In a quest to future-proof the nation’s digital backbone, the UK government has recently accelerated its ambitious Project Gigabit scheme designed to enhance digital connectivity across remote geographical areas of the country. The monumental £5 billion project reveals its Spring update, attesting to the remarkable progress in our digital journey.
The latest figures suggest an increase from a modest 6% in 2019 to a staggering 81% in gigabit broadband coverage across UK premises, ranking the UK in an auspicious position to achieve its ambitious target of 85% by 2025, and extending coverage to virtually the entire country, about 99%, by 2030.
A significant milestone achieved by the project includes the awarding of over £1 billion in contracts, this year alone, under Project Gigabit, with 15 multi-million-pound contracts inked that aim to boost coverage to more than 370,000 businesses and residences across various counties. Among these, six contracts have been announced recently:
FullFibre, a leading wholesale network provider, has bagged two contracts worth £33 million for broadband expansion in Derbyshire and Herefordshire to connect an additional 30,000 challenging locations. Quickline received £44 million to enhance their fibre network by 32,100 residencies in South Yorkshire. Furthermore, Wessex Internet is poised to make strides with £33.5 million for connecting a further 21,400 premises in Dorset and South Somerset commencing later this year. Wildanet has been granted £41.2 million to extend connectivity to 16,800 properties in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly regions, initiating the installation in the forthcoming Autumn season. Lastly, Voneus triumphed with a £12 million contract, contributing internet access to around 6,000 premises in Shropshire—the first group of premises under the agreement are set to get Gigabit access next year.
The compilation of 31 Project Gigabit contracts that have been signed until now indicates a combined value of over £1.3 billion. This massive investment strives to offer gigabit speeds to nearly 800,000 rural homes. The government has also highlighted the positive effects that the project’s contracts have generated on local communities. Since the December 2023 update, areas such as Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands have witnessed an increase of 3-4% in gigabit-enabled connectivity.
On the flip side, not every franchise agreement has evolved without obstacles. A substantial £39.4 million contract targeting 18,400 properties in Worcestershire has unfortunately been withdrawn due to undisclosed reasons, presumably the increasing cost of deployment. The government is ascertaining alternative solutions for this procurement.
