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UK Broadband Evolution: Openreach at 20 Years
As Openreach celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, the UK’s digital infrastructure has undergone a dramatic transformation. Demand for fast, reliable connectivity continues too surge, with full-fibre networks now carrying the majority of UK internet traffic.This shift reflects a significant evolution in online habits, driven by increased remote work, streaming services, online gaming, and the proliferation of smart home devices.
From Dial-up to Full Fibre: A 20-Year Journey
Founded in 2006, Openreach initially focused on transitioning the UK from dial-up internet to broadband speeds of around 8Mbps. At that time, streaming video was nascent, Nokia and BlackBerry dominated the mobile market, DVDs were the primary physical media format, and gaming consoles like the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 were cutting-edge technology.
Today, Openreach’s full-fibre network is available to over 25 million premises across the UK, with approximately 8 million homes and businesses currently connected (Openreach, 2026). The company is actively expanding its network, connecting around one million additional premises every three months, with targets of 25 million by the end of 2026 and 30 million by 2030, contingent on favorable regulatory conditions.
Record Data Consumption in 2025
Data from Openreach reveals unprecedented levels of online activity in 2025. Total broadband usage across its national network reached 108,599 Petabytes (PB) – equivalent to 108,599 million gigabytes - a 4.8% increase from the previous year (Computer Weekly, 2025). This volume of data is sufficient to stream over 10 million hours of high-definition video daily.
December 2025 saw a record-breaking month for data consumption, with users generating 10,317PB. A significant spike occurred on November 30, 2025, coinciding with a major update to the popular online game Fortnite.
The Fortnite Effect
fortnite consistently drove peaks in broadband demand throughout 2025.Major game updates frequently correlated with record-breaking traffic spikes. Notably, on February 21, 2025, a large Fortnite patch pushed UK broadband traffic to 372PB, marking the busiest single day of the year for openreach’s network
