The Guardian has reported that Openreach has announced plans to deliver gigabit-ready broadband to another 3.2 million rural homes and businesses across the country

The move is a further push by BT’s broadband provision division to meet its ambitious target to roll out full-fibre networks across the UK. Openreach has pledged to invest £12 billion to connect more than 20 million premises by 2025.

Some three million homes and businesses are already able to connect to full-fibre broadband delivered by the company which said it will add the new homes by the middle part of the decade, particularly those in rural blackspots.

Ofcom noted that there were clear economic benefits to building full-fibre broadband in rural areas. It cited a report by the Centre for Economics & Business Research  – Full-fibre broadband: A platform for growth – calculating that with a reliable fibre connection to every property by 2025, half a million people could be brought back into the workforce through enhanced connectivity, and at least 400,000 more people could work from home, allowing them to live and work where they choose.

Full details:

The Guardian - Millions of rural homes in UK to get next-generation full-fibre broadband

ComputerWeekly.com - UK rural full-fibre broadband network expanded further