Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in rural areas across South Gloucestershire, Surrey and West Berks are all set to benefit from a major broadband upgrade, thanks to telecoms giant Openreach/
The government has pledged up to £800 million to modernise broadband infrastructure across England, Scotland and Wales, bringing lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband to around 312,000 premises.
Telecoms giant Openreach has secured the first phase of the project, with contracts worth £288 million to connect nearly 97,000 homes and businesses in England and Wales. Further deals are expected to be announced in the coming months, bringing the total number of properties to be upgraded to over 300,000.
Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach said: “I’m proud we’ve been chosen, through a fiercely competitive process, and we’re already cracking on with the job. Our network already reaches more than 15 million urban and rural premises and, wherever we build, we bring the widest choice of providers for customers. I’m confident we can reach as many as 30 million homes by the end of the decade if the conditions remain supportive.”
The investment is part of the government’s Project Gigabit, aimed at closing the digital divide between urban and rural areas. It is hoped that the improved connectivity will stimulate local economies and create new opportunities for businesses and residents.
