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Network operator nexfibre, which shares some of its parentage with ISP partner Virgin Media (O2), has published their latest quarterly (Q2 2025) build update and confirmed that their new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network now covers 2.3 million UK premises. But its future remains uncertain.
Just to recap. Back in 2022 Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners setup nexfibre as a new £4.5bn joint venture (here), which aimed to deploy an open access (wholesale) full fibre network to reach “up to” 7m UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT served by Virgin Media’s own network of 16m+ premises. The funding reflects £3.3bn of fully underwritten financing and up to £1.4bn in equity commitments.
However, as existing readers will already know, nexfibre’s roll-out plan recently suffered a significant blow after Telefonica launched a Strategic Review of their global business (here and here). The decision has since resulted in nexfibre scaling back their roll-out – now aiming to reach just 2.5m premises in 2025 (down from c.3m) – and Virgin Media scrapping their related NetCo plans for opening up their existing consumer broadband network to wholesale (here).
The latest Q2 2025 build update from nexfibre continues to reflect this change and confirms that their full fibre network has now reached 2.3 million premises as ready for service (up from 2.2m in Q1). Much uncertainty now exists in the build plans for 2026 and beyond, which will probably only be answered once Telefonica and Liberty Global have decided on the best way forward. Not that you’d know it from listening to the company’s boss, where the focus continues to hint at a switch toward consolidation (waters where CityFibre and possibly Netomnia are also playing).
Rajiv Datta, CEO of nexfibre, said:
“nexfibre continues to make substantial progress in bringing full-fibre broadband to underserved communities across the UK. With coverage now exceeding 2.3 million premises, we are among the country’s largest alternative fibre operators.
Our optimised build plan remains on track, driven by the agility and commitment of our unique ecosystem of dedicated team members and partners. Together, we are delivering a technologically-advanced, XGS-PON-only network designed to serve generations to come. This long-term focus informs our view of the need for sustainable, nationwide competition in the fibre access market, which today is fragmented and subscale, yielding constrained business models and substantial financial stress.
Backed by strong investors and significant financial resources, nexfibre remains committed to creating a wholesale fibre access platform that will play a key role as the market moves toward meaningful consolidation and a structure capable of unlocking the full potential of world-class digital infrastructure.”