Summary

  • Ofcom counted 29.474 million residential and small-business fixed-broadband connections at the end of Q2 2026; its headline rounds that to 29.5 million.
  • The regulator says the “Other (inc. FTTx)” figures are likely understated because it does not collect data from every UK altnet full-fibre provider, and it does not publish a corrected missing total.

A headline total can look more definitive than the series beneath it. Ofcom’s Q2 2026 update puts UK residential and small-business fixed-broadband connections at 29.474 million at quarter end. In the same table, however, the regulator warns that the “Other (inc. FTTx)” figures have been restated for accuracy and are still likely understated: Ofcom does not collect data from all UK altnet full-fibre providers. It says it is engaging with industry to improve coverage.

The distinction is not semantic. The 29.474 million figure is a count of fixed-broadband connections across the table’s defined population. It is not a count of full-fibre connections, homes passed, or active FTTP customers. The category label itself combines “Other” with FTTx; it is not presented as a clean FTTP series. In its Q4 2024 summary, Ofcom described “other inc. FTTx” connections as predominantly fibre-to-the-cabinet and full fibre. That earlier description reinforces the need to avoid treating the label as a pure full-fibre measure.

The footnote gives the most useful market signal: the observation frame remains incomplete for at least some smaller full-fibre networks. Yet Ofcom does not identify the providers, quantify the omitted connections, or offer a revised national total. The caveat therefore supports one conclusion—reported FTTx coverage is incomplete—not a precise estimate of how far it is incomplete or which operator has gained or lost share.

It also complicates comparisons over time. Ofcom says the current “Other (inc. FTTx)” figures were restated to reflect more accurate data. Elsewhere in the series, it records that adding around 20 providers to its collection made Q2 2024 totals and FTTx figures incomparable with earlier periods. Those notes show why a change in a published line can reflect reporting coverage or methodology as well as network activity. The Q2 2026 footnote does not say that any particular movement was caused by the latest restatement, so that attribution should remain open.

For investors, operators and policymakers, a market model built from this table should label the 29.474 million as reported fixed-broadband connections and keep the FTTx category caveat attached. It should not use that total as a full-fibre adoption denominator or present the “Other” line as a complete count of altnet customers. A better comparison would disclose which providers and technologies are included, identify restated periods, and separate premises passed from connections sold.

The next evidence to watch is whether Ofcom publishes a provider-coverage note, a distinct FTTP series, or a revised back series after its industry engagement. Until then, the publication is informative about the market it observes and explicit about a market segment it does not fully capture. The missing quantity remains unknown.

Sources