Openreach Fibre Checker: Check Business Broadband Availability

What is the Openreach fibre checker?

The Openreach fibre checker is an availability tool on the Openreach website. You enter your full postcode, pick your premises, and it returns the connection types Openreach can deliver to that exact address — typically FTTP, FTTC, or a planned build date if full fibre is on the way.

Openreach owns and maintains most of the UK's physical network: the exchanges, ducts and local loops that connect businesses to the wider telephone and broadband network. It is a wholesale infrastructure provider, so the checker reflects what the underlying network supports, not what any single provider sells. For a wider view of available products once you know your infrastructure, compare options on our business broadband pillar.

• What it shows: FTTP available now, FTTP coming soon (with a build date), or FTTC only.
• What it does not show: retail prices, ISP-specific packages, or rival networks like Virgin Media.

What do FTTP and FTTC results actually mean?

The two results that matter most are FTTP and FTTC. FTTP runs fibre all the way to your building and supports symmetric, consistent speeds up to 1Gbps. FTTC runs fibre only to a street cabinet, then copper to your premises, which caps upload speed and degrades the further you sit from that cabinet.

If your result is FTTP, you have the strongest platform for cloud apps, hosted voice and remote working. If it is FTTC only, you are on copper for the final leg and should plan for the rollout to reach you — or consider a dedicated alternative. Read the difference in detail on what a leased line is.

How do you use the Openreach fibre checker step by step?

Using the checker takes under a minute. Go to the Openreach website, open the fibre availability tool, enter your full postcode, and select your specific premises from the dropdown. The tool then returns your FTTP status and, for FTTC, an estimated maximum line speed based on distance from the cabinet.

1. Visit the official Openreach fibre checker and open the availability tool. 2. Enter your full business postcode and select your exact premises. 3. Read the FTTP status: available now, coming soon (with a date), or not planned. 4. For an FTTC result, note the estimated speed — it is distance-dependent, so two units on the same street can differ.

Remember the checker reports infrastructure, not products. Even where FTTP shows as available, you still pick an ISP selling on that network. This is also why a single Openreach result rarely gives the full picture — rival networks run separate infrastructure the tool never sees.

What should you do if FTTP is not available?

If FTTP is not available today, you have three practical routes: wait for the planned build, check alternative networks Openreach does not list, or move to a dedicated connection. The right choice depends on how soon you need bandwidth and how critical connectivity is to your operations.

• Check the build date. Openreach has committed to passing 25 million UK premises with full fibre by the end of 2026 (Openreach's stated rollout target). If your area is in the programme, the checker may show an estimated date so you can time an upgrade. The government's Project Gigabit programme funds harder-to-reach locations.
• Check alternative networks. Virgin Media Business, CityFibre, Netomnia and other altnets have built independent full fibre that never appears in the Openreach checker. Ofcom's infrastructure research tracks how this coverage is growing.
• Consider a leased line. Where full fibre genuinely is not available and connectivity is business-critical, a dedicated leased line — available across the vast majority of UK commercial postcodes — gives guaranteed, symmetric bandwidth regardless of FTTP rollout status.

Why check networks beyond Openreach?

The Openreach checker only covers Openreach infrastructure, so it can return "not available" while another full fibre network already serves your street. To see the true picture you need to check rival networks separately — Virgin Media Business, CityFibre via partner ISPs, and regional altnets.

Running each check by hand is slow. AMVIA consolidates multiple networks into one postcode query and returns availability across major providers at once, including indicative pricing, so you compare like for like in a single step. If the result points to a dedicated connection, a dedicated internet access leased line gives you uncontended bandwidth with a guaranteed SLA.

How far has the Openreach full fibre rollout reached?

Openreach's full fibre build is one of the largest infrastructure programmes in UK history. As of early 2026, Openreach reports over 16 million premises passed with full fibre, on the way to its 25 million target by the end of 2026, covering both urban and rural areas with government BDUK funding for the hardest-to-reach locations.

For businesses outside current coverage, the wait is typically measured in months to a couple of years depending on where you sit in the build programme. One in five (20%) UK businesses report insufficient internet speeds for their needs (Uswitch business broadband research, via TechUK) — a strong reason not to wait passively on a slow FTTC line. Where speed is holding the business back, an FTTP leased line closes the gap without depending on the consumer rollout reaching you.