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What is GFast broadband? Speeds, coverage, and providers

Approximately two million UK premises still technically have access to GFast broadband, a fibre-optic connection designed to boost internet speeds through copper phone lines. Capable of delivering up to 350Mbps, it was once a strong upgrade for faster connectivity.

Yet GFast has seen a sharp decline, with providers shifting investment to full fibre infrastructure, which delivers even faster speeds.

In this guide, we’ll explain what GFast broadband is, the speeds it offers, which providers offer it, and why it has been largely phased out in favour of full fibre.

What is GFast Broadband?

GFast is a part-fibre broadband connection developed as an upgrade to SoGEA broadband (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access). Like SoGEA, it uses fibre cables to a green street cabinet, then copper phone lines for the final stretch into homes or businesses.

Where SoGEA typically delivers speeds of 40–80Mbps, GFast increases potential performance to 350Mbps. This made it a stepping stone between SoGEA’s hybrid fibre-and-copper approach and full fibre broadband, which eliminates copper entirely.

How does GFast work?

GFast, short for G-Series Fast Access to Subscriber Terminals, is an internationally recognised broadband standard defined by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) under its G.9700 and G.9701 specifications. These describe how GFast transmits data over copper lines at higher frequencies to deliver faster speeds.

GFast builds on the same fibre-plus-copper structure as SoGEA, but introduces an extra layer of equipment: a cabinet pod added to existing Openreach street cabinets. Inside the pod sits a distribution point unit (DPU), which enables higher data transmission through the phone lines that connect to the cabinet.

Here’s how it works:

Data conversion into high frequencies

SoGEA uses lower frequencies for transmitting data, but GFast boosted performance by shifting signals into the 106–212 MHz range. This wider frequency spectrum allowed much more data to be transmitted at once, enabling download speeds up to 350Mbps.

Data travels via copper loops

Like SoGEA, GFast still relies on copper wiring for the “last mile.” However, it only works well on short copper loops, usually 30–300 metres from the cabinet. The shorter the distance, the closer GFast gets to its maximum speed.

Vectoring and crosstalk reduction

Standard SoGEA connections can suffer from crosstalk, where signals from neighbouring copper lines interfere with each other and reduce speeds. GFast uses vectoring, which actively minimises interference, improving the stability of connections.

Reverse power feeding (RPF): DPUs powered from homes

Each GFast cabinet pod contains a distribution point unit (DPU), which needs power. Instead of being powered by the cabinet itself, the system used reverse power feeding, drawing a tiny amount of electricity from the connected premises.

How fast is GFast broadband?

GFast sits between copper-based broadband and full fibre. It can deliver much faster speeds than FTTC and SoGEA, but only over short distances from the local cabinet.

The speed of a GFast connection is distance-sensitive:

• At under 100 metres, download speeds close to 350Mbps are achievable.
• Around 300 metres, speeds typically fall to 150–200Mbps.
• Beyond 500 metres, GFast can underperform compared to a standard FTTC line, making it less viable.

GFast vs VDSL2 and full fibre

The technology used to deliver broadband in the UK has evolved through several stages, each designed to deliver faster speeds and greater reliability.

This section describes how broadband infrastructure has changed during each step of this evolution.

VDSL2

VDSL2 was the technology that transformed broadband when it replaced ADSL. By introducing fibre optic cables to the green street cabinet and using copper only for the final stretch, VDSL2 increased speeds dramatically to 40–80Mbps.

This shift made older ADSL connections largely redundant across the country and established Fibre-to-the-Cabinet broadband (and its broadband-only version, SoGEA) as the standard for many years.

GFast

GFast represents the next step up from VDSL2. It is built on the same Fibre-to-the-Cabinet model but adds specialised cabinet pods that push signals through copper at much higher frequencies.

This allows GFast to deliver 100-350Mbps, though only for premises within around 300 metres of the cabinet. While this was a significant jump in speed, its reliance on short copper loops limited coverage to approximately 2 million properties.

Full fibre

Full fibre goes further still. By eliminating copper completely and running fibre optic cables directly into homes and businesses, full fibre avoids the distance limitations of both VDSL2 and GFast.

Capable of delivering up to 2Gbps, it not only surpasses GFast in speed and reach, but also is the scalable, future-proof broadband standard.

For this reason, GFast remains technically live in some areas but is steadily being sidelined as providers prioritise full fibre rollouts.

The rollout of GFast

GFast was once seen as the bridge between fibre-to-the-cabinet and full fibre, but its rollout was short-lived. Here are the key milestones in its journey across the UK.

2016: Early trials

BT and Openreach began trialling GFast in several UK locations, including Cambridgeshire, South Wales, and Gosforth. The tests showed that by fitting pods to existing street cabinets, speeds of up to 350Mbps were achievable for homes and businesses close enough to the cabinet.

2017: Ambitious rollout plans

On the back of promising trial results, BT and Openreach announced plans to make GFast available to 12 million UK homes and businesses. It was positioned as a fast, cost-effective upgrade to FTTC, giving the UK a competitive broadband edge while full fibre was still in its early stages.

2019: Rollout halted

By 2019, the strategy changed. Openreach stopped the national expansion of GFast, choosing instead to prioritise full fibre. The decision came as full fibre deployment costs fell, making it the cheaper, more scalable, and future-proof option.

Current coverage

Today, GFast remains technically live, with coverage of approximately 2 million properties. However, with Openreach focusing investment into full fibre, its footprint is shrinking and the technology is increasingly considered a stopgap rather than a long-term solution.

GFast providers

GFast is no longer widely sold. Openreach stopped expanding it in 2019, and most business broadband providers now prioritise full fibre. Where GFast still appears, it’s generally as a legacy product for existing customers rather than something new users can order.

• BT business broadband: BT was the main driver of GFast. Existing connections are still supported, and you can check availability with the BT GFast availability checker. The tool works with a telephone number, Access Line ID, or UPRN (Unique Property Reference Number). Even if GFast shows as technically available, BT usually steers new customers towards full fibre broadband.
• Sky business broadband: Sky references GFast in its part-fibre packages with speeds up to 145Mbps, but in practice, very few new customers are placed on GFast.
• TalkTalk business broadband: GFast is still supported in some business contracts, though it is not widely promoted, and legacy web links are diverted to their full fibre page.
• Specialist providers: Amvia and Cerberus Networks continue to manage legacy GFast connections in areas where Openreach infrastructure is live.

GFast broadband for businesses

GFast broadband is no longer widely sold to new business customers. While some legacy business connections remain in place, most providers now recommend alternative services that deliver faster speeds and long-term reliability.

For companies still using copper-based services, SoGEA business broadband offers a cost-effective option that removes the need for a traditional phone line. Businesses with higher data demands may benefit from investing in a leased line for business, which provides dedicated, symmetrical speeds up to 10Gbps.

The most common upgrade path, however, is full fibre business broadband. By eliminating copper entirely, full fibre ensures far greater speed, scalability, and reliability compared to GFast.

Is GFast available in my area?

For anyone looking to sign up today, GFast is not generally available. Broadband provider support is shrinking, and coverage is capped at around 2 million premises. Even in those areas, most providers recommend full fibre broadband as the preferred upgrade path.

Compare business broadband deals today to find the best business broadband prices from our trusted providers.

What were the core problems with GFast

Although GFast was a promising upgrade to SoGEA, several issues limited its success and ultimately led to it being retired in favour of full fibre broadband.

Limited reach

GFast only works effectively within 300 metres of a street cabinet. Beyond that distance, speeds fall sharply and can even underperform compared to SoGEA. This restricted its potential footprint and made rollout less appealing.

Slower than full fibre

Even at its best, GFast topped out at around 350Mbps. By contrast, full fibre can deliver up to 2 Gbps, with no copper bottleneck. As full fibre costs fell, it quickly overtook GFast as the more scalable and future-proof technology.

Declining provider support

Broadband provider support for GFast has steadily declined. Most major providers no longer sell it to new customers, while others have retired it completely. Coverage remains at only 2 million premises, making it a niche product.

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