with a 41 % year on year increase.
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Why it’s important
This mixed picture shows a broadband market in transition. The decline in legacy technologies such as DSL and FTTC is expected. The surge in full fibre uptake shows strong consumer demand for faster services. Openreach’s record additions and widening FTTP footprint show its dominance and execution strength. CityFibre’s expansion with significant funding is reshaping competition in underserved areas. Altnets’ rapid growth shows their rising importance in delivering gigabit capable connectivity. They give greater choice and they increase pressure on major providers.
Losses among Sky, Virgin Media O2 and TalkTalk show the challenges that incumbent ISPs face in the shift to full fibre. This may drive further consolidation. The broader broadband landscape shows that mergers and wholesale based altnet models are gaining traction.
