The last fifteen percent

A country that can put full fibre past 85% of premises can still leave a farm, a valley and a row of former council houses on a copper pair that was “superfast” in 2014. The last fifteen percent is not a rounding error. It is the part of the map where averages go to look virtuous.

Urban build, rural remainder

Ofcom’s 2026 updates still show a clear urban–rural split on FTTP, even as gigabit-capable coverage as a whole approaches 90%. Openreach’s rural build, Gigaclear, regional alt-nets and Project Gigabit contracts are the actual plan for the remainder — not a London advert with a Union Jack on it. BDUK’s monthly figures through 2026 show premises contracted and built under Project Gigabit in the thousands per month, not the millions of the urban overlay. That is the correct scale for sparse ground. It is also why a village can wait.

If you are in the remainder, a comparison site that only shouts “900 Mbps from £27” is not for you this month. A comparison site that says “here is what the address file believes, and here is how to register for an alert” is. We would rather show a thin honest list than a fat pretend one.

The last mile is not a metaphor. It is often literally the last mile of duct nobody wanted to pay for.

What to ask if you live there

Patience is not the same as passivity. Register interest with the builder who owns your lane. Keep the contract-end reminder. When the trench finally turns up, the first-year cost arithmetic is the same as in the city — it is just later, and more of a relief.

A toolkit, not a slogan

Project Gigabit, vouchers, USO, FWA, LEO satellite, a community scheme: five tools that are not ‘Britain failed you’. Use the ones that exist at the premises. A 24-month city intro is not a tool for a lane. See the Rural department in this issue — it exists because this piece was not enough on its own.