Assessing the potential impacts of Openreach’s nationwide implementation of improved digital infrastructure

Openreach Full Fibre Rollout Impact Assessments

Openreach, who builds and maintains the UK’s largest broadband network, wanted to estimate the potential impacts of the planned rollout of their next level of Full Fibre infrastructure over the coming years. They jointly commissioned professionals from our Development Economics group and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) to help.

Our team focused on assessing the socioeconomic impacts of Openreach’s rollout on a regional basis. These impacts included educational outcomes, the use of video consultations in the National Health Service, government savings, and the day-to-day value of improved digital infrastructure for households using it. We based our estimates on rollout data provided by Openreach and our own research. While less quantitative, our research also included a review of Openreach's social impacts as an organization through their employment, training, supply chain, and outreach activities.

Additionally, our graphic design team created the final report summarizing both Cebr’s results and ours—economic, social, socioeconomic, and spatial impacts. Available on Openreach’s website, the report shows that ongoing upgrades to ultrafast full fiber broadband could deliver a £66 billion ($83 billion) boost to the UK economy by 2029.