All new homes to be built with gigabit broadband

Matt Maynard • 06 Jan 2023

Gigabit broadband connections must be installed in all new-build homes in England.

The Building Regulations 2010 has been amended to make sure all new homes built in England are fitted with the infrastructure capable of delivering gigabit broadband speeds. 

The alterations to the law also means nine million people across the UK living in flats will soon gain access to faster broadband speeds. 

Gigabit broadband is already available to 72% of the UK, which will soon increase as people moving into new homes across England will have gigabit-capable broadband connections upon moving in, which avoids now homeowners having to put up with disruptive installation work after they've moved in. 

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said:

"Nothing should stop people from seizing the benefits of better broadband, whether it is an unresponsive landlord or a property developer’s failure to act."

"Thanks to our new laws, millions of renters will no longer be prevented from getting a broadband upgrade due to the silence of their landlord, and those moving into newly built homes can be confident they’ll have access to the fastest speeds available from the day they move in."

The updated building regulations mean home developers will be legally required to future-proof new homes in England with next-generation gigabit broadband as standard practice during construction.

Source: GOV.UK