The UK Government has signed £1 billion in contracts to upgrade broadband infrastructure in rural communities through its Project Gigabit programme. Suppliers are now working to connect around 677,000 rural homes and businesses to lightning-fast full fibre across England.
Project Gigabit is a flagship programme to connect hard-to-reach areas which, without government intervention, would be left out by the industry’s rollout of faster broadband.
Six new contracts worth more than £450 million have been announced yesterday, allowing suppliers to immediately begin detailed surveying work to connect around 236,000 premises across England, with the first premises expected to be connected in early 2025.
Five of these latest contracts will be delivered by broadband provider CityFibre, serving rural communities in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Kent, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. A further contract to upgrade premises in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire has been awarded to Hull-based supplier Connexin.
Julia Lopez, Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister
We’re wasting no time in our mission to bring lightning-fast broadband to rural areas - with a billion pounds in contracts already signed with broadband companies to get our next-generation network up and running. Project Gigabit is already driving growth, creating jobs and putting an end to snail’s pace internet speeds, and we will continue to work rapidly to ensure people feel the benefits of our rollout to even more places across the UK as quickly as possible.
Greg Mesch, Chief Executive Officer, CityFibre
We’re thrilled to be a key delivery partner for the government on this critical infrastructure project, transforming the digital capabilities of rural homes and businesses across the country. But that’s just the start. We’re continuing to expand our commercial rollout alongside Project Gigabit, extending infrastructure choice, multi-gigabit speeds, and unparalleled reliability to hundreds of thousands of additional premises in these regions.
Furqan Alamgir, CEO, Connexin
Through the award of this contract, we are delighted to be able to play our part in the UK government’s mission to level up and bring gigabit connectivity to our rural communities. At Connexin our mission is not just about connecting people but also about how such connectivity can improve lives. We believe that everyone has the right to the same opportunities, and we firmly believe in digital inclusion and what it can unlock. We look forward to working with BDUK to future proof the infrastructure and bring hyperfast broadband to the region.
