Seventy per cent of UK SMEs either don’t know if Openreach’s FTTP broadband has reached their area or believe that it is not yet available.
This is in spite of BT’s claims that their FTTP network is on track to reach 25 million of the UK’s 30 million premises in the next 18 months. Of those surveyed, only 15 per cent had been provisioned onto the network – closely mirroring the 16 per cent (4.8 million premises) stated by BT in its full-year results in May.
Added to that, just under one quarter (23 per cent) are still operating on copper ADSL lines for their business internet activities – lines that will be decommissioned as part of BT’s Big Switch Off due now to complete in January 2026.
A similar number (24 per cent) believed they were on hybrid copper FTTC lines, with almost one fifth simply not knowing. Indeed, the majority of business owners questioned (54 per cent) were completely unaware that ADSL lines would become redundant under BT’s Big Switch Off – believing it only impacts voice-calls.
Anthony Karibian, CEO and founder of bOnline, said, “Both the implementation and communications around BT’s FTTP roll-out and copper line removal have been appalling. Small business owners simply don’t accurately know what is going on. Effectively 85 per cent of micro-businesses have no access to the FTTP network with many having to regularly contend with outdated ADSL or hybrid copper FTTC lines that deliver debilitating speeds of just 1-50Mbps.
“And for the lucky few that are fortunate enough to be in areas where FTTP has been introduced, many (33 per cent) are left frustrated when attempting to be provisioned onto it with six to eight week delays being common. In the interim, small businesses are having to pay through their noses – and historically face twice yearly price hikes – to have their calls and data routed over substandard kit. The long-term cost to UK plc is significant with the country’s next generation of businesses being left to stall in the digital slow-lane.”
According to the findings, the overwhelming majority (72 per cent in total) either want to be on FTTP (50 per cent), are currently trying (7 per cent) or have already upgraded (15 percent), their desire to switch reflecting their frustrations with Britain’s current network options. According to data released earlier this year, the UK currently ranks 29th out of 34 in Europe for mobile download speeds and 35th globally for broadband speeds in spite of being the sixth largest economy.
BT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.