Technology

Newcastle Achieves 62% Fibre Coverage, 240 Mbps Average Speeds

Altnet coverage at 62 percent and average speeds near 240 Mbps distinguish the city for digital firms and startups.

By Newcastle Tech Desk · Published 25 July 2026

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This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Newcastle is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Full fibre broadband reaches 84.9 percent of premises in Newcastle upon Tyne as of May 2026, with gigabit-capable service at 91.9 percent overall. The figures come from data compiled at broadbandcheck.co.uk and reflect CityFibre and Openreach builds that lifted average download speeds from 60 Mbps in 2021 to roughly 240 Mbps in 2025.

Infrastructure Supports Digital Job Gains

Those connections matter now because the digital and tech sector accounted for 52 percent of new companies formed in Newcastle and Gateshead during the 2023/24 financial year, when more than 1,700 jobs were added across both cities. The same networks also serve 18 separate providers in central postcodes such as NE6 3BE, giving businesses a choice that exceeds the national altnet average of 62 percent coverage.

Newcastle's startup ecosystem sits eighth in the United Kingdom and 179th worldwide, with 138 active companies tracked in July 2026. Funding for those firms rose 38 percent in 2025, concentrated in biotech, SaaS and digital tools. Firms such as Partnerize and CellRev have drawn multimillion-pound rounds while operating inside the same footprint that now offers leased-line access up to 10 Gbps.

Measured Growth Outpaces National Trends

Local employment stands at 228,713 people, with a recorded 14.63 percent growth rate anchored in professional, scientific and technical roles. The city projects 1.5 percent annual GVA growth and 0.8 percent annual employment growth over the next three years, both above UK averages. A £4.2 billion devolution deal for the North East region is expected to channel further investment into commercial sites already served by the expanded fibre grid.

Businesses seeking dedicated connections can contact providers listed on fibrecompare.com or broadbandswitch.uk to check 10 Gbps options in their postcode. The same sites publish current availability maps for the 84.9 percent full-fibre footprint and the 62 percent altnet overlay.

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