- Three's fixed wireless broadband service gained 2.9% of the UK market in Q2 2026, surpassing any individual fibre alternative network.
- Combined fibre alternative networks gained 11.4% after increasing by 4.4 percentage points over 18 months.
The Facts
Three's fixed wireless access service accounted for 2.9% of UK home broadband connections at the end of Q2 2026, according to Opensignal data reported by Telecoms.com. Its share has risen by 1.1 percentage points since the end of 2024.
Among individual fibre altnets, Netomnia had the largest share at 2%. Community Fibre and Hyperoptic each had 1.7%. Overall, fibre altnets accounted for 11.4% of the market, up 4.4 percentage points over 18 months. The six incumbent providers identified by Opensignal still control 84.6% of home broadband connections.
Assessment
Three can sell home broadband over its mobile network without needing to run a separate fibre cable to each property. Its coverage depends on local coverage and whether the network has sufficient wireless capacity to support fixed broadband traffic.
Fibre altnets must build local access networks before they can connect customers. They then need to sign up enough customers in areas where they have deployed fibre. Three's 2.9% share is larger than that of any individual altnet, although the two models use different paths to reach the same retail market.
For BTW readers, Three can add fixed broadband customers without first needing to expand a new access network in each area. Altnets must align fibre buildout with customer take-up, while Three must add home broadband traffic without reducing capacity available to mobile users.
What to Watch
Watch whether Three continues to gain broadband share while maintaining service quality as its customer base grows. For fibre altnets, future take-up numbers will show how effectively new coverage converts into active connections.