These include 23 in north London and nine in east London, as well as 16 south of the river.
But hundreds of thousands of renters could be left behind due to the need for ‘wayleave’ permissions from landlords and property owners, the Openreach fibre network company warns.
Engineers can maintain existing copper networks without these agreements — but cannot upgrade them to full fibre.
“We’re using the existing network of ducts and poles wherever possible,” Openreach director Kieran Wines explained. “This avoids roadworks and disturbance in the street.
“But there may be places where we need to install new poles, or underground ducts and fibre cables, because it’s the only way to make sure all households are included.”
North London upgrades are under way in Stamford Hill, Canonbury, Kentish Town, Upper Holloway, Hampstead, Hendon, Muswell Hill, Edgware, Mill Hill, Colindale, Golders Green, Finchley, High Barnet, Wembley, North Wembley, Palmers Green, Bowes Park, Winchmore Hill, Enfield Town, North Finchley, Harrow, South Harrow and Pinner.
Work in east London is going ahead at Mile End, Stratford, Upton Park, Beckton (Albert Dock), Romford (south), Rainham, Leytonstone, Walthamstow and Hainault.
Upgrades south of the Thames are in Deptford, Catford, Nine Elms, Putney, Wimbledon, Richmond, Surbiton, Kingston, New Malden, Croydon, Beulah Hill, Sydenham, Bromley, West Wickham, Beckenham and Purley.
More upgrades are also scheduled in Mayfair and to the west in Fulham, Ealing, Greenford, Perivale, Chiswick, Hounslow, Isleworth, Mortlake and Teddington.
The “once-in-a-generation” improvements mean users can connect several devices at the same time with gigabit-capable speeds, from streaming and gaming to video calls, banking and online shopping.
The upgrades promise less buffering or running slow at busy times, with “future-proof connectivity” to make further improvements easier over the next decade to meet growing demands.
The company is extending the fibre network to another seven million properties up and down the country by the end of 2026, adding to the 18 million already connected, then a further five million after that, totalling 30 million in Britain by 2029.
