Project Gigabit

Infrastructure and Construction

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: £5.2bn
Published schedule: 01/04/2021 – 31/12/2032
NISTA delivery confidence: Not disclosed
Senior responsible owner: Ben Whitestone

What the project is for

Project Gigabit provides gigabit-capable connectivity to homes and businesses that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. The programme target is for next-generation gigabit broadband to be available nationwide by 2032.

Departmental delivery commentary

Compared to financial year 24/25 Q4, the NISTA/SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at 25/26 Q4 remained at AMBER. UK Gigabit coverage reached 90.76% in June 2026, according to ThinkBroadband. The programme is progressing largely to plan but there are some concerns over supplier access to finance and supply chain risks which may impact delivery.

Schedule

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end-date at 25/26-Q4 has been extended to 31/12/2032. This is to reflect a revised delivery timeline.

Cost

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4 of £5,404m, the project’s departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26-Q4 decreased to £4,831m. This is primarily due to the following factors, updated Open Market Review has fed into updated Central Delivery Forecast Model.

Benefits

The baseline benefits have remained at £5,434m (between Q4 2024/24 and Q4 2025/26) as the same return has been reported during this period.