Project Gigabit is 40% built. Is your business in the other 60%?
The government’s Building Digital UK office published its October 2026 progress update on Project Gigabit on 23 October, and the headline is tidy: 340,880 contracted premises now have a gigabit-capable connection delivered under the main subsidy programme, up from 318,000 in September, out of a planned 861,890. That’s 40% complete.
The less tidy part is that Project Gigabit is really a bundle of contracts at wildly different stages. Central Cornwall is finished. North Herefordshire, North Wales, Shropshire and South West Wales is at 7%. If you run a business from a farm, a village unit or a market town edge, the national percentage tells you nothing. The contract you’re in tells you everything.
What is Project Gigabit and why does it matter to a business?
Project Gigabit is the £5bn government scheme to get gigabit capable broadband to the premises commercial builders won’t reach on their own, mostly rural ones. The aim is roughly 99% of UK premises covered by 2032. Around 91% can already get a gigabit service, and Ofcom has forecast that could reach up to 95% by January 2029, so Project Gigabit is about the last stretch. ISPreview, which tracks every contract, has the full October 2026 table.
“Premises” includes business premises. That matters because a rural business on an old copper line often has two choices today: wait for Project Gigabit, or pay for a leased line that costs several times a normal broadband bill. We compared the two in our guide to leased line versus business fibre. The October update changes which of those is sensible, depending on where you are.
| Contract (supplier) | Contracted premises | Built, October 2026 | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Cornwall (Wildanet) | 6,940 | 6,940 | 100% |
| Cambridgeshire (CityFibre) | 17,600 | 14,500 | 82% |
| Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes (CityFibre) | 5,890 | 4,840 | 82% |
| CO1 Lancashire, West Berkshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire (Openreach) | 60,180 | 21,200 | 35% |
| CO2 Devon, Mid Wales and South East Wales (Openreach) | 41,140 | 14,350 | 35% |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (Wildanet) | 14,430 | 4,930 | 34% |
| CO6 Rest of Scotland (Openreach) | 77,640 | 7,470 | 10% |
| CO8 Cheshire (Openreach) | 29,820 | 2,650 | 9% |
| CO3 North Herefordshire, North Wales, Shropshire and South West Wales (Openreach) | 68,740 | 4,480 | 7% |
A selection from BDUK’s October 2026 figures as reported by ISPreview on 23 October 2026. BDUK says the numbers are a rough indication of progress, not a guarantee, and some contracts started years apart.
Check one: which Project Gigabit contract is your postcode in?
Find the contract first, then judge the wait. The quickest route is the GOV.UK Project Gigabit pages, which list each contract by area and supplier, or your supplier’s own build checker if it’s Openreach, CityFibre, Wildanet, Fibrus, GoFibre or Wessex Internet. If your area shows 80% or more built, a connection is probably months away. If it’s under 15%, you’re realistically looking at years, and that changes your decision.
Two things to read carefully. The October update notes that the Cambridgeshire and Durham contracts shrank their contracted premises because “new financial models” changed which addresses count as eligible. So a postcode that was in scope last year might not be now. And some contracts have switched supplier or been scaled back, which resets the clock.
Check two: what can your business get today?
Often more than the old line suggests. Alternative networks have built past plenty of rural business parks and high streets without any subsidy, and 4G or 5G home broadband style services now cover a lot of the gaps. Our guide to rural broadband options runs through the choices, including satellite, which has gone from last resort to a credible stopgap for a small firm.
The point is to compare against what’s actually available at your address, not the national picture. A business that’s been “waiting for fibre” for three years on a 10Mbps line has usually had a better option for two of them.
Check three: does a Project Gigabit wait justify a leased line?
Only if the business genuinely needs guaranteed speed and a fix time promise now. A leased line comes with a service level agreement and symmetrical speeds, and a price to match. If your contract area is at 7%, a leased line on a short term can bridge the gap. If it’s at 82%, signing a three year leased line deal this autumn is the Do Nothing Default in a suit: you’ll be paying premium rates long after the cheaper fibre arrives at the door.
Before you decide
- Find your Project Gigabit contract and its October 2026 percentage.
- Run an availability check at your business address for every network, not just the big one.
- Price a 12 month business broadband deal against a leased line, and match the term to the expected build date.
- Ask about an out of contract rolling option so you can jump when fibre lands.
Prices and speeds depend entirely on your postcode and provider, so treat any comparison as a snapshot. Running one takes a minute and costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions about Project Gigabit
- Does Project Gigabit cover business premises?
- Yes. The contracts count premises, which include businesses as well as homes in the intervention area. Eligibility is by address, so check yours.
- How often is the progress table updated?
- Monthly. BDUK publishes contract progress each month; the October 2026 update came out on 23 October. The figures aren’t directly comparable to BDUK’s annual statistics, which also count vouchers and older schemes.
- Can I still get a gigabit voucher?
- Voucher availability varies by area and changes often. Our earlier post on Project Gigabit vouchers explains how they work, but check the current status for your postcode on GOV.UK before relying on one.
- My area has dropped out of the contract. What now?
- Check whether a commercial builder has covered it instead, which is the usual reason. If not, your options are an altnet, a wireless or satellite service, or a leased line, and the right one depends on how much speed you really need.
Sources: ISPreview, “Oct 2026 Contract Progress of UK’s Project Gigabit Broadband Rollout”, 23 October 2026, reporting Building Digital UK’s October 2026 update; ISPreview RSS feed. Figures checked October 2026.
