BT Openreach has hit its halfway milestone of 25 million connected households by 2026, with the wholesale network provider announcing on Thursday that 12.5 million households are now connected to its network.
In Wales, the partnership between Openreach and the Welsh Government has culminated in a successful rollout, surpassing its original target.
More than 44,000 homes and businesses now have enhanced connectivity, exceeding the initial goal of 39,000 properties.
This project, completed within a budget of £57 million, was supported by Welsh Government and EU funding, Openreach's investment, and backing from the UK Government.
Openreach’s deployment of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology provides connected households with gigabit-capable broadband connections.
As BT Openreach expands its footprint, it has aimed to reduce wholesale prices through the Equinox 2 project.
This decision, sanctioned by Ofcom, aims to encourage independent broadband providers like Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone to transition to high-speed full-fibre broadband.
This strategy has raised concerns among rivals and industry analysts, who foresee potential market consolidation and challenges for smaller network providers in rolling out their networks and competing effectively.