UK Broadband News: July 2026
More movement on who installs your kit and who you buy your line from this fortnight than on new hardware. Openreach began trialling a fuller install that sets up your extra devices, the smaller networks kept pulling customers off the big brands, and BT confirmed it is still shedding lines to rivals. Here is what landed in the fortnight to 24 July, and what each item means at home.
Openreach starts connecting Wi-Fi extenders as part of the install
From 13 July, Openreach began a proof-of-concept trial that widens what its engineers do on a standard full fibre install. As well as fitting the usual modem (the ONT), engineers will now offer to connect extra kit such as a provider’s set-top box, a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh system, provided you have the devices ready at the property. The trial runs to 16 October and each provider can put through up to 250 orders. The practical upside: if you have struggled to get a new mesh talking to a fresh fibre line, this is the sort of help that used to mean a second visit or a call to support. If you would rather sort coverage yourself, our guide to mesh vs extender vs powerline explains which fix suits which home. Source: ISPreview.
Smaller networks took 4.4 points of market share in 18 months
A new Opensignal report, its Q2 2026 UK Broadband Subscriber Analytics, found the alternative networks (altnets) have grown their share of home broadband by 4.4 percentage points in the past year and a half, and now hold 11.4% of all UK subscriptions. They pass an estimated 66% of premises, while BT’s main brand fell 3.4 points and TalkTalk fell 2.8 over the period. London and Northern Ireland lead the switch, on 21% and 18% altnet share. What it means for you: a smaller network on your street usually undercuts the big names on price or contract length, so it is worth checking your postcode before you renew. Source: ISPreview.
BT lost 192,000 broadband lines to rivals last quarter
BT Group’s trading update for the three months to 30 June, published this month, showed Openreach lost a net 192,000 broadband lines to competitors, an improvement on the 203,000 lost the quarter before. At the same time its full fibre network reached 23.4 million premises and took a record 574,000 new fibre customers. The read-across for households: competition is clearly working in your favour, but a rival network reaching your home does not automatically make your existing line slower. If your speed has dropped, it is worth ruling out your own setup first, which our why is my Wi-Fi so slow guide walks through. Source: ISPreview.
Project Gigabit passes 287,510 rural premises
The Government’s Building Digital UK agency published its July update on Project Gigabit, the £5bn scheme to bring gigabit broadband to hard-to-reach areas the market skips. It has now covered 287,510 contracted premises, up from 271,460 in June, against a planned total of 838,490, so roughly 34% of the way through. If you are in a rural spot that the big rollouts have passed by, this is the programme most likely to reach you, and coverage checkers are worth revisiting every few months. New to the jargon? Our plain-English what is broadband guide covers the basics. Source: ISPreview.
Bradford Council tells Openreach to remove external wall boxes
Bradford Council has told Openreach to take down external connection boxes it fitted to homes within the Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site, on conservation grounds. It is a local dispute rather than a national policy shift, but it is a useful reminder that fibre installs can involve fixings to your outside wall, and that in conservation areas there may be limits on what an engineer can attach. If you live in a listed or protected area, it is worth asking your provider where the box will go before the install date. Source: ISPreview.
