What Is Scotland’s New Broadband Open Market Review?
The Scottish Government is asking broadband operators to show exactly where they already have networks and where they genuinely plan to build over the next three years. The results will help decide which Scottish premises can be targeted with future public broadband funding.
Responses to the September 2026 Open Market Review must be submitted by 5pm.
Scotland’s new broadband Open Market Review is a nationwide check of current and planned broadband infrastructure. The Scottish Government wants network operators to provide premises-level evidence of where they already serve customers and where they credibly expect to build over the next three years. That information will be used to decide which premises may need public support through Project Gigabit, R100 or other broadband interventions.
Why does Scotland need an Open Market Review?
Public broadband funding is meant to reach places the commercial market is unlikely to connect on its own. Before government money can be committed, officials need an accurate picture of what broadband companies have already built and what they are genuinely planning to build.
The Scottish Government says it has collected supplier data for years and has formally requested detailed updates on a rolling basis since January 2025. The September 2026 review refreshes that picture across all of Scotland.
The Scottish Government asks operators for current and planned network data.
Operators submit premises-level coverage and supporting evidence.
Claims are assessed against the evidence provided.
Officials can challenge or seek more detail on coverage claims.
Suppliers are told how their evidence has been assessed.
An outcome report and subsidy classifications are published.
The practical aim is to avoid two mistakes: subsidising an area a provider was already going to build commercially, or assuming a commercial rollout is coming when the evidence behind it is not strong enough.
What do White, Grey, Black and Under Review mean?
The most important output from the review is a premises-level classification showing how much qualifying gigabit infrastructure exists or is credibly planned. These classifications determine whether public subsidy can be used.
No qualifying gigabit network is available and none is likely to be developed within the next three years.
One qualifying gigabit network is available or is credibly planned within the next three years.
At least two qualifying gigabit infrastructures from different suppliers are available or planned.
A supplier has claimed coverage or a build plan, but verification, delivery risk or evidence gaps remain.
Only premises classified as White can receive build subsidy under the relevant gigabit intervention. Even then, being White does not guarantee funding: government still decides which eligible premises should be included in an intervention.
Broadband companies have to prove their build plans
The review is not simply asking providers to send a map showing where they would like to build. Suppliers must submit current and planned premises coverage at UPRN level — the Unique Property Reference Number attached to individual properties — together with an up-to-date Supporting Evidence Pack.
Suppliers are asked to include their existing network and intended coverage across Scotland, including infrastructure supported by earlier subsidy schemes.
Government assesses whether claimed future investment is sufficiently advanced and evidenced rather than accepting every proposed build at face value.
Where a supplier claims gigabit-capable coverage, its network design and architecture must satisfy the scheme’s technical definition.
Respondents can also tell government which wholesale access products they would like to see offered over subsidised networks.
This matters because an unsupported or weak commercial build claim can affect whether a premises is kept outside a publicly funded contract. The government says plans can be reclassified if they fall away or are not sufficiently evidenced.
Operators such as Highland Broadband are building their own full-fibre networks in selected Scottish communities. Reviews like this OMR are designed to make sure credible commercial or independently funded builds are recognised before public money is allocated elsewhere.
Can ordinary people respond to the review?
Yes. The Scottish Government explicitly invites residents, businesses and other stakeholders to say whether they currently have, or expect to have, gigabit-capable broadband over the next three years and beyond.
A resident or business should provide at least the relevant UPRN or postcode and explain the nature of the concern. The government also asks for the respondent’s name, email address and residential or organisational details where applicable. Submissions go to gigabitomr@gov.scot.
This could matter where a published or claimed rollout does not match what is happening locally — for example, if residents have repeatedly been told fibre is coming but the build has stalled, or if a supposedly uncovered area has already gained gigabit service.
The OMR is especially relevant in rural and island communities, where the remaining premises are often the hardest to connect. Our separate explainer looks at why rural Scotland still trails urban areas for gigabit availability.
How could the review affect future broadband funding?
The supplier response deadline is 5pm on 28 October 2026. The Scottish Government will then evaluate the submissions, seek clarification where required and use the resulting classifications to refine future intervention areas.
Premises without a qualifying commercial network or credible three-year build plan can potentially move into the pool eligible for public intervention.
The Scottish Government says OMR data is also used across R100 and UK and Scottish voucher interventions.
If an operator can prove it is genuinely going to build an area commercially, subsidy should not be used to fund a competing network there unnecessarily.
For consumers, the review will not itself install fibre or immediately change which package appears at a postcode. Its importance is earlier in the process: it helps determine where public money is legally and practically allowed to support future gigabit deployment.
The OMR is essentially Scotland’s broadband funding map-check
The September 2026 Open Market Review asks operators to prove where gigabit networks already exist and where credible commercial builds are coming. Premises with no qualifying network and no likely build within three years can be classified White and become eligible for subsidy. That makes the review an important step in deciding where the next publicly supported broadband builds should go.
Scotland Open Market Review FAQs
What is Scotland’s broadband Open Market Review?
It is a Scottish Government review of existing and planned broadband infrastructure across Scotland. Suppliers are asked to provide detailed coverage and build plans so the government can identify which premises may need public support.
When is the deadline for Scotland’s 2026 broadband Open Market Review?
The Scottish Government says responses must be submitted by 5pm on 28 October 2026.
Can residents respond to the Open Market Review?
Yes. Residents and businesses can tell the Scottish Government whether they have or expect to have gigabit-capable broadband and can submit their postcode or UPRN together with the nature of their concern.
Sources checked
The Scottish Government’s September 2026 Request for Information is the primary source for the scope, classifications, submission requirements and deadline. UK Government subsidy-control guidance provides additional context on how the OMR and later Public Review determine which premises may enter gigabit procurements.
- Scottish Government — Introduction and background — purpose of the national rolling OMR, three-year commercial build window and use across Project Gigabit, R100 and voucher interventions.
- Scottish Government — Purpose of the OMR — process from Request for Information through supplier evaluation, clarification and published outcome.
- Scottish Government — Subsidy eligibility — White, Grey, Black and Under Review definitions and the rule that subsidy is limited to White premises.
- Scottish Government — Residents, businesses and stakeholders — how the public can respond and what information suppliers must provide.
- Scottish Government — Submission requirements — UPRN-level coverage data, Supporting Evidence Packs and wholesale product input.
- Scottish Government — Date for return — confirms the 5pm, 28 October 2026 response deadline.
- Building Digital UK — OMR and Public Review guidance — wider Project Gigabit classification and intervention-area rules.