To ensure the fastest broadband speeds for new homes, the government recently announced an amendment to the Building Regulations 2010. The change means new homes in England must now be built with gigabit broadband connections.
We look more closely at broadband for new homes, from why it’s important, to who benefits. Read more here…
The change to the Building Regulations 2010
First, let’s look at the updates to the Building Regulations 2010 recently made by the government. The changes require new homes built in England to be fitted with the infrastructure and connections required for delivering gigabit broadband. It is now a legal requirement for developers to ensure they have new homes in England ready for next-generation gigabit broadband.
There will be a cap on connection costs for developers at £2,000 per home. It will be up to the developers to work with network operators to connect their developments to gigabit broadband. And in the case where gigabit-capable connections can’t be delivered within the price cap, then developers need to install the next fastest connection available. At the same time, developers must still ensure the installation of the infrastructure for gigabit broadband in readiness for when it does become available.
What is gigabit broadband?
You might be wondering what gigabit broadband is, or more importantly what all the fuss is about? Well, it offers some of the fastest broadband speeds out there - gigafast download speeds in fact.
With gigabit broadband, you can expect your broadband to be capable of sending one gigabit (1Gb) of data every second, or 1,000Mb per second. If you compare this to full fibre broadband which offers speeds of 100Mb, it’s ten-times faster.
There are a wide range of 1Gb broadband deals available from network providers. But at the time of writing, it’s Virgin Media who offers the fastest broadband with 1.13Gb download speeds.
With regards availability, only 70% of the UK is geared up for gigabit broadband. The government is aiming to reach 99% by 2030.
Who benefits from gigabit broadband?
If you hardly use the internet, let’s say you only use it for social media, doing a bit of shopping online, and checking emails, then you won’t notice much difference.
However, if you stream high-resolution video or video games, work from home, or make a lot of video calls, then gigabit internet speeds will make a massive difference. Even more so if there are multiple people in your home doing these things at the same time. Which isn’t unusual in the modern, digital age.
It's worth checking the costs of gigabit broadband and comparing them with your everyday online activities. Of course, if you are buying a new home then you can find the means to connect to a gigabit connection ready and waiting for you. However, you don’t have to have it if you don’t need it.
The benefits of buying a new build home
With these new changes, alongside how much more energy efficient they are, the reasons to buy a new build home just get better. Back in November 2022, Thinkbroadband, the UK’s largest broadband news and information site published data on the broadband coverage of new build homes in the UK. Their research found that, for the new postcodes in 2022, there was 99.03% Gigabit broadband availability.
Areas most prone to problems with gigabit connectivity, or the expensive costs to install it, are rural ones. If you are buying a new build home, it’s a good idea to get confirmation from the housebuilder with regards what kind of broadband services you can expect to receive, early on in your enquiries.
New build homes are perfect for growing families, first-time buyers, and those looking to downsize. With excellent broadband speeds and lower energy bills, it’s worth investing in a new home.
Start your search for your perfect new build home here.
