Latest UK broadband news
EE stays ahead in 2026 umlaut UK mobile network test as rivals improve
Summary EE ranked best UK mobile network in the 2026 umlaut connect test, leading the combined score for the eleventh year in a row. Testing used Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra phones on “5G preferred” across 16 cities, 24 towns and 10,170km of
Trooli boosts full broadband reach to 460k premises via PXC
Full fibre broadband provider Trooli has confirmed that its network is now integrated with PlatformX Communications (PXC) and ready for wholesale traffic at scale. The move means PXC’s ISP and carrier customers can start buying Trooli-based services over a standard wholesale interface,
Virgin Media TV boosts music choice with two additional FAST channels
Virgin Media O2 has expanded its TV service with two extra music channels that stream free of charge. Customers who take Virgin Media broadband and also have a compatible TV box can now watch Stingray Classica and Stingray DJAZZ as part of
Freely adds CNN and Warner Bros Discovery channels
Summary Freely has added CNN Headlines and will bring six more Warner Bros. Discovery channels to its free broadband TV platform. TLC will move from pay TV to free-to-air in January 2026 and will then appear on Freely alongside Quest, Quest Red,
Community Fibre brings Wi-Fi 7 routers to 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps broadband
Summary Community Fibre is now bundling a Wi-Fi 7 Linksys router on its fastest 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps full fibre plans for new customers. The router is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 unit with multi-gigabit Ethernet ports, designed to support the bandwidth of 2.5Gbps
Mobile users want phones that stay connected via satellite when signal fails
Summary GSMA Intelligence and Viasat surveyed 12,390 mobile users across 12 countries, including the UK, about satellite-connected smartphone services. More than a third say they lose basic mobile services at least twice a month, with the most frequent outages in India, Indonesia
Virgin Media brings Tubi streaming to TV customers at no extra cost
Summary Virgin Media has added free streaming service Tubi to its TV 360, Stream and V6 boxes. Tubi offers ad-supported access to over 60,000 movies and TV shows at no extra cost. The service reports over 100 million monthly active users worldwide.
Gigaclear raises £80m to continue rural FTTP broadband roll-out
Summary Gigaclear has secured at least £80m in extra funding from its existing banks to support rural full fibre broadband. The provider says it is now fully financed to deliver its current build plans, while managing debt of about £1bn. Its FTTP
Openreach reveals future 5.5Gbps and 8.5Gbps full fibre broadband rollouts
Openreach has quietly refreshed the technical rulebook for its full fibre network, adding a spread of XGS-PON FTTP products with peak bandwidth up to 5.5Gbps and 8.5Gbps. A pilot in Guildford from March 2026 will concentrate on a 3.3Gbps service, yet the
iDNET boosts fibre broadband coverage over altnet networks
UK broadband provider iDNET has widened its full fibre broadband coverage by plugging into three more alternative networks: Trooli, Freedom Fibre and Netomnia. These sit alongside its existing arrangements with CityFibre, Openreach, MS3 and FullFibre (Fibre Heroes), turning iDNET into a multi-network
