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29 OCU Group Annual report and financial statements 2026
Operational review continued United Kingdom market review | Digital Infrastructure
Market conditions The Digital Infrastructure market is changing. Full fibre was available to 24.9 million UK homes in January 2026 and, based on operators’ stated deployment plans, Ofcom estimates that availability could reach 28.1 million homes by January 2029. By the end of 2028, 73% of UK homes are expected to have access to at least two gigabit-capable networks. A larger installed fibre base creates an enduring requirement for repair, upgrade, resilience and service‑level‑backed maintenance. The transition also favours trusted providers as clients reduce supplier numbers and move the remaining build into more complex rural and hard-to-reach locations. Data centre development provides a further source of demand at the intersection of digital and power infrastructure. As a broader external indicator, the UK data centre power market is forecast to grow from approximately £737m in 2025 to approximately £1.06bn in 2030, equivalent to compound annual growth of 7.5%.
This is not a measure of OCU’s directly serviceable market, but it supports the underlying case for additional high-voltage connections, fibre routes, utility diversions and pre-enablement around new and expanded sites. Looking ahead OCU will continue to manage the reduction in urban FTTP build while protecting delivery on secured work and retaining the skills needed for rural programs. Growth priorities are fibre maintenance, data centre connections, mobile and small-cell enablement, rail and critical national infrastructure fibre, and complex business networks. The approach remains client led: use established relationships and proven delivery to enter adjacent spend pools.
Case study | UK | Active contract VMO2 Fibre Up program UK-wide | Digital Infrastructure | Client: Virgin Media O2
OCU was appointed by Virgin Media O2 to deliver the Fibre Up program across multiple regions of the UK, supporting the expansion of next‑generation fibre broadband infrastructure. The scope includes the construction, installation, testing and commissioning of fibre networks, enabling improved connectivity for hundreds of thousands of homes. Delivered across multiple regional frameworks, the program demonstrates OCU's ability to deliver large-scale digital infrastructure safely, efficiently and consistently, while supporting the continued expansion of the nation’s fibre network.
Geographic reach Multi-region UK delivery
Delivery model Integrated, multi-discipline delivery
Program approach
Client relationship Long-term collaboration
Consistent standards at scale
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