UK digital infrastructure investment hit £11.2bn in 2025

Britain’s businesses invested £11.2 billion in digital infrastructure in 2025 after the ONS broadened its definition to include data-centre buildings, hardware, network software and radio-spectrum permits. Spending on “other buildings and structures” (£5.6 bn) and software/databases (£3.8 bn) made up 84% of total. Hardware rose 54.6% to £0.7 bn, driven by data-centre expansion for cloud and AI. Public grants reached £0.7 bn in 2024, while telecom operators contributed £6.8 bn, 77% of which funded full-fibre rollout.