28 Nov 2025
New research suggests St Albans is one of the best-connected cities in the UK.
Data from Fibre Compare pulls together the latest Ofcom and Government data on broadband and mobile coverage, blending it into one easy-to-compare score for its Digital Dead Zone Index.
St Albans comes second after Portsmouth after considering broadband quality and availability.
Fibre Compare’s chief executive Geoff Pestell explained why the city is thriving: “What sets St Albans apart is years of consistent investment and a community that has embraced digital connectivity faster than most UK cities. The city stands out for its widespread full-fibre availability, strong gigabit coverage, and exceptionally reliable mobile networks, all scoring well above the national average. While many cities still rely on ageing copper networks, St Albans has benefited from rapid full-fibre rollout, prioritised due to population density, commuter demand, and a proactive local digital strategy.
“Government-backed initiatives also play a major role. Under Project Gigabit, the UK Government awarded a £58 million contract to CityFibre to upgrade 34,000 premises across Hertfordshire, including St Albans, to gigabit-capable fibre. Herts county council’s Connected Counties and Digital Hertfordshire programmes ensure fibre expansion keeps pace with growth. New housing developments are built with FTTP from day one, and providers such as Hyperoptic deliver ‘day-one’ full-fibre connectivity to new-build residents.
“As a result, St Albans has some of the strongest superfast broadband coverage in the UK, close to 99 per cent. Alongside excellent reliability, with fewer outages and less signal loss than the national average. This combination of speed and stability supports home working, online learning, video calls, and entertainment without dropouts or buffering.
“For a city with many hybrid workers commuting in and out of London, this digital resilience is an economic asset. Businesses operate efficiently, families stay connected, and residents can work flexibly with confidence. St Albans shows what’s possible when digital investment keeps pace with how people live and work today.”
