How to use the fibre checker
The fibre checker is free and works by postcode. It covers every network that reports to Ofcom, Openreach included. It isn't Openreach's own checker: for Openreach's status at your address, use Openreach's fibre checker.
- Type your full postcode and press Check fibre.
- Read the figures for your postcode. Each one is a share of the homes and businesses in the postcode.
- Look at the full fibre figure for your council area. Where we have one, the result also links to our broadband page for your local area.
- Press See full fibre deals. The comparison opens with your postcode. Pick your address to see full fibre deals you can order there now. Where Ofcom shows no gigabit-capable coverage, the button says See broadband deals and opens every deal at your postcode instead.
The checker doesn't look up a single address, and it doesn't say which network serves your home. For that, use a network's own checker or pick your address in the comparison. Our step-by-step guide to checking full fibre availability at your address covers every checker in more depth.
How to read your result
Your result shows up to five figures from Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator. They come from data collected in January 2026.
Figure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
Gigabit-capable | The share of premises that can get a connection able to reach 1 Gbit/s (1,000 Mbit/s): full fibre or Virgin Media's cable network. |
300 Mbit/s or faster | The share that can get download speeds of at least 300 Mbit/s. Ofcom calls this ultrafast. |
Superfast | The share that can get at least 30 Mbit/s download. |
10 to 30 Mbit/s | The share of premises whose line gets between 10 and 30 Mbit/s download. It appears only when some premises are in this band. |
Under 10 Mbit/s | The share of premises Ofcom matched to a fixed network's records that can't get more than 10 Mbit/s download. You want this one low. |
Where Ofcom's 300 Mbit/s figure for a postcode is lower than its gigabit figure, the result leaves the 300 Mbit/s row out, so the two don't contradict each other. If Ofcom couldn't match any premises in the postcode to a line speed, the result says so instead of showing figures.
Our guide to superfast, ultrafast and gigabit broadband explains each speed band.
Ofcom counts 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload as decent broadband. Where lines fall short, the result says whether fixed wireless can reach those premises, and what share can't get decent broadband from either. Those premises may be able to ask for an upgrade under the broadband Universal Service Obligation.
A high figure means most premises in your postcode can get that speed. It isn't a promise for your home: the provider confirms your exact address when you order.
Gigabit-capable or full fibre?
Ofcom doesn't publish full fibre figures for single postcodes, because of commercial confidentiality. Its postcode data gives gigabit-capable coverage instead, which counts full fibre and Virgin Media's cable network together. So a postcode at 100% gigabit-capable might be served by cable, by full fibre or by both. To see whether full fibre itself reaches your home, pick your address in the comparison or use a network's own checker.
The council full fibre figure
Ofcom does publish full fibre figures for council areas, so the checker shows the share of premises with full fibre across your council. It's useful context, but it can hide big local gaps. In the January 2026 data, one central Manchester postcode had no gigabit-capable coverage, so no full fibre either. Across Manchester City Council's area, about 87% of premises had full fibre. Your postcode figures are the closer guide to your street.
Why a postcode can be partly covered
A postcode covers a group of addresses, and networks don't always reach all of them at once. Openreach says that even within the same street, some addresses are connected before others, and flats or rented homes need the landlord's permission first. In January 2026, 72.3% of UK postcodes had gigabit-capable coverage for every premises. A further 13.6% had none, and 14.1% had some but not all. That's our count from Ofcom's postcode files. If your postcode is partly covered, your address could be on either side.
How it differs from the Openreach fibre checker
Openreach builds and maintains a national broadband network, and broadband providers sell services over it. Openreach's own fibre checker works by address and covers Openreach's network only. Our fibre checker isn't the Openreach fibre checker, and Openreach doesn't run it.
Check | Our fibre checker | Openreach's fibre checker |
|---|---|---|
You enter | A postcode | A postcode, then your address from a list |
Networks | Every network that reports to Ofcom | Openreach only |
It shows | The share of premises in the postcode that can get each speed | The Openreach products for your address, with "up to" speeds and a full fibre status |
Data | Ofcom, collected January 2026 | Openreach's network records, updated regularly |
Next step | See full fibre deals for your address | Order through a provider, or press "Keep me updated" |
Use ours for the wider picture in your postcode, and Openreach's to see where your own address stands on its network. You can't order from Openreach directly: you order through a broadband provider.
If Openreach's checker is down, as ISPreview reported it was into a second day in April 2025 after a software update, our postcode figures still work. They come from Ofcom's published data, not Openreach's systems.
Your Openreach checker status: what to do next
Openreach's checker page lists six full fibre statuses (checked November 2026). Only "Available to order now" means you can order Openreach full fibre today. Here is what to do with each one, alongside your postcode result.
Openreach says | What to do next |
|---|---|
Available to order now | Pick your address in the comparison to see full fibre deals you can order. |
Available to order soon | Openreach's engineers are upgrading the network to your property, but you can't order yet. Sign up on Openreach's checker to hear when it's ready. |
We're building in this area now, We'll be building in this area in the next year or We're planning to build in this area | Openreach is building or plans to build in your area, but your property isn't confirmed yet and you can't order. Press "Keep me updated" and check again every few weeks, as plans can change. Check other networks too. |
We have no plans to build Full Fibre to this property yet | This covers Openreach only. If your postcode shows some gigabit-capable coverage, check Virgin Media's and other networks' checkers. |
Our guide explains what each Openreach status means in more detail.
Other fibre checkers to try
Virgin Media and the independent networks known as altnets each run a fibre broadband checker for their own network, and Ofcom runs one across networks. Official checkers include:
- Ofcom: the Ofcom broadband checker uses the same January 2026 data as our checker (checked November 2026), but goes down to your address. It only names networks that have agreed to be named, and Ofcom says some smaller networks may not be included yet.
- Virgin Media: its postcode checker, where you choose your address and see its deals.
- CityFibre: its postcode check shows which providers sell on its network in your area. CityFibre says there are over 30.
- Hyperoptic: its availability checker, with a register-interest option.
- Community Fibre (London): its area checker.
- Gigaclear (rural homes): its availability check.
- Netomnia: its postcode check. Netomnia partners with providers such as YouFibre, which has its own checker.
- GOV.UK (England and Wales): the GOV.UK gigabit checker shows whether gigabit broadband is available or planned for your address.
What to do with your result
- Most or all premises are gigabit-capable: pick your address in the comparison to see full fibre deals you can order. If none show, the coverage may be Virgin Media's cable: check its postcode checker. Still on copper or part fibre? See how to upgrade to full fibre.
- Your postcode is partly covered: your address could be on either side. Check it on Openreach's checker and the other networks' checkers.
- No gigabit-capable coverage: press "Keep me updated" on Openreach's checker and register interest with networks near you. In England and Wales, the GOV.UK gigabit checker shows whether gigabit broadband is planned for your address.
- Live in a flat or rented home? Openreach needs the landlord's or building owner's permission before it can install. See getting full fibre in a block of flats.
- Can't get 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload? You may be able to ask BT, or KCOM in Hull, for an upgraded connection under the broadband Universal Service Obligation, subject to eligibility.
- In the meantime: test your line with our broadband speed test, compare fibre broadband deals, and see rural broadband options if you live somewhere remote.
Our guide on what to do when full fibre isn't in your street goes through each option.
Where the data comes from
The figures come from Ofcom's Connected Nations update for Spring 2026, published on 13 May 2026. It's a snapshot of UK fixed broadband as of January 2026. For it, 52 fixed networks and 18 fixed wireless networks sent Ofcom data for every premises where their service could be ordered. Ofcom's postcode files cover 1,741,096 postcodes and count all premises, homes and businesses together.
Across the UK, 81% of all premises could get full fibre in January 2026, and 87.8% could get gigabit-capable broadband. Ofcom's headline figures of 82% and 89% count homes only.
Networks have kept building since. ISPreview reported in October 2026 that Openreach's full fibre had reached around 24 million premises. A line built in recent months won't show in the figures yet.
Ofcom publishes coverage data twice a year: a spring update based on January data, and an annual Connected Nations report based on July data. The 2025 report came out on 19 November 2025. We'll update the checker when Ofcom's next release is out. Ofcom publishes the data under the Open Government Licence. Checked November 2026.
Fibre checker questions
Is the SwitchMyBroadband fibre checker the same as the Openreach fibre checker?
No. The SwitchMyBroadband fibre checker is independent and isn't run by Openreach. It shows Ofcom's January 2026 figures for every reporting network in a postcode. Openreach's own checker, at openreach.com/fibre-checker, shows the status of a single address on Openreach's network only. Using both gives the fullest picture.
How do I check if I can get fibre broadband?
Start with a postcode check, such as the SwitchMyBroadband fibre checker, to see what share of premises can get superfast or gigabit-capable broadband. Then check your exact address on a network's own checker, such as Openreach's or Virgin Media's, or pick your address in a broadband comparison. The provider confirms availability when you order.
Is there an alternative to Openreach?
Yes. Virgin Media runs its own network, and independent networks known as altnets, such as CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Gigaclear and Netomnia, build full fibre too. Each has its own availability checker. CityFibre says you can choose from over 30 providers on its network. Openreach's checker doesn't show any of these networks.
What does gigabit-capable mean on a fibre checker?
Gigabit-capable means a wired connection that can reach download speeds of 1 Gbit/s (1,000 Mbit/s). Ofcom's postcode data reports gigabit-capable coverage, which counts full fibre and Virgin Media's cable network together. For commercial confidentiality, Ofcom doesn't publish full fibre alone for single postcodes, but it does for each council area.
Why does Openreach say no plans when another checker shows fibre?
The Openreach fibre checker only covers Openreach's own network. If Virgin Media or an altnet has built in your street, Openreach can still say it has no plans to build full fibre to your property. A postcode figure can also differ from what one address can get, because it covers every premises in the postcode.
How up to date is the SwitchMyBroadband fibre checker?
The SwitchMyBroadband fibre checker uses Ofcom's Connected Nations data collected in January 2026 and published in May 2026. Ofcom releases new coverage data twice a year, and the checker is updated when a new release comes out. Lines built since January 2026 won't show yet, so check a network's address checker too.
What is an FTTP checker?
FTTP means fibre to the premises, which Openreach calls Full Fibre: fibre runs all the way to your home, with no copper wiring. An FTTP checker, or full fibre checker, tells you whether a full fibre line can reach your address. Network checkers, such as Openreach's, work by address, while Ofcom's postcode data shows gigabit-capable coverage.
