BT Group expanded its Openreach full fibre broadband footprint to 20.3 million homes and businesses in the first half of fiscal 2026, marking a record build of 2.2 million premises in six months. The company said it remains on track to reach 25 million premises by December 2026, including 5.5 million in rural areas. Demand continued to rise, with 1.1 million new fibre connections in the period, bringing total connected premises to 7.6 million and boosting Openreach’s take-up rate to 38%.
Chief Executive Allison Kirkby said BT is “building the UK’s digital backbone” and accelerating its transformation. Despite competitive pressures and higher labor costs, the group reported stable adjusted EBITDA of £4.1 billion and reconfirmed its full-year guidance. Revenue fell 3% to £9.8 billion, reflecting declines in legacy voice and international operations, offset by growth in fibre broadband and 5G. BT raised its interim dividend 2% to 2.45 pence per share and reaffirmed its plan to achieve approximately £2 billion in free cash flow by FY27 and £3 billion by 2030.
Openreach’s average broadband revenue per user rose 4% year-over-year to £16.7, driven by CPI-linked price increases and higher-speed packages. The EE mobile network maintained its 12-year record as the UK’s top performer according to RootMetrics, with 5G+ standalone coverage reaching 66% of the population. BT also announced a new partnership with Starlink to extend broadband service to hard-to-reach areas. The company’s transformation program delivered £247 million in new annualised cost savings in H1, bringing total savings to £1.2 billion since launch, while network energy use declined 5%.
• Openreach FTTP footprint: 20.3 million premises (5.5 million rural)
• Record 1.1 million net fibre adds; take-up rate 38%
• EE 5G+ coverage: 66% of UK population, targeting 99% by FY30
• Openreach broadband ARPU: £16.7, up 4% y/y
• Consumer fibre base: +476k to 3.7 million; 5G base up 11% y/y to 13.9 million
• Cost transformation savings: £247 million in H1, £1.2 billion cumulative
• Capital expenditure: £2.4 billion, up 8% y/y due to higher fibre build activity
• Interim dividend: 2.45 pence per share (+2%)
• Normalised free cash flow: £0.4 billion; net debt £20.9 billion
“All of this shows BT’s transformation is delivering ahead of plan, helping offset legacy declines and enabling us to connect the country like no one else,” said Kirkby.
🌐 Analysis: BT’s fibre rollout continues to dominate the UK broadband landscape, positioning Openreach as a key infrastructure asset amid rising competition from alternative network operators. The partnership with Starlink signals BT’s intent to cover remote areas with hybrid connectivity. The group’s reaffirmed cash flow outlook and dividend growth suggest operational resilience despite flat revenue growth. Rival operators such as Virgin Media O2 and CityFibre are also accelerating fibre deployment, setting the stage for heightened infrastructure competition over the next 24 months.
