UK Broadband News: July 2026

The regulator did most of the moving this fortnight. Ofcom stepped in to block a wholesale discount that would have helped Openreach win back streets from smaller networks, and opened a funding investigation into five of those networks at the same time. On the kit side, EE is about to let anyone buy its multi-gigabit fibre. Here is what landed in the fortnight to 30 July, and what each item means at home.

Ofcom moves to block an Openreach fibre discount

On 29 July, Ofcom provisionally proposed blocking a new Openreach discount aimed at winning customers in areas where rival full fibre networks are building. The offer bundled a £35 connection rebate with a £9.50 monthly rental rebate for providers who hit performance targets. Ofcom judged that the resulting prices were “not fair and reasonable”, because they fell below its own estimate of Openreach’s costs (a midpoint of £18.34 a month), and said the targeting at altnet build areas gave Openreach an unfair edge. A final decision is due by the end of September. What it means for you: if a smaller network is building on your street, this ruling is meant to keep its pricing competitive rather than letting the incumbent undercut it, so it is still worth checking every provider at your postcode before you renew. Source: ISPreview.

EE opens its 2.3Gbps and 8Gbps fibre to buy

From 31 July, EE is moving its top-end fibre pilot out of application-only access so customers in the trial area can simply order it. The two tiers run at 2.3Gbps (2,500Mbps download, 850Mbps upload) and 8Gbps (8,500Mbps download, 850Mbps upload), built on the newer XGS-PON technology. The pilot covers roughly 40,000 premises around Guildford and Woking, including Brookwood, Puttenham, Clandon, Shere and Worplesdon. The honest read for most homes: speeds this high are far beyond what a typical household needs, and your Wi-Fi, not the line, is usually the bottleneck. Before paying for more speed, it is worth checking what you actually use with our broadband speed calculator. Source: ISPreview.

Grain passes 300,000 full fibre homes

Carlisle-based altnet Grain published an update on 17 July confirming its point-to-point full fibre network now reaches 300,000 UK premises, up from 270,000 a year earlier, across more than 60 urban centres and over 150 new-build developments. Its customer base grew to 56,000, a 31% year-on-year rise, and take-up on its established footprint reached 21%. For households, a growing regional network is another name to check at your address, since altnets often beat the big brands on price or contract length. If you are weighing up a smaller provider, our Toob broadband review shows the sort of thing to look for. Source: ISPreview.

Ofcom investigates five altnets over liability funds

On 16 July, Ofcom opened investigations into five alternative full fibre networks: Internetty, Cambridge Fibre Networks, Optical Fibre Infrastructure, Pine Media, and Trooli. Networks that hold Code Powers must show each year that they have set aside enough money to cover their liabilities, such as fixing damage from digging up streets, so that the public is not left with the bill if an operator folds. Ofcom said it had “reasonable grounds to believe” these five may not have done so. It is a paperwork and solvency check rather than a service outage, but it is a fair reminder to weigh a network’s stability, not just its headline price, before signing up. If you are new to the jargon around who owns your line, our what is broadband guide keeps it plain. Source: ISPreview.